Precipitated withdrawal from Suboxone can last anywhere from a few hours to four days. Most people feel the effects of precipitated withdrawal between 24 and 48 hours.
With medical assistance, these symptoms can settle within the same day of experiencing them, but it could take longer.
Learn more about precipitated withdrawal from Suboxone
Factors That Affect How Long Precipitated Withdrawal Lasts
Precipitated withdrawal usually happens very quickly because of the nature of Suboxone.
There are a few factors that affect how long Suboxone takes its effects with precipitated withdrawal.
Seeking Medical Assistance
If a person takes Suboxone and goes through the symptoms of precipitated withdrawal without seeking medical assistance, these symptoms will last for much longer.
With the proper medications that can fight against the uncomfortable symptoms of precipitated withdrawal, this time frame can shrink back down to just a few hours.
Dose Of Suboxone
One case study from two doctors concluded that the dose of Suboxone plays a major role in the intensity of precipitated withdrawal.
They found that the risk of precipitated withdrawal increases when large doses of buprenorphine are given right after someone stops using full opioid agonists.
If a very low dose is administered, it’s possible that precipitated withdrawal will last for a few hours or up to a day. If a larger dose is given, it may last a few days before symptoms subside.
Treatment Methods To Shorten Precipitated Withdrawal
If someone has taken Suboxone too early in opioid withdrawal and is experiencing the negative symptoms of precipitated withdrawal, there are ways to treat it.
Precipitated withdrawal can develop very quickly and continue for hours or days at a time. It’s during this time that clinical measures can take place to alleviate those symptoms.
Ways to clinically treat precipitated withdrawal include:
- using small, repeated doses of buprenorphine
- using small, repeated doses of Suboxone
Administering these medications should cut down the length of time precipitated withdrawal lasts.
How Long Should You Wait To Take Suboxone To Avoid Precipitated Withdrawal?
The waiting period between the last dose of the substance of abuse and using Suboxone varies depending on how much of the drug was used and whether it was a short- or long-acting drug.
Usually, a person can begin Suboxone treatment 12 to 24 hours after the last use.
Find A Suboxone Treatment Program For Opioid Addiction
The body can go through painful and extreme withdrawal symptoms when coming off opioids. But Suboxone allows for a smoother transition, easing the symptoms of withdrawal.
To learn more about Suboxone treatment and addiction recovery programs that utilize this medication, call our helpline now.
Addiction Resource aims to provide only the most current, accurate information in regards to addiction and addiction treatment, which means we only reference the most credible sources available.
These include peer-reviewed journals, government entities and academic institutions, and leaders in addiction healthcare and advocacy. Learn more about how we safeguard our content by viewing our editorial policy.
- University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS)—Fact Sheet: Buprenorphine
https://www.umassmed.edu/globalassets/center-for-integrated-primary-care/amber/final-fact-sheet-on-buprenorphine-final.pdf - University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry (URMC)—‘Start Low & Delay Until in Withdrawal’ –Lessons Learned from Precipitated Withdrawal after Early Buprenorphine Initiation after Methadone
https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/MediaLibraries/URMCMedia/medicine/awards/resident-poster-day/documents/ERabstract-opoid-withdrawal.pdf - U.S. National Library of Medicine: PubMed—Time course of naloxone-precipitated withdrawal after acute methadone exposure in humans
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1665778/ - Wiley Online Library—Managing opioid withdrawal precipitated by buprenorphine with buprenorphine
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/dar.13228
