Different Types of Drug Testing, Drug Detox Tips
How Long Do Drugs Stay In The Body?
In: Drug Testing
5 Oct 2007Drug Detection Times refer to the “window” of detection for drugs of abuse. If a person is tested too soon or too long after use, drugs may not show up in human urine. Often someone will ask us, How long to drugs stay in the body? This short guide will help to answer that question. For the purposes of clarity, this guide is a reference for the detection of drugs of abuse found in human urine.
How long do drugs stay in your system? The length of time that the presence of drugs of abuse in the body can be detected is an important factor in drug screening. The chart below outlines approximate duration times. When interpreting the duration for the presence of drugs of abuse in the body, you must take into consideration variables including the body’s metabolism, the subjects physical condition, overall body fluid balance, state of hydration and frequency of usage.
Drug Detection Times in urine are expressed below in terms of lower and upper boundaries. The amount of time that a drug/metabolite remains detectable in urine can vary, depending on the following factors:
- Amount and Frequency of Use: Single, isolated, small doses are generally detectable at the lower boundary. Chronic and long-term use typically result in detection periods near or at the upper boundary.
- Age: In general, human metabolism slows with age, resulting in longer drug detection periods.
- Body Mass: In general, human metabolism slows with increased body mass, resulting in longer drug detection periods. In addition, THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) and PCP are known to accumulate in fatty lipid tissue. Chronic users, physically inactive users, and individuals with a high percentage of body fat in relation to total body mass are prone to longer drug detection periods for THC and PCP.
- Metabolic Rate: Individuals with slower body metabolism are prone to longer drug detection periods.
- Drug Tolerance: Users typically metabolize a drug faster once a tolerance to the drug is established.
- Overall Health: In general, human metabolism slows during periods of deteriorating health, resulting in longer drug detection periods.
- Urine pH: Urine pH can impact drug detection periods. Typically, highly acidic urine results in shorter drug detection periods.
- Note: In a small percentage of cases, users may test positive longer than times shown – most notably in cases of long-term chronic abuse, in individuals with significant body mass and/or body fat, and in individuals with health related issues resulting in abnormally slow body metabolism…
Drug Detection Times in Urine
- Alcohol 24 hours or less
- Amphetamines 1 to 4 days
- Barbiturates Short-acting: 1 to 3 days
Long-acting: 1 to 3 weeks
- Benzodiazepines Short-term Therapeutic Use: 1 to 3 days
Long-term / Chronic Use: 1 to 3 weeks
- Cocaine 1 to 5 days
- LSD 1 to 2 days
- Marijuana (THC) Casual Use: 1 to 7 days
Long-Term / Chronic Use: 1 to 4 weeks Note: THC, the primary active ingredient in marijuana, is stored by the body in fatty lipid tissue. From there, it is slowly released into the bloodstream for up to several weeks – depending on the amount and frequency of use and the user’s level of physical activity.
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In chronic and physically inactive users, THC may accumulate in fatty tissues faster than it can be eliminated. This accumulation leads to longer detection periods for these individuals. Also, users with a high percentage of body fat in relation to total body mass are prone to longer drug detection periods for THC.
- MDMA (Ecstasy) 1 to 4 days
- Methadone 1 to 4 days
- Methamphetamines 1 to 4 days
- Opiates 1 to 5 days
- PCP (Phencyclidine) Casual Use: 1 to 7 days
Long-Term / Chronic Use: 1 to 4 weeks Note: PCP is stored by the body in fatty lipid tissue. From there, it is slowly released into the bloodstream for up to several weeks – depending on the amount and frequency of use and the user’s level of physical activity. In chronic and physically inactive users, PCP may accumulate in fatty tissues faster than it can be eliminated. This accumulation leads to longer detection periods for these individuals. Also, users with a high percentage of body fat in relation to total body mass are prone to longer drug detection periods for PCP.
For complete information on Drug Testing, visit DrugTestingResource.com
Article Source: EzineArticles.com expert – Steve Sandlin
- Tags: Drug Detection, Drug Test, kids, metabolism, NIDA
39 Responses to How Long Do Drugs Stay In The Body?
Detox Advisor
October 5th, 2007 at 12:55 pm
Will you show positive for a Drug Test? Can second hand marijuana smoke show up in a Drug Test? These are a few commonly asked questions
Tina
October 6th, 2007 at 3:17 am
Does marijuana drugs show up in the blood test or urine test? The result came up after 3-4 days and the urine was very little.
Detox Advisor
October 6th, 2007 at 11:35 am
View –
http://www.passdt.com/news/drug-detection-periods/
Lisa
October 31st, 2007 at 3:38 pm
If someone took 3 xanaxs on Monday, but they dont take they often how long will it take for it to get out of your system, I took a drug test today will they show up?
Dave
December 3rd, 2007 at 7:05 pm
If I took a hydrocodone-APAP 750 mg. today at 3:30pm and took a urin test today at 4:30pm will they it show up
in my uran test
paul
December 11th, 2007 at 11:02 pm
for how long can yaba be detected in urine tests after it has been taken?
boe
January 2nd, 2008 at 11:00 pm
how long does alcohol stay in your urine
Detox Advisor
January 3rd, 2008 at 9:06 am
3-5 days
ky gal
January 9th, 2008 at 6:07 am
how long will vyvanse show up on a drug screen
Charles Rivenbark
January 26th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Hi:
Can you suggest a book or web-site that has the following information?
You say the amount and frequency of use: single, isolated, small doses are generally detectable at the lower boundary. Chronic and long-term use typically result in detection periods near or at the upper boundary.
What are the boundries (quants) for:
1. Alcohol
2. Amphetamines
3. Methamphetamine
4. Barbiturates
5. Phenobarbital
6. Benzodiazepines
7. Cannabis
8. Cocaine
9. Codeine
10. Cotinine
11. Heroin
12. LSD
13. Morphine
14. Methadone
15. PCP
I appreciate your supplying this information to me, and any scale of boundry, like “quants: 1 to 100″ that will give me some idea of tolerance and chronic usage; for example, if a person has a quant of 64 for cannabis on a urine test, does this tend to support mild use or heavy use, long term use . . . ?
Thankyou,
Charles Rivenbark
Lisa
January 26th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Try this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_Testing
phil
January 30th, 2008 at 2:24 am
how long does it take for oxcontin to not show up in a drug screen 1-5 days or more
Tracy
February 10th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Does Marijuana slow your metabolism?
trisha
April 5th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Does tylenol pm show up in a urine drug test?
brian
May 11th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
if i took 3xanex and 3sioma and i have 11days to test time wiil i pass
Franco
July 7th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
This has been the most helpful site so far, but my question is for a heavy user of hydrocodone for 4 to 5 years eating minimum of 15 pill daily, how long would that stay detectable in her system for a over the counter drug test? She says she last slipped in May of 2008 but she failed my drug test this Saturday July the 5th. My daughter says it was from the long term usage. How do I find out the truth?
Thanks
Franco
bob
July 7th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
if your urine is bought to a lab for a drug screen for a job how long will cocaine stay in your system?
Detox Advisor
July 7th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
Hi Franco,
>question is for a heavy user of hydrocodone
Tested for in Standard Drug Tests? NO
Tested for in Extended Drug Tests? SOMETIMES
Detection Period in Urine 3-4 days
Hydrocodone may not cause a positive result in a standard opiate urine test. Many opiate tests test only for morphine (which both codeine and heroin break down into). This is true for both home/business kits and laboratory testing. Hydrocodone does not break down into morphine, and is therefore not detected by these tests.
But home and laboratory testing is available that will detect hydrocodone (and hydromorphone, which it breaks down into). So test results will depend on the particular type of test that is used and whether or not laboratory verification is required. If a home drug test is given and the opiate test shows a positive result (due to hydromorphone use), a laboratory verification might NOT result in a positive test because the lab may only test for morphine. In this case, the lab would NOT be able to verify the original positive result.
source: http://www.drug-rehabs.org/articles.php?aid=402
TBH
July 16th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
If my husband took 1-2 percosets a day up until sunday last week and was 5 panel drug tested yesterday will he test positive for opiates?
Terry
August 6th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
The only way to be sure if you will test clean is to test your self before you go to the employers test. This can be done easy with an instant drug test.
jared
August 17th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
If i took 2 500 mgs hydrocodine pills today how long will it stay in my system
sofia
August 18th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
what a about cotinine? How long does it stay in the body? How long a one isolated cigarrette test positive for cotinine?
devyn
September 17th, 2008 at 2:26 am
If one 30 mg tab vyvanse was taken on Monday and you need to have a drug screen on Wed. will that show up?
sarah
October 27th, 2008 at 3:02 am
if i was clean and smoke pcp 1 time will i be clean after 23 days?
Sherry
October 29th, 2008 at 10:41 am
1+ pack of smokes per day for 5 years. 14 days after quitting-cold turkey with 1 cigarette smoked on day 2 = negative cotinine test for me. From all I have read, 4 days after quitting smoking should equal a negative cotinine test; however, a genetic flaw in some people could fudge the results and make a positive test for a longer period of time. I do know someone who smoked the same as me and tested negative after 4 days smoke free and lots of water. Hope this helps someone.
How Drug Tests Work
October 31st, 2008 at 8:33 pm
[...] are many factors that determine how long a drug toxin stays in a person’s body and these factors will vary from person to person, sot here really is no tried and true method to [...]
John
November 7th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Yes, Vyvanse will show up as an amphetamine. I took a Xanax and it was still in my system two weeks after taking it and it shows on a drug test as a benzodiazepine
jim jackson
November 25th, 2008 at 11:54 pm
Does anyone know how long Suboxone stays in your system if your taking a urine test??
jim
November 26th, 2008 at 12:01 am
Please, take my last name off the question???
ro
December 8th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
I am taking a test put under the tongue i figure it is the saliva test. Is there anything out there such as gum that can throw it off ? I would like to know are these tests more accurate or not than urine tests? How long does Valium and Norcos stay in system or can be detected by this one particular test (saliva Test)?
joan
December 8th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
why would i test positve for pcp and meth in a urine test, i dont used either of them, do take percribed vicodin, soma, and otc sllep med, my employer has sent test to a lab, should i be concerned?
tiffany
December 16th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
how long does mariguinna saty in the urine because i may have to take a drug test between tomorrow or somrtime this week and the last time i used was december 9, 2008
ricky bobby
December 22nd, 2008 at 2:30 am
i recently drank 22 red bulls in under a two hour sitting.Shortly after consumption, i felt extremely sick. My friend told me this drink contained bull sperm and that the reason i was sick was because i was developing “wings”. I thought this sounded stupid, but he insisted that the wings can only be detected in urine.Is this true, and if so, will the drug test reveal my wings and keep me from getting a hand job?
richard hard on
December 22nd, 2008 at 2:34 am
I have to take a drug test to get a job very soon. A friend told me to take seven viagra pills before hand. However, i have had an erection for six straight days. Is this bad? did i break it?
tom
January 8th, 2009 at 3:05 am
can i use diabetes as an excuse if my test for cocaine is positive? or can they tell that it’s not biabetes? what can i say to get a retest?
debra k
January 10th, 2009 at 7:15 am
Hello.
I have been using 2mg hydromorphone (IV) pretty much on a daily basis(give or take a week or two in which I do not have the drug)for a little over one year. I have been off of the drug for about 16 days straight. Will I test positive for opiates if I were to take a drug test today?
john
January 13th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
how long does viagra stay in the system . so if i took one today and had a test tommorow would it show . do you know if found in at test can lead to disciplinary proccedures
tc
January 22nd, 2009 at 8:50 pm
if i took a xanax and got sick right after i swallowed it thursday will it still be in system on saturday or sunday for a urine test
mom69911
February 10th, 2009 at 5:18 am
i am a lite to moderate meth user. took a drug test 3 days after partying and tested positive! i thought 1-5 days if a heavy user! what happened?not looking forward to jail time!!! any suggestions on how to get it out of my system in one day!? home remedy preferred!!