The question “How long does meth stay in your system?” is a critical and medically significant inquiry that requires a comprehensive understanding of the pharmacological workings of methamphetamine. Methamphetamine (meth) is a potent central nervous system stimulant that exerts a profound influence on the human body, leaving a traceable presence in various bodily fluids and tissues. The addiction experts at our Palm Beach County rehab aim to provide a precise and scientifically grounded explanation of the factors influencing how long meth stays in the system. By delving into the drug’s metabolic pathways, detection methods, and variables affecting detoxification, we seek to offer valuable insights for healthcare professionals and individuals seeking to understand meth withdrawal and detox.
How Does Methamphetamine Work?
Methamphetamine is a powerful psychoactive drug that affects the central nervous system in various ways. Meth works primarily by stimulating the release of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin from nerve terminals. Dopamine is particularly responsible for meth’s high and pleasurable effects, reinforcing further drug-taking behavior.
Meth also prevents the reuptake of these neurotransmitters, allowing the released dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin to linger in the synapses between nerve cells for a longer duration, intensifying their signaling effects. In addition to chemical changes, methamphetamine also impacts the sympathetic nervous system, inducing increased heart rate, blood pressure, and alertness.
Questions about our Programs?
Our admissions coordinators are available 24/7 to answer any questions you may have as you consider whether treatment at Banyan is right for you or your loved one.
How Long Does It Take for Meth to Kick In?
Depending on the way meth is taken, the dosage, and the person’s tolerance for the drug, the initial effects of meth may kick in within minutes. However, the route of administration can affect how long meth stays in your system.
Here’s a breakdown of how long it takes for methamphetamine to take effect through different administration routes:
- Smoking or intravenous injection: Methamphetamine administered through smoking or intravenous injection typically has the fastest onset of action. When smoked or injected, meth can take effect within seconds to a few minutes. The rapid delivery of the drug to the bloodstream leads to an almost immediate “rush” or high.
- Snorting (insufflation): Snorting methamphetamine powder results in a slower onset compared to smoking or injection. When snorted, meth can kick in within 3 to 5 minutes as the drug is absorbed through the nasal mucosa.
- Oral ingestion: When methamphetamine is taken orally, such as in the form of pills or capsules, it typically takes about 15 to 30 minutes or longer for it to take effect. This administration route usually produces the slowest onset of effects because the drug needs to pass through the digestive system before entering the bloodstream.
Individual factors, such as metabolism, tolerance, and the presence of other substances in the body, can influence how long it takes for methamphetamine to kick in. Additionally, the intensity and duration of the effects may vary depending on the dose and purity of the drug.
Regardless of the method of administration, the effects of meth generally peak within the first 30 minutes to a few hours after use and can last for several hours. Understanding the onset of side effects is crucial for healthcare professionals when assessing and managing individuals who have used the drug.
How Long Do the Effects of Meth Last?
The effects of meth or meth high can last for up to 12 hours.1 Although the high may begin to fade, the meth stays in your system for a while longer. When this high fades, users may experience a sudden crash or meth comedown.
Meth increases the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine, resulting in elevated mood and feelings of euphoria. Once these side effects fade, the person may feel physically and emotionally terrible. Symptoms of depression, like sadness and feelings of emptiness, may kick in.
Common symptoms of meth comedown include:
- Feelings of emptiness and hopelessness
- Sadness
- Depression
- Weakness
- Fatigue
- Lack of appetite
- Anxiety
- Insomnia or trouble sleeping
- Muscle aches and pains
- Headache due to dehydration
How Long Does Meth Stay in the System?
Like with all drugs, the body must break down the meth, and this takes time. Compared to some other drugs, methamphetamine stays in your system longer. The half-life of meth is about 10-12 hours.1 A drug’s half-life is the amount of time it takes the body to metabolize half of the substance, assuming that no more is ingested.
Meth is also accumulated by different parts of the body at different rates, and some of these areas can metabolize the methamphetamine faster than others. While the liver metabolizes most of the meth, it can take around 75 minutes for meth to be cleared from here.2,3 In contrast, it only takes 7 to 17 minutes to clear meth from the heart and lungs. It also takes the kidney, spleen, and pancreas about 22 to 50 minutes to completely metabolize the ingested meth.3
What Are the Withdrawal Symptoms of Meth?
When a person suddenly stops using meth, they may begin to exhibit signs of meth withdrawal. As time passes from stopped use, the body will start to metabolize the meth, and the user will begin to experience withdrawal symptoms.
The most common signs and symptoms of meth withdrawal include:
- Anxiety
- Paranoia
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Drug cravings
- Increased appetite
- Sleepiness
- Dry mouth
- Feeling shaky
- Hallucinations
- Delusions
- Meth mouth (decay of dental hygiene)
- Meth skin sores (meth mites)
Withdrawal symptoms can range in severity, and severe symptoms may even last up to three weeks.1 Meth withdrawal usually occurs in two phases, the first being the most severe. The first 24 hours of withdrawal tend to be the worst; symptoms usually subside within the following few weeks.
The severity of these symptoms depends on factors like the duration of the person’s addiction and whether they’ve used other substances. Withdrawal is one of the surest signs that someone is dependent on the drug and requires medical assistance. If you or someone you know has exhibited signs of meth withdrawal, our detox in Palm Beach County offers the medical care required for recovery.
Detecting Meth in a Drug Test
Even following withdrawal, trace amounts of meth that stay in your system may be picked up on a drug test. Just how long meth can be detected in urine and blood will depend on the type of drug test being used as well as the dosage last taken.
Some drug tests, like hair tests, can show evidence of drug use a lot farther back than others, but this type of test is not commonly used. Instead, most places use urine or blood tests. Meth can stay in your urine from one to four days after the last dose.
However, people with a long-term meth addiction may have meth in their urine for over a week after their last use. Meth can be detected in blood for one to two days after the last use. In saliva, meth can be detected for as long as five hours or two days.5
Factors That Determine Detection Time of Meth in Drug Tests
How long meth stays in your body is affected by a variety of variables. Some of these variables can make it difficult or nearly impossible for methamphetamine to be detected by drug tests. Some of these factors include:
- Administration route: How a person ingests meth can affect detection time. If it’s taken orally, it may be eliminated quicker than if it was injected.
- Frequency of use: Individuals who use methamphetamine more often will have longer detection times than those who don’t. Because meth is so addictive, this may be a more common scenario regarding drug detection.
- Metabolism: The higher the person’s metabolism, the quicker their body can process meth.
- The person’s overall health: The liver and kidney play big roles in metabolizing meth and flushing it out of the person’s system. The healthier the person is, the quicker they may process meth.
While some may be able to stay sober long enough to beat a drug test, several long-term health effects of meth use will only get worse as a result of chronic use. It is important to find help before these problems arise or worsen. Meth can do considerable damage to multiple aspects of a person’s life.
Get a Free Insurance Verification Today!
"*" indicates required fields
Signs of Meth Overdose
Methamphetamine is an addictive drug that’s difficult to quit using. As the person’s tolerance to certain doses of meth grows, they may use more to experience the same high. This puts them at high risk of overdosing.
The most common signs of meth overdose include:
- Difficulties breathing
- Stomach pains
- Loss of consciousness
- Kidney failure
- Difficulties urinating
- Dark urine
- Aggressive behavior
- Irritability
- Paranoia
- Anxiety
- Extremely high or low blood pressure
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Chest pains
If you recognize the signs of meth withdrawal in yourself or someone else, call 9-1-1 right away. For individuals who struggle with chronic meth abuse or drug use disorder, our Banyan rehab in Lake Worth can help with long-term recovery.
At our addiction treatment center, we help patients move beyond their substance use or mental health problems. Through the use of evidence-based modalities such as psychotherapy, detoxification, and aftercare support, our specialists can guide individuals to healthier, drug-free lives.
For more information about our meth rehab in Florida or our other options for addiction treatment in Lake Worth, call Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches today at 561-220-3981 or contact us online.
Sources:
- NCBI – Current Research on Methamphetamine: Epidemiology, Medical and Psychiatric Effects, Treatment, and Harm Reduction Efforts
- Society for the Study of Addiction – A review of the clinical pharmacology of methamphetamine
- NCBI – Distribution and Pharmacokinetics of Methamphetamine in the Human Body: Clinical Implications
- NCBI – Methamphetamine Disposition in Oral Fluid, Plasma, and Urine
- NCBI- Detection times of drugs of abuse in blood, urine, and oral fluid
Sources:
- NIH – What is the scope of methamphetamine misuse in the United States?
- NCBI – Current Research on Methamphetamine: Epidemiology, Medical and Psychiatric Effects, Treatment, and Harm Reduction Efforts
- Addiction – A review of the clinical pharmacology of methamphetamine
- NCBI – Distribution and Pharmacokinetics of Methamphetamine in the Human Body: Clinical Implications
- NCBI – Methamphetamine Disposition in Oral Fluid, Plasma, and Urine
- NCBI- Detection times of drugs of abuse in blood, urine, and oral fluid
Related Reading: