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Bupe is a slang name for buprenorphine, a drug used to help treat opioid use disorder (OUD). Bupe is combined with naloxone in Suboxone, a Medication for Addiction Treatment (MAT).
The use of buprenorphine to treat opioid use disorder is highly evidence-based, especially if its prescribed use is combined with treatments like therapy and counseling.
How Does ‘Bupe’ Work?
At a basic level, bupe, or buprenorphine, works by helping to stop drug cravings, blocking withdrawal symptoms, and also blocking the effects of other opioids a person might try to misuse to achieve a more euphoric high.[1]
Buprenorphine is a long-acting partial opioid agonist. It attaches to opioid receptors in the brain but not as potently as other “full” opioids. It therefore satisfies cravings and prevents withdrawal symptoms from full opioids such as heroin and fentanyl, without producing euphoria or the risks of respiratory depression or overdose seen with these illicit substances.
How Long Does Buprenorphine Stay in Your System?
Bupe has an average half-life that is between 24 to 70 hours.[2] It is typically taken daily, but some individuals may take it twice or even three times a day.
Its long duration of action, in addition to its slow onset of action, is one of the main reasons it is so useful for opioid use disorder treatment.
Using Bupe for OUD
Buprenorphine treatments should be started about 12 to 24 hours after a person’s last use of opioids and only if prescribed by an addiction treatment professional.[3] Doses necessary to prevent withdrawal vary greatly between individuals, but are usually somewhere between 2 to 24 mg daily.
While buprenorphine can’t make opioid use disorder disappear, it can help to greatly improve patient retention in treatment programs by eliminating many of the worst symptoms associated with opioid withdrawal. Patients will typically take buprenorphine on a long-term basis, benefiting most from taking the drug for months or even years. Some people chose to stay on bupe indefinitely in order to prevent relapse.
Like all MAT, buprenorphine-based treatments should be used as part of a comprehensive addiction treatment plan. It is important that a patient receives addiction counseling and therapy, often in the form of cognitive behavioral therapy, to maximize their chance of a long-term recovery.
Bupe FAQs
Is bupe covered by insurance?
Buprenorphine will generally be covered by insurance as long as it is part of a prescribed, evidence-based addiction treatment program. Bupe is covered by Medicaid in most states.
Is bupe the same as Suboxone?
Bupe is short for buprenorphine which is the active component of Suboxone. Suboxone is a brand name drug that combines buprenorphine and naloxone. Naloxone is a non-active ingredient combined with buprenorphine that is not absorbed by the body when taken under the tongue as prescribed.
Will buprenorphine affect sperm count?
It is unclear how buprenorphine may affect fertility and sperm count. Some small studies suggest this may be true, but more information is needed on the subject.
It is still a subject worth discussing with a doctor if you have concerns about fertility, but there doesn’t appear to be any strong evidence buprenorphine negatively impacts fertility and should not be discontinued for this reason. If anything, active opioid use is likely to have equal if not worse impacts on fertility, thus being stable on Suboxone therapy is likely to only help, not harm, one’s fertility.
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