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 treatment has become much needed. 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?
How Long Do Prescription Drugs Remain 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 a substance 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 bloodstream.
Barbiturates: Between 2–4 days in your urine; up to 90 days in hair follicles; and around 1–2 days in your bloodstream.
Benzodiazepines: Between 3–6 weeks in your urine; up to 90 days in hair follicles; and about 2–3 days in your bloodstream.
Professional Rehab for Prescription Painkiller Addiction
If you’re trying to improve your life through opioid addiction treatment, our premier facility, Crestview Recovery offers a full continuum of care through our addiction treatment programs in Portland, Oregon. Here, you can seek drug rehab 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.
The abuse of prescription drugs involves the use of a medication without a prescription, in a way other than how it was prescribed, or for the experience or feelings elicited. According to several recent national surveys, prescription medications, such as those used to treat pain, attention deficit concerns, and anxiety, are being abused at a rate second only to marijuana in illicit drug users. The consequences of prescription drug misuse have been steadily worsening. This is reflected in increased treatment admissions, visits to the emergency room, and overdose deaths.
A few of the comprehensive services we offer for the treatment of prescription drug misuse are:
In all of these services, therapeutic treatments play a big part in your treatment plan. We believe each person who walks through our doors deserves and needs an individualized treatment plan. Therefore, we offer a variety of holistic and evidence-based treatments, which we can tailor to your needs. Some options you may encounter include:
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapy focuses on the connection between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. This form of treatment can be highly effective in helping people recover from addiction by teaching them different coping skills and helping them develop healthier thought patterns.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy that has been shown to be effective in treating addiction. It focuses on helping people develop skills such as mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotional regulation, and distress tolerance.
Meditation Therapy
Meditation therapy focuses on using meditation to help patients overcome addiction. This type of therapy uses specific techniques, such as deep breathing exercises and visualization, to teach patients how to achieve inner peace without relying on drugs or alcohol.
Experiential Therapy
Experiential therapy is a type of treatment method that uses hands-on activities to help individuals better understand their feelings and behaviors in relation to drug and alcohol use.
Nutritional Therapy
Nutritional therapy focuses on improving physical and emotional health through proper nutrition. This form of therapy uses a range of dietary changes, supplements, and behavioral modifications to promote healing and recovery from addiction.
Take a Chance on Your Future
Physical dependence occurs due to normal adaptations to chronic exposure to a drug. This is not the same that as addiction. Addiction, which sometimes includes physical dependence, is distinguished by compulsive drug-seeking behavior and use despite devastating consequences. 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, contact our team today! We will be happy to answer any of your questions to help you get on the road to recovery.
Since 2016, Dr. Merle Williamson, a graduate of Oregon Health Sciences University, has been the Medical Director at Crestview Recovery, bringing a rich background in addiction medicine from his time at Hazelden Treatment Center. He oversees outpatient drug and alcohol treatments, providing medical care, setting policies, detox protocols, and quality assurance measures. Before specializing in addiction medicine, he spent 25 years in anesthesiology, serving as Chair of Hospital Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and Chief of Anesthesia at Kaiser Permanente. This experience gives him a unique perspective on treating prescription drug addiction.
