When it comes to drug testing, there are certain factors that many drug tests look for, and it all varies on which test is used, and what methods they are used. For example, a urine analysis, a mouth swab test, and blood test can show whether there were drugs in your system for the past 8 hours or more. A hair test will actually show if a drug has been used in the past 90 days and can even stay in your hair for up to 6 months after you’ve last used a drug. Meanwhile, if you’re suffering from opioid addiction, make sure to undergo medication-assisted treatment for opioid use as soon as possible.
What Common Drugs are Tested For?
Do you have traces of drugs in your body? The common drugs that are tested for with drug tests are as follows:
- Marijuana & THC
- Benzo Diazepines
- Cocaine
- Methadone
- Amphetamines & Methamphetamines
- Opioids
- LSD & Other Psychotropics
- Alcohol
The reason these drugs are tested, is because they are the most common and predominantly abused drugs in America. But aside from these facts, we’re here to answer a common question of “How long do traces of drugs stay in your body?” because the time varies for every single drug, as well as varies on many physical factors of your body as well. It also depends on what testing method is used too, because some are even more reliable than others.
Variables that Affect Drug Testing
There are many factors as mentioned above that affect how long it takes for your body to break down and metabolize, then pass a drug out of your system. Things like high metabolism, dosage size, your body mass, physical activity, your age, how well you tolerate a drug, and even the pH of your urine. When you have more acid in your urine for example, drugs won’t stay in your system and will haver a higher chance of not being detected after a shorter amount of time.
How Can I Reduce Time Myself that a Drug Stays in my System?
If you are at risk of a failed drug test, there are many things you can to decrease the time it stays in your body. Depending on what drugs were used and how many, you can actually get rid of them even sooner because many drugs are in fact water soluble, and if you’re getting a hair test, there are ways to strip your head and re-pH balance your hair to detoxify it. Drinking a lot of water with liquid fruit pectin (at least 2 gallons in a 24-48-hour period) can actually help you pass most water-soluble drugs out of your system quicker than normal.
Conclusion: The Average Timeline of Drugs
So in the previous paragraphs, we explained a log of things that affect your drug tests, now here’s the final answer to that question which is asked, to keep this as informative as possible. These statistics are just averaging of course, and are for urine and saliva analysis only (hair follicles can hold for 90-180 days).
- Marijuana & THC: 7 to 30 days.
- Benzo Diazepines: 3-6 weeks (3 average).
- Cocaine: 3-5 days depending on dosage factors, and frequency of use.
- Methadone: 3-7 days.
- Amphetamines & Methamphetamines: 3-5 days average.
- Opioids (Heroine, etc.): 1-5 days average.
- LSD & Other Psychotropics: 24 hours to 5 days.
- Alcohol: 1-5 days average. 48 hours maximum.
We hope this information can help you in either case whether you’re on the delivering end of the spectrum drug test, or the receiving end.