Understanding the Suboxone Detox Timeline: Treating Withdrawal Medically

Suboxone is one of the most commonly prescribed drugs for opioid addiction. It has helped thousands of opioid use disorder sufferers reclaim their lives.

However, Suboxone is itself an opioid and can cause a dependence so severe that withdrawal symptoms can occur if a patient stops using Suboxone or reduces their dose. In such cases, Suboxone detox is often recommended.

Read more to find out what the Suboxone detox timeline looks like and how long it takes.

What Is Suboxone, and Why Is It Prescribed?

Suboxone is a combination of two different drugs: buprenorphine and naloxone. Suboxone was developed to treat opioid addiction, and it is incredibly successful in its role. In fact, Suboxone is one of the most prescribed medications for treating opioid use disorders, and it has been shown to dramatically reduce the risk of relapse and overdose death.

Buprenorphine is an opioid, but a comparatively weak one. Because buprenorphine is an opioid, it helps ease withdrawal symptoms from other opioids like fentanyl or heroin.

Naloxone is an opioid antagonist, which means that it reverses the effects of opioids. Naloxone was developed to save the lives of those suffering an opioid overdose. Naloxone, often in the nasal spray form of Narcan, saves tens of thousands of lives every year.

The combination of buprenorphine and naloxone makes Suboxone incredibly effective at treating long-term opioid withdrawal. This is known as medication-assisted treatment, or MAT. In fact, many MAT programs use Suboxone instead of methadone. This is because Suboxone is substantially less addictive than methadone and, more importantly, much more difficult to overdose on.

What Is Suboxone Withdrawal?

When someone uses Suboxone repeatedly, even if they follow prescription guidelines, their body will adapt to the presence of the drug.

For example, the body may be receiving enough opioids (in this case, the buprenorphine in Suboxone) that it stops naturally producing the opioids it needs for signal transmission.

When that person reduces their Suboxone dose or stops taking the drug entirely, the body needs time to adapt while it returns to functioning “normally.” During this period, which is known as withdrawal, the individual will experience a number of unpleasant medical and psychiatric symptoms.

Suboxone Withdrawal Symptoms

The Suboxone detox process is a medically supervised process that aims to reduce or eliminate withdrawal symptoms and help patients start their treatment journey with a positive and strong mindset.

Although Suboxone detox will greatly reduce most withdrawal symptoms, it will not eliminate them entirely.

Which withdrawal symptoms will appear are variable and depend on factors such as the gender, weight, and age of the patient, the length and severity of the addiction, and the presence of any co-occurring mental health conditions and addictions.

Generally, the most common and serious Suboxone withdrawal symptoms include:

• Aches in the muscles and body
• Anxiety
• Chills
• Depression
• Digestive issues, including nausea and vomiting
• Fever
• Headaches
• Loss of mental clarity
• Mood swings
• Suboxone cravings and urges
• Tiredness

How Long Does Suboxone Withdrawal Last?

Suboxone withdrawal has two phases: acute withdrawal and post-acute withdrawal. How long these two phases of Suboxone withdrawal last varies from person to person.

However, it is possible to construct a general Suboxone detox timeline.

Suboxone Detox Timeline: Acute Withdrawal Days 1-2

The first Suboxone withdrawal symptoms usually first appear between 24 and 48 hours after the last dose of the drug. These symptoms are usually comparatively mild and few at first.

Preparations are undertaken before symptoms set in, and medications and therapies may begin at this time.

Suboxone Detox Timeline: Acute Withdrawal Days 3-7

After first appearing, Suboxone withdrawal symptoms typically increase in number and worsen in severity for two to five days. During this time, patients receive the heaviest dosages and greatest variety of medications as the strongest and greatest number of symptoms appear.

Suboxone Detox Timeline: Acute Withdrawal Days 7-21

Sometime between five to seven days after the last dose of Suboxone, withdrawal symptoms typically subside or disappear entirely. Most patients will have few or no remaining symptoms within three weeks.

Patients receive fewer medications at lower dosages as symptoms subside or disappear entirely. In turn, more therapies are used as the patient prepares for rehab or aftercare.

Suboxone Detox Timeline: Post-Acute Withdrawal Months 2-48

In some cases, patients may experience lingering Suboxone withdrawal symptoms for up to two years after their last dose. This is known as post-acute withdrawal syndrome, or PAWS.

PAWS symptoms are typically fewer in number and less severe than acute withdrawal symptoms. In many cases, PAWS symptoms will not be continually present and may only appear sporadically or cyclically.

Medications are used as PAWS symptoms appear. Therapy, rehab, and support groups become a larger part of the treatment process.

Tips for Coping with Suboxone Withdrawal Symptoms

While Suboxone withdrawal can be quite unpleasant, it is generally considered less severe than the withdrawals caused by other opioids. However, this doesn’t mean that it is easy to get through.

Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) Valerie Puffenberger provides the following tips for dealing with Suboxone withdrawal symptoms:

• Take Suboxone after a meal or take an antacid to lessen stomach pain.
• Increase fluid intake, increase fiber intake, and exercise for constipation issues.
• Avoid napping, limit caffeine intake, and maintain a consistent sleep schedule for sleep problems.
• Mild aches and pains can be managed with over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen.

In many cases, the best way to cope with Suboxone withdrawal symptoms will be through medically supervised Suboxone detox.

During medically supervised detox, addiction treatment professionals provide medications that reduce the severity of Suboxone withdrawal symptoms and even eliminate some entirely. Additionally, therapy helps patients maintain the mental energy they need to get through the toughest symptoms.

Addiction treatment professionals will use a tapering process when helping someone get off Suboxone. Tapering is a process by which the dosage of a medication is gradually reduced slowly over time. This gives the body more time to adjust to the lack of Suboxone and eases withdrawal symptoms.

Find Suboxone Detox

If you or someone you love is looking for a medically supervised Suboxone detox program, you don’t have to wait another moment. There are thousands of Suboxone addiction treatment programs around the country, including the ones at Legacy Healing Center.

We take a holistic approach to treatment to heal our patients medically, mentally, and spiritually. Examples of what makes Legacy so successful at helping patients regain their sobriety include:

• Clinical therapy
• Proper medication management
• Aftercare
• Integration of life factors

If you have any questions about the Suboxone detox timeline or any other drug- or alcohol-related issues, call 888-534-2295 today to speak with the staff at Legacy Healing Center.

Suboxone Detox FAQs

What is the typical Suboxone detox timeline?

What the typical Suboxone detox timeline is like will vary from person to person. However, in general, it will look something like this:

• Day 1-2: The beginning of acute withdrawal, when the first, comparatively mild symptoms appear.
• Day 3-7: The height of acute withdrawal, during which symptoms grow in number and worsen in severity.
• Day 7-21: The end of acute withdrawal, during which symptoms reduce in severity. Most or all disappear entirely.
• Month 2-24: Some symptoms may linger, often appearing sporadically due to post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS).

What are some common Suboxone withdrawal symptoms?

What Suboxone withdrawal symptoms appear will vary from person to person. However, some of the most common Suboxone withdrawal symptoms include:

• Anxiety
• Changes in temperature, including fever and chills
• Concentration issues
• Constant drowsiness
• Depression
• Digestive issues, including nausea and vomiting
• Fever
• Headaches
• Irritability
• Mental confusion
• Muscle and body aches
• Suboxone cravings and urges

 How is Suboxone tapering done safely?

Suboxone tapering can only be done safely under the guidance of a medical professional. Typically, the medical professional who originally prescribed the Suboxone will create a proper taper-down plan.

Although a safe tapering down from Suboxone will look different for every patient, it will generally follow a similar process. The dose of Suboxone will be reduced at regular intervals, often daily or weekly, allowing the body will slowly adjust to the lack of Suboxone.

Tapering down prevents the body from experiencing the sudden shock of going “cold turkey.” Therefore, patients do not experience the same withdrawal symptoms.

About the Author

Jeffrey Juergens

Jeff Juergens is a leading author in the addiction and recovery field, dedicating the last seven years of his life to helping those struggling with substance use issues find the help that they need. Jeff's work has been used in rehabs across the country as tools to help patients achieve sobriety.

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Medically Reviewed by

Dr. Edwin Gomez, M.D.

Edwin Gomez, M.D. joined the Legacy Healing Centers Medical Team in 2021. In addition to working at Legacy Healing Centers, Dr. Gomez operates a private practice and research here in the South Florida Area and the Florida Keys. Prior to joining Legacy Healing Center, he served as Medical Dire...

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