How Long does Suboxone Block Opiates?

In taking drugs, we must be very careful and knowledgeable of what we are using for our body. Although most drugs are invented in order to provide therapeutic effects to our health, these drugs are also possible of causing harm and hazardous reactions to the system. Aside from this, all medications have specific time durations when it comes to their effects or their potency in the body. This is another drug characteristic that we must know or understand so as to prevent any adverse reactions that could possibly cause complications. One particular drug that needs careful handling during administration is called Suboxone. But what is Suboxone and how long does Suboxone block opiates?

What is Suboxone?

Suboxone is considered as the first narcotic drug that is available for prescription from a doctor’s office for the use in the treatment of opioid dependence according to the Drug Addition Treatment Act of 2000. One of the Primary ingredients of Suboxone is Buprenorphine, which is actually a partial opioid agonist. However, the opioid effects, reactions and withdrawal symptoms from the Buprenorphine are somewhat lesser in comparison to the other opioid agonists such as methadones, morphine, hydrocodone, heroin, codeine and oxycodone.

Suboxone is a type of drug that is taken at a sublingual route or in tablet form that is placed under the tongue for absorption. This medication if known to aid in the suppression of the opioid withdrawal symptoms and as well as decrease the cravings and use of illicit opioid. This can also help overcome opioid dependence under correct supervision. This drug comes in 2 mg or 8 mg sizes of sublingual tablets.

Aside from the Buprenorphine, Suboxone also contains naloxone. Naloxone is a substance that can block the effects of medicines and other drugs such as methadone, heroin and morphine. This is also combined in order to prevent people from injecting Suboxone, which can lead to the improper use of the medication. The injection of naloxone can also cause withdrawal symptoms. This type of drug is the most common type of medication prescribed to the patients during the maintenance phase of the treatment. Because of the Suboxone’s lower potential overdose and abuse unlike the methadone, doctors are able to prescribe home supplies of this drug in certain circumstances.

Suboxone in Blocking Opiates

Suboxone is manufactured by and a registered trademark of the Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals. This drug has a half life of 37 hours and can be excreted from the body through the urine. This means that after 37 hours of using the drug, the amount in the body will be reduced in half. After 74 hours, this will then be reduced by another 50%, which means the total amount of drug left will only be ¼ or 25 from the original or initial amount. After 111 hours from the drug intake, the amount will only be 1/8 in the blood and will eventually lower down to 1/16 after 148 hours in the system. This trend will go on until the drug will be completely removed from the bloodstream.

With this rate of half life in the body, the drug in the system is expected to be a little more than 1/32 after only 1 week. This is when the drug will no longer be effective. The effectiveness of the drug will also depend on the amount of the substance in the bloodstream. In other words, after 37 hours, the effectiveness of the drug is now only 50% since it the drug amount if already reduced in half. This will then become 25% effective after another 37 hours, which cuts down the drug amount to ¼. So after a week of taking the medication, the drug is now approximately considered only 4% effective, which is already recognized as cleared from the system.

This rate also indicates how long Suboxone can block opiates in the body. After 74 hours, it is possible that the body will start getting high once again. Suboxone is colored orange andis usually lemone-lime in flavor. One part of this is naloxone for every four parts of buprenorphine. The tablet is also hexagon in shape and is also small in size.

In taking this drug, it is always important to seek the doctor’s recommendation in order to prevent certain untoward reactions in the body. Although this medication requires a prescription, taking this drug requires full responsibility from the user. Any improper intake or administration of this substance can be enough to cause serious complications in our system. Now that we are aware of the uses and functions of the Suboxone, we should become more mindful of the possible negative reactions of this particular substance. These are some of the things that we should always remember when it comes to using Suboxone as one of our prescribed pharmacologic interventions against certain withdrawal symptoms in the body.