How Long Do Drugs Stay in Your System?
Introduction to How Long Do Drugs Stay in Your System
If you drink a beer on Friday night with some friends, it will be out of your system by Monday morning. But do other drugs also stay for the same amount of time? Hence, it is a good question to ask, ‘how long do drugs stay in your system?’
Many drugs stay in your body for a longer period than alcohol. Some substances remain in your body for an extended period of time. This slow process in various drugs can surprise you, especially if you will be taking a drug test in the near future.
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Learn More on How Long Drugs Stay in Your System
The answer to the question, ‘how long do drugs stay in your system?’ depends on the way and the type of drug that you used. The duration also depends on how much, how often, or how long you usually take drugs. The metabolism of drugs varies from person to person. It also relates to the body’s composition, genetic and biological contributors, sex, and age.
Typically, drugs take a few days or even a few hours to leave the body and remain undetected in a drug test. According to NSDUH (National Survey on Drug Use and Health), one out of ten adults used drugs a month before 2016. You may feel the effect of the drug for a few minutes or hours, but the substance is active and present in your body for a longer time.
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How Your Body Metabolizes Drugs
It is impossible to determine how long drugs stay in your system and are detectable in saliva, blood, or urine tests. Many factors determine how your body metabolizes drugs, or you remain under the effects of drugs. Here are some factors that impact how long drugs stay in your system and how it reacts with your body:
Drug Tolerance
If you have a higher tolerance for drugs, it metabolizes more quickly. This will decrease the length of time that the drug remains in your body.
Body Mass and Hydration
Your physical activities, body mass, and hydration levels play an active role in affecting how long do drugs stay in your system and is detectable. If you have more fatty tissue in your body, drug traces may remain detectable for a longer time. This happens because drugs build up in those tissues and stay in your body for a longer time.
Acidity of Urine
The acid-base balance in your urine also impacts the length of time that drugs stay in your system. If your urine is more acidic, it will lower the detection time.
Amount or Frequency of Use
Another essential factor that has a vital impact on detection time is the frequency and quantity of drugs used. If you are taking the drug for the first time, it may be detectable for a short period of time. If you are a heavy or long-time user, the detection time is longer. This means frequently using drugs can increase the duration that drugs remain in your system.
The Duration That Drugs Remain in Your System
Contrary to what drug testing companies advertise, not every drug leaves its chemical signature in your body for the same amount of time. When we take the drug, regardless of whether we swallow, smoke, or snort it, the substance begins to break down.
After you feel the drug’s effects, the substance reacts within your body, producing metabolites and byproducts. These byproducts linger in your urine, blood, and even hair. Drug testers look for these metabolites, as these are good indicators that you are on drugs, or might have accidentally come in contact with the drug.
Tests that involve detection through hair are fairly accurate, unlike a urine, blood, or saliva test. These tests are unable to detect major drugs for more than a week sometimes. For instance, heroin is undetectable after three to five days with a urine test.
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How Long Do Drugs Stay in Your Saliva?
Below, you can find the length of time drugs remain in your saliva:
- Marijuana – Up to 72 hours
- Synthetic Marijuana – Up to 48 hours
- Morphine – Up to 3 days
- Heroin – Up to 1 hour
- Methadone – Up to 10 days
- Valium – Up to 10 days
- Ecstasy – Up to 2 days
- Cocaine – Up to 2 days
- Methamphetamine – Up to 4 days
- Alcohol – Up to 3 days
How Long Do Drugs Stay in Your Urine?
Now, here are some drugs and the length of time it remains in the urine:
- Marijuana – up to 30 days
- Synthetic Marijuana – up to 72 hours
- Morphine – Up to 3 days
- Heroin – Up to 3 days
- Methadone – Up to 12 days
- Valium – Up to 6 weeks
- LSD – Up to 4 days
- Ecstasy – Up to 4 days
- Cocaine – Up to 3 days
- Methamphetamine – Up to 1 week
- Alcohol – Up to 48 hours
Do Drug Tests Detect Drugs in Your System?
Yes, the drug test can identify the substance present in your body. The usage and requirement of drug tests are quite common among schools, hospitals, and employers. The reason is that if you have a positive result, it can confirm the administration’s suspicion, allowing them to take proper action. Employers require drug tests as a pre-screening measure while appointing a person.
If you had an assault, accident, or even attempted suicide, hospitals will perform a test to check if any drugs are present in your body. If you are participating in any competitive sport or other activity outside of your classroom, they might conduct a drug test. In the military, drug testing is common; all service members on-duty go through drug tests regularly. If you are addicted to drugs and want to rehabilitate, you can visit our rehab center.
Why Take a Drug Test?
According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, drug testing is usually performed for the following reasons:
- To identify signs of drug abuse and provide early intervention
- To protect individuals from the effects of alcohol or drug misuse
- To detect threats to the school, company, or political entity’s security
- To detect any threat to your health
- To protect the financial resources of any institution or company
- To discourage alcohol or drug abuse
If you are suffering from drug addiction and feeling hopeless, you can contact our rehab center. We will help you with understanding and treating drug addiction through our well-designed rehabilitation programs.
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Drug Rehab at Resurgence
Making sure drugs stay out of your body is the best treatment. However, the duration of how long do drugs stay in your system cannot be completely accurate. We can only assume. Various products that claim to help you before drug tests. However, you cannot depend on those products.
Keeping drugs out of your body is the best treatment; however, if that is not possible, you need to join a drug rehabilitation program. In our center, we help people quit drugs and take steps towards a better life. If you are addicted to drugs and want to stop using the substance, you can visit our rehab center.
