When Am I Clean?
People struggling with substance use disorders often want to know, “How long do drugs stay in my system?” The reason? Some just want to know how long it will take until they can pass a drug test. Others feel like they could be experiencing withdrawals from a particular drug and want to know when the symptoms might alleviate. Some might be having a severely negative response to the substance and want to know when their body will clear the toxins. Some are even considering detoxification on their own and want to find out when they will be “clean.”
Whatever the reason, the answer to how long drugs are in your system is never 100 percent clear. Variables such as age, weight, gender, health, amount of substance consumed, and more, all play their part.
That said, saliva drug tests are common. Here is some information on how long drugs stay in a person’s system, as well as information on how to find help for safely detoxifying and, crucially, how to get deeper psychological and mental health help for recovery from drug addiction.
Mouth Swab for Drug Testing
Mouth swab drug tests are one of the most common ways to discover a wide range of drug substances in the body without needing to head into a lab. However, while these tests are popular, their accuracy and detection window generally vary depending on the substance.
How Does a Saliva Drug Test Work?
Saliva tests are a quick and inexpensive way to screen for substances in the body. In most cases, this procedure works by a tester swabbing against the inside of your cheek to collect saliva. Afterward, the tester can then examine this saliva for drug extracts using chromatography and spectrometry.
The test result will always yield positive if the drug extracts are above a certain cut-off point and negative otherwise.
Detection Times for Drugs Using a Saliva Test
The result of a saliva test will always vary depending on the type of drug you have taken. For some substances, such as Xanax and Lorazepam, a saliva drug test will produce a negative result after a few hours. While substances such as Klonopin or Suboxone could take up to a week before a negative.
Here are the average detection times for some of the most common drugs that require professional detoxification and may require addiction treatment if there is a dependence:
- Adderall: 2 days
- Benzodiazepine: 3 days
- Codeine: 4 days
- Common Hallucinogens: 2 to 5 days
- Heroin: 2 days – Click here for heroin rehab for men information.
- Klonopin: 5 to 6 days
- Lorazepam: 8 hours
- Methamphetamine: 4 days – Click here for meth rehab for men information.
- Opium: 4 days
- Oxycodone: 4 days
- Suboxone: 5 days
- Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC): 1 to 3 days.
- Valium: 10 days
- Marijuana: Up to 72 hours – Click here for a marijuana rehab in Austin.
- Xanax: 26 hours
- Cocaine: 2 days – Click here for cocaine rehab information.
- Fentanyl: inconsistent for saliva but for urine test: 24-72 hours – Click here for fentanyl rehab in Austin information.
Other factors that may also affect detection times include the drug’s concentration, metabolism rate, and physical aspects, such as weight and age.
Drug Rehab for Men in Austin
Drug testing is only a small piece of addiction treatment. While this information might help someone today, if there is a substance use disorder present, the real questions and issues still exist.
Using drugs is a solution that lasts for a moment.
It is a way to escape from today. To numb ourselves from our emotions and reality.
But there is a way out of this kind of prison—the prison of needing to constantly escape from reality.
Drugs might work for a day, but they ultimately lead to destruction—body, mind, and soul.
The way out is in getting real help from people who have been there and can show you the way.
While we understand how difficult it can be to walk through life dealing with a substance abuse disorder, you are not alone. Please call us today if you are ready to learn what it takes to find lasting recovery.
