When it comes to drug use in the United States, the primary concern used to be substances like cocaine, marijuana, and heroin. But in recent decades, prescription drug addiction has become a serious problem. Like all drugs, opioids produce short-term effects that users crave and compulsively chase. What some users don’t consider, however, is the length of time in which certain effects linger inside of the body. So, just how long do prescription drugs stay in your system?
Determining How Long Do Prescription Drugs Stay in Your System
The answer to this question isn’t definitive. First of all, different prescription drugs can last varying lengths of time. Secondly, there are other factors that determine how long any drug can stay in each individual’s system.
These factors include:
Metabolism – Individuals who have a high metabolism naturally use up substances that they put into their bodies more rapidly than those who have a slow metabolism. Our metabolisms work through everything we consume, including food, water, and drugs.
Body Mass and Hydration – Overweight individuals take longer to process drugs. This is because drugs can hold on to fatty tissues in the body. Naturally thin or fit individuals tend to have higher metabolisms, and therefore drugs leave their bodies more quickly. Sometimes staying hydrated can speed up this process, but this isn’t always the case.
Duration and Amount of Drug Use – Obviously, long-term and heavy drug or alcohol users have higher amounts of substances in their bodies than those who only abuse their substance of choice occasionally. If you use drugs once, or rarely, they’ll clear out of your system much faster. However, if you use regularly and in high doses, you should expect the drugs to take longer to leave your system.
Bottom line, there’s no way to predict exactly how long prescription drugs will remain in your system after you quit using. Everybody reacts to drugs differently, so it makes sense that everyone clears drugs from their body at a different rate.
General List of Prescription Drugs’ Duration in Your System
To give you an idea of how long certain prescription medications might remain in your system, we have compiled a generalized list.
Amphetamines: Between 1-3 days in your urine; up to 90 days in hair follicles; and about 12 hours in your blood stream.
Barbiturates: Between 2-4 days in your urine; up to 90 days in hair follicles; and around 1-2 days in your blood stream.
Benzodiazepines: Between 3-6 weeks in your urine; up to 90 days in hair follicles; and about 2-3 days in your blood stream.
Professional Rehab for Prescription Painkiller Addiction
If you’re trying to improve your life by kicking your prescription opioid addiction, our premier facility, Crestview Recovery in Portland, Oregon offers a safe, serene, and supportive environment. Here, you can seek treatment and successful recovery. We’re one of the leading rehab providers in the Pacific Northwest, and provide treatment for all addictions. You’ll never have to wonder things like, “How long do prescription drugs stay in your system?”, because you’ll be free of the clutches of active addiction.
A few of the comprehensive services we offer are:
- Detox referrals performed off-site
- Partial hospitalization
- Outpatient
- Extended 90-day Care
Take a Chance on Your Future
If you or a loved one needs help beating an addiction to prescription painkillers, you’ve come to the right place. At our premier rehab center, we can help get you off the track of addiction that you’ve found yourself on, and guide you towards a more balanced and sober way of living. For more information, give us a call at 866.262.0531.
