Do you suffer from a condition that causes severe, chronic pain? Or perhaps you’ve just had surgery.
Either way, your doctor may have prescribed opioids to help manage your pain. However, since these drugs have a bad rep for causing addictive disorders, you may be wary about taking them. You may also worry about them showing up in a drug test you may need for work.
As a result, you may now be asking, “How long do opioids stay in your system?”
This guide answers that question and more, so read on.
How Long Do Opioids Stay in Your System?
This depends on the opioid’s half-life, which is the time it takes for its concentration in the body to become half or 50%. From there, it may take another four to five half-lives for the drug metabolism process to complete.
Generally, though, many opioids can stay in the system for several hours, even days.
For instance, the half-life of hydrocodone is between two and four hours. By contrast, it’s seven to 12 hours for fentanyl. And for methadone, it ranges from 12 to 150 hours.
Can Opioid Detection Still Occur After All Half-Lives?
Yes.
After a drug’s four to five half-lives, it usually stops having effects. However, this doesn’t mean it will no longer be detectable. Drug tests can still detect them; for example, a urine test can do so up to three days after the last drug dose.
What Can Make Opioids Stay Longer in the System?
A person’s age, kidney health, liver function, and body weight can all affect drug metabolism.
For example, it may take the body longer to eliminate opioids in someone with decreased kidney and liver functions. This is because the kidney metabolizes drugs like morphine, while the liver metabolizes fentanyl, methadone, and oxycodone. Age also plays a role here, as kidney and liver impairment are more common in older people.
Opioids may also remain longer in the system of people who are overweight or have obesity. This may happen because they tend to have slower metabolic rates.
What Happens When Opioids Leave the System?
In people who use opioids for medical reasons, symptoms return as their body metabolizes the drug. In this case, they just need to take their next dose as directed by their doctor.
However, in people who misuse these drugs, more severe opioid or opiate withdrawal symptoms may occur. Aside from pain, they may also experience the following:
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Runny nose
- Excessive sweating
- Abdominal cramps
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Vomiting
Drug misuse causes worse symptoms because it leads to physical dependence. This means the body has gotten so used to the opioid that it “thinks” it can no longer function without the drug.
Always Use Opioids as Directed
Now you know that the answer to the question, “How long do opioids stay in your system,” is that it varies. Some can stay in the body for just a few hours, while others can for days. It also depends on the specific type of drug and a person’s age, health, and weight.
So, if you must take opioids for a health condition, be sure to follow your doctor’s instructions. This can help you avoid the consequences of opioid misuse.
For more health guides like this, check out our recent blog posts!
