Starting your recovery journey from opioid use disorder can be both exciting and a bit nerve-wracking. While taking the first steps toward the future that you want is something to be proud of, it can also be a bit difficult to stay optimistic if you don’t know what to expect.

For example, buprenorphine can play a big role in your recovery from opioid use disorder (OUD). But if you don’t know the ins and outs of it, like how long it stays in your system, you might be a bit wary to take it.

Buprenorphine is a type of medication for opioid use disorder, or MOUD, that’s made partially in a lab. It can help you mentally and physically manage the effects of no longer using opioids after your body and mind are dependent on them.

There are two main goals of using buprenorphine as part of OUD treatment:

• Lessen withdrawal symptoms, including cravings
• Reduce the risk of misuse and overdose due to its “ceiling effect”

On average, the medication stays in your body between 7-10 days. But there’s a bit more to it than that.

Keep reading to learn more about what experts have to say about the time buprenorphine stays in your system. Then we’ll discuss how buprenorphine is used in treatment at Groups.

4 clinical insights about how long buprenorphine stays in your system

Even though buprenorphine can stay in your system for over a week, it’s still important to take a look at the ins and outs of that time frame so that you can know what to expect from the medication.

• There are many factors that impact how long buprenorphine stays in your body.

As is the case with many types of medication, your body likely won’t be affected by buprenorphine in the exact same way as someone else does. That’s why there isn’t a concrete answer to the exact amount of time it can stay in your body. Several factors can influence how long buprenorphine stays in your system, many of which are out of your control, such as:

• Liver function

The liver is the primary organ that breaks down buprenorphine once it’s taken. If your liver is not working properly, or as effectively as it should, then the chemicals may stay in your body for longer periods of time. This refers to your liver’s drug clearance, which is the ability to remove the medication from your blood.

• Weight and age

Weight and age are just a couple of individual contributing factors to the amount of time buprenorphine stays in the body.

A person’s weight can impact how fast the chemical leaves the body. Having a higher body weight can make it take longer for the liver to clear out the medication. The rate can also slow as you age due to kidney and liver function.

• The half-life of the ingredient is more than one day.

When you’re looking at how long a medication stays in the body, the half-life is usually the first thing to consider. It essentially refers to how long the concentration of the active ingredient takes to drop by 50%. The longer the half-life, the longer the medication can be detected in the body through testing.

Buprenorphine has a half-life of approximately 38 hours. However, due to the amount of variables that can impact the time frame, the half-life can range anywhere from 25-70 hours. That means it takes approximately a day and a half for the concentration to be 50% as potent.

• The detection times vary by drug test.

A drug test is the only way to get an idea of how long buprenorphine stays in your body. However, not every test is the same. The way that it’s taken, and what the test is designed to pick up will play a role in if it detects the medication in your system. Buprenorphine is usually included in 10-panel tests that cover expanded opioids.

Here are the most common drug tests and the average detection window for buprenorphine since the last dose.

• Urine tests — One week
• Blood tests — Up to 48 hours
• Saliva testing — Up to about 48 hours
• Hair testing — Up to three months or longer

The most common type of drug test is a urine test. Many OUD treatment centers may require regular urine drug tests — not as a way to take you out of the program if you test positive for opioids, but to see what type of support you need and how much progress you’ve made.

• Naloxone doesn’t play a role in the time frame.

When we’re talking about buprenorphine as a MOUD, you’re also likely to see it linked to a different ingredient, called naloxone. It’s an opioid antagonist that works to fight the effects of opioids. It’s often teamed up with buprenorphine in Suboxone, a medication that’s used to help people manage withdrawal symptoms, including cravings. In Suboxone, naloxone works to reduce the risk of misuse with snorting or injecting.

Since buprenorphine often goes hand in hand with naloxone, you might be asking yourself about how it impacts the detection window. The straightforward answer is that it doesn’t.

Research shows that naloxone doesn’t have a notable effect on how buprenorphine is metabolized in the body, meaning it doesn’t impact the detection window. This means one less variable to think about.

What to expect when buprenorphine is in your system

Now that you have a better understanding of how long buprenorphine stays in your system, it can be helpful to think about what happens when it’s in there.

Buprenorphine partially activates the same receptors in the brain that opioids do to reduce withdrawal symptoms, such as cravings. It also has a “ceiling effect” for the respiratory depression effect, meaning it will eventually level off and make it a safe option for many people.

Potential side effects of buprenorphine include:

• Nausea
• Drowsiness
• Headaches
• Sweating
• Dry mouth
• Constipation

Buprenorphine is often taken through a daily pill or film that’s placed under your tongue. But there have been new advancements in MOUD that include injectable buprenorphine for more steady release of the medication without the need for a dose every day.

You can talk to your provider about which buprenorphine option will work the best for you.

Groups can help you through OUD using buprenorphine

As buprenorphine works its way through your system, it’s helping you to take control of your OUD. At Groups, we provide you with quick access to buprenorphine through Suboxone prescriptions to help you manage your withdrawals and start your journey toward recovery. We’ll also continue to monitor your buprenorphine to determine if possible changes need to be made to the prescription due to severe side effects.

Suboxone is just one part of the treatment that we provide at Groups for people experiencing addiction. We pride ourselves on helping you look at your OUD from every angle, including physically, emotionally, and mentally. You’ll attend weekly group sessions, either in person or virtually through our phone app, to share experiences and gain insight from people who can relate to what you’re going through.

We’ll also help you reach your personal goals through custom life goal assistance from our Recovery Support Specialists. We can help you live the life you want to live, and the life you deserve.

Give our Recovery Support Specialists a call today for more information or to begin your recovery at Groups. We provide treatment across the country — and we’re always expanding. See if we offer care in your state, either online or at one of our 130+ local offices. If Groups doesn't offer treatment in your area, you can locate other treatment options here.