This updated blog was originally published 10/24/24.
Does the mention of randomized drug testing at work, school, or for an athletic program have you running to Google to ask, “How long does meth stay in my system?”?
If you know your eligibility may be at risk due to your recent use of meth, read on to understand how long meth can be detected in samples from your hair, blood, and urine.
What is the Half-Life of Meth?
The half-life of meth is 10 hours – meaning that 10 hours after your last hit, only half of the drug remains in your system. But that doesn’t give you enough information to ensure a clean test.
You want to know how long it takes meth to clear your system.
The answer? Well, it depends.
The time it takes your body to clear meth depends on individual factors like your age, health, use of other substances, frequency and amount of meth used, and what kind of test will be administered.
Methamphetamine is metabolized by the liver, but can be stored for some time in your brain, liver, and kidneys before being excreted. The health and age of these organs impact the absorption and excretion rates of meth compounds. Aging causes kidney and liver function to decline, causing drug excretion to become less efficient. Those suffering from renal (kidney) dysfunction and disease can expect that meth will take longer to clear. Meth users who are also heavy drinkers or have co-occurring disorders may be slower to metabolize meth and other drugs.
These are some of the factors that make the clearance timeline less precise, and why a single use of meth can be detectable for up to 4 days in a urine test or up to 90 days in a hair test.
How Long Can Meth Be Detected in the Body?
The length of time meth can be detected in the body depends on the kind of sample used for the drug detection test.
- Blood Test: Meth can be detected in a blood test within 1-2 hours after use. It can remain in your blood for 1-3 days after the last dose.
- Urine Test: Meth can be detected in your urine as soon as 2-5 hours and up to 3 – 7 days after the last use.
- Spit/Swab Test: Meth can be detected in your saliva as soon as 30 minutes after use and up to 3 days after.
- Hair Test: A hair follicle test will show any meth use within the last 90 days.
How Long Does It Take to Get Addicted to Meth?
Methamphetamine is a potent and dangerously addictive stimulant that dramatically affects the central nervous system. Meth addiction can happen quickly. Some people become addicted after just one use. Meth use can lead to significant physical, mental, relational, and financial damage.
Methamphetamine may give you a temporary sense of elation, but it also elevates levels of stress hormones in the body that cause depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and insomnia.
What Are the Effects of Meth?
The length of time the drug is detectable by testing is different from the length of time meth lingers in your psyche.
As a psychostimulant, meth increases dopamine levels – and each use spikes the reward circuit of the brain. It can make users stay awake, be more energetic, confident, and happy. But these feel-good effects are short lived.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, short-term effects may include:
- Increased focus
- Improved psychomotor coordination
- Decreased appetite
- Euphoria
- Increased respiration
- Fast or irregular heartbeat
- Hyperthermia
- Feel invincible
Using meth triggers the brain’s pleasure/reward center and users want to repeat the cycle – making meth highly addictive. The “high” might only peak for 5-15 minutes. After that initial rush, a less powerful high can last 6-12 hours. But the aftereffects (psychosis, depression, anxiety, fatigue) – the ‘crash’ – lingers for days.
What are the Long-Term Effects of using Meth?
Long-term effects include psychological problems such as:
- Neurotoxicity or damage to the brain
- Cognitive impairment (this could be confusion, memory loss, loss of attentiveness, trouble understanding or, difficulty recognizing people and places, or mood swings
- Increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease
- Experiencing withdrawal syndrome symptoms such as sleep disturbance, anxiety, and depressive mood when long-term users suddenly quit
Long-term physical effects may include the following:
- Nasal tissue damage when sniffed
- Respiratory problems
- Liver, kidney, and lung damage
- Heart and brain blood vessel damage
- High blood pressure
- Malnutrition
- Weight loss
- Tooth decay
- Stroke
- Epilepsy
Meth Withdrawal
The process of withdrawing from meth is tough on the addict’s body and mind. The person may experience symptoms like anxiety, depression, hallucinations, paranoia, and insomnia.
Meth addiction is a serious public health problem in the United States. If you or someone you know is struggling with meth addiction, it’s important to get help through a professional treatment center where they can recover safely. Buena Vista Recovery has inpatient detox and outpatient long-term recovery programs that can help patients recover from addiction.
How to Get Meth Out Of Your System
Your Google search may recommend “quick detox” remedies like drink more water, use herbal supplements, or take laxatives – but none of these remedies will prevent you from using again. The best way to remove – and keep – meth from your system is to enter a medical detox at a treatment center.
Some withdrawal symptoms include:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Lack of Concentration
- Irritability
- Fatigue
- Lethargy
- Muscle Weakness
- Sweating
- Headaches
- Fever
- Dizziness
- Paranoia
- Delusions
- Psychosis
- Suicidal Thoughts
Meth withdrawal is not easy. Oftentimes, patients in meth withdrawal return to meth to feed their cravings. Some recovering addicts still crave meth after years of sobriety and stay clean by applying coping techniques they learned during treatment.
Meth Treatment Programs
Meth addiction is powerful and can consume users. But there is hope! Successful recovery begins with medical detoxification in a meth treatment program. In medical detox, healthcare professionals help patients mitigate mental and physical dependency on meth.
Medicine-assisted detox can also be helpful in decreasing withdrawal symptoms. Medications can be used to safely usher patients through the withdrawal phase in the most comfortable manner possible. At our Arizona drug treatment facility, we understand that detox is complicated, and long-term therapies should be used to ensure sobriety.
Once detox is complete and the patient is stabilized, there are a few treatment options that contribute to the patient’s long-term recovery. A stay of a week (and up to a month) at an inpatient facility allows the healthcare team to work closely with the patient to address the mental and physical root causes of addiction, teach coping mechanisms, and support the recovery journey. Rehabilitation facilities offer one-on-one sessions with a therapist, group therapy, and relapse-prevention workshops. Contact a residential substance abuse treatment center to begin treatment and relieve yourself from the worry of surprise drug testing at work.
Call Buena Vista Recovery today for your free confidential consultation at 480-999-0851.
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