Buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone) stays in your system for 28-42 hours after sublingual (under the tongue) administration via films or tablets, which are the most common route for buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone) treatment. Interestingly, when it was initially used, buprenorphine/naloxone was often given every 2 days because of its long duration of action.
For the treatment of opioid use disorder, buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone) is now usually prescribed as a daily medication. Some patients choose to divide their daily dose so they can take it two or three times a day. However, taking it once a day should cover almost all the opioid receptors in the brain at once, preventing withdrawal symptoms, cravings, and overdose from other opioids at least for the next 24 hours. So, waking up and taking buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone) first thing in the morning is a good strategy to maximize recovery success over the next 1-2 days.
