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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.
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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:
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.
Several factors affect how long a drug remains in someone’s system. These factors include:
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 |
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 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 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 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 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 |
Inpatient and outpatient addiction treatment both offer support for substance use disorders that focus on three goals:
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 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 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:
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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.
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