How Long Do Drugs Stay In Your System?

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The length of time a drug stays in your system is based on a variety of factors. In general, factors include the type of drug, the frequency and potency of use, and the method used to detect the drug’s presence. A drug’s half-life also plays a role in how long it is detectable.

What Does Drug “Half-Life” Mean?

A drug’s half-life is an estimate of how long it takes for the concentration to be reduced by exactly one-half (50%).

For example, if 100mg of a drug with a half-life of 60 minutes is taken, the following is estimated:

60 minutes after administration, 50mg remains
120 minutes after administration, 25mg remains
And so on until the drug is gone from a person’s system (In this example, this would be just over 300 minutes)

Most drugs are considered to have an effect after four to five half-lives. However, it might no longer be detectable in a drug test at this point.

Despite the estimation of a drug’s half-life, it is impossible to know exactly when it will be eliminated from a person’s system.

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Factors That Affect How Long a Drug Stays in Your System

Several factors affect how long a drug remains in someone’s system. These factors include:

Age
Blood circulation
Diet
Fluid levels
Gender
History of previous drug use
Function of the kidneys or liver depending on how the drug in question is metabolized
Weight or obesity
Pre-existing health conditions
Other drugs in someone’s system at the same time
Race/ethnicity
Smoking
Hemodialysis

Alcohol

The type and amount of alcohol consumed affects the length of time it remains in a person’s system.

Drug Name	Urine Test	Saliva Test	Hair Test
Alcohol	Up to 72 hours	Up to 48 hours	Up to 90 days

Marijuana

How long marijuana is detectable in a drug test is based on how often and how much of the drug someone uses.

Drug Name	Urine Test	Saliva Test	Blood Test	Hair Text
Marijuana	3 to 30 days	1 to 29 days	Up to 25 days	90 days
Synthetic Marijuana	3 to 30 days	1 to 29 days	1 to 25 days	90 days

Stimulants

Stimulants increase a person’s energy and help them stay awake. They tend to be abused by younger people but are a problem for anyone who uses them recreationally.

Drug Name	Urine Test	Saliva Test	Blood Test	Hair Text
MDMA / Ecstasy	Up to 4 days	Up to 2 days	Up to 2 days	Up to 90 days
Cocaine	24 hours to 22 days	Up to 2 weeks with heavy use	72 hours	Up to 90 days
Methamphetamine	3 days	2 days	2 days	Up to 90 days
Adderall	4 days	72 hours	3 to 5 days	Up to 90 days
Ritalin	1 to 2 days	1 to 3 days	12 hours	Up to 90 days
Vyvanse	3 days	2 to 3 days	8 hours	Up to 90 days
Dexedrine	1 to 2 days	1 to 2 days	1 to 2 days	Up to 90 days

Opioids

Opioids are medications that relieve pain. They are often abused by people who were originally treating a medical issue with a prescription and became addicted to the medication.

Drug Name	Urine Test	Saliva Test	Blood Test	Hair Text
Codeine	3 days	4 days	24 hours	Up to 90 days
Heroin	2 days	Up to 36 hours	5 hours to 2 days	Up to 90 days
Fentanyl	1 o 3 days	3 days	5 to 48 hours	Up to 90 days
Oxycodone	3 to 4 days	2 days	Up to 24 hours	Up to 90 days
Methadone	6 to 12 days	30 minutes to a few days	6 hours	Up to 90 days
Morphine	4 days	4 days	Up to 3 days	Up to 90 days
Buprenorphine	1 to 2 days	3 days	2 days	Up to 90 days

Barbiturates

Barbiturates are sedatives that are frequently used to aid sleep. They are addictive and are frequently abused through recreational use.

Drug Name	Urine Test	Saliva Test	Blood Test	Hair Text
Butisol	7 to 10 days	3 days	72 hours	90 days
Amytal	2 to 4 days	3 days	72 hours	90 days
Seconal	2 to 4 days	3 days	72 hours	90 days
Others	2 to 4 days	3 days	72 hours	90 days

Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines are tranquilizers. Though they have valid prescription uses, they are often abused by people who use them recreationally.

Drug Name	Urine Test	Saliva Test	Blood Test	Hair Text
Valium	5 to 7 days	7 to 9 days	23 days	90 days
Xanax	4 days	2.5 days	1 day	90 days
Klonopin	2 days	Up to 3 days	Up to 3 days	90 days
Ativan	1 to 6 weeks	6 hours	6 hours	90 days
Librium	1 to 6 weeks	Up to 48 hours	Up to 48 hours	90 days

Treatment for Drug or Alcohol Addiction

Inpatient or Outpatient Treatment

Inpatient and outpatient addiction treatment both offer support for substance use disorders that focus on three goals:

Stopping the use of the substance immediately
Motivating the patient to abstain long-term by arming them with coping strategies and other methods of support
Helping the patient re-integrate into normal society and live a productive life

Inpatient treatment meets these goals on a full-time basis wherein the patient removes him or herself from their regular life entirely and focuses on recovery. Outpatient treatment meets these goals relatively part-time and allows someone to maintain home and work responsibilities.

Medical Detoxification

Medical detox is the process of eliminating the body of a substance while under medical professionals’ supervision. This takes place before inpatient or outpatient treatment or is offered at the same time as inpatient treatment. Medical detox provides stabilization for relapse, but it does not provide long-term treatment. This means long-term recovery is a two-part process for most people – medical detox is the first step and rehabilitative aftercare is the second step.

Aftercare

Aftercare is the second step for most people in recovery after detox. It describes the ongoing or follow-up treatment a person receives for managing addiction. The goal of aftercare is to:

Maintain recovery
Prevent relapse
Assemble a life of purpose with rewarding relationships

Find Help For Your Addiction

You don’t have to overcome your addiction alone. Professional guidance and support is available. Begin a life of recovery by reaching out to a specialist today.

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Related pages:

Resources +

Verstraete, A. “Detection Times of Drugs of Abuse in Blood, Urine, and Oral Fluid.” Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, 2004, www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Detection-Times-of-Drugs-of-Abuse-in-Blood%2C-Urine%2C-Verstraete/157fce13e153e873b50b8644e34be07610800ffc?p2df, 10.1097/00007691-200404000-00020. Accessed 14 Sept. 2020.

Moeller, Karen E., et al. “Clinical Interpretation of Urine Drug Tests.” Mayo Clinic Proceedings, vol. 92, no. 5, May 2017, pp. 774–796, www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(16)30825-4/pdf, 10.1016/j.mayocp.2016.12.007. Accessed 5 Aug. 2019.