Author: Gary Jackson

How Long Do Amphetamines Stay in Your System? Blood, Urine & Saliva

They are most often used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy. How long they last inside the body depends on several factors, including age, weight, dosage and more. If you take a drug frequently or in large doses, there is a higher chance that it will build up in your system.

Drugs travel from the bloodstream to the hair follicles and can be detected about seven to 10 days after intake. Hair structure, growth rate, melanin content, hygiene and cosmetic hair treatment may affect the concentration of drugs in the hair. These are some of the reasons so many people who try to go it alone in recovery end up relapsing.

Different Drugs Take Different Amounts of Time to Process

Saliva tests are non-invasive and can detect amphetamines for a shorter window of time compared to urine tests, usually within one to four days after last use. They are gaining popularity due to ease of administration and their ability to detect recent drug use. Blood tests can detect amphetamines for a shorter period compared to urine tests, generally around hours after the last dose. They are often used in situations where recent drug use needs to be confirmed quickly.

Methamphetamine changes to amphetamine in the body and may cause agitation, delusions, hallucinations, aggressiveness and paranoia. Abuse of the drug can lead to complicated health issues including stroke, heart disease, convulsions and advanced tooth decay. Depending on the length of hair, amphetamines can be detected for up to 90 days after ingestion. Hair tests are potentially the most reliable tests for detecting prior use of amphetamines, although they cannot detect recent or occasional drug use. When used as prescribed, levels of amphetamine in the blood range from 0.02 to 0.05 mg/L and occasionally up to 0.2 mg/L. Concentrations greater than 0.2 mg/L show a sign of amphetamine abuse, and concentrations greater than 2.5 mg/L can result in fatal overdoses.

Do amphetamines cause withdrawal symptoms?

Frequent amphetamine users may produce positive urine tests for two to four days after intake. These variables contribute to the variability in detection times in drug tests and the duration amphetamine stays in the system. When taken under medical supervision and as prescribed, amphetamines can be effective in managing specific conditions. However, when used recreationally or without a prescription, they pose substantial risks to both physical and mental health.

• Factors such as age, genetics, weight, and overall health can affect how quickly the body processes and eliminates amphetamines.
• The Drug Enforcement Administration classifies amphetamines as Schedule II controlled substances because they have a high potential for abuse.
• Regular users of the drug may test positive for up to a week after taking it.
• The accuracy and reliability of these tests can vary, and false positives or negatives are possible.
• You may feel like you need the drugs to accomplish things in your life, such as school or work.

For example, three standard drinks might take up to eight hours to leave your breast milk. Online calculators can help you estimate your BAC based on your gender, weight and how much you have had to drink. For example, a BAC of 0.08% is the legal limit in most states, and it means that your bloodstream is 0.08% alcohol.

Duration of Withdrawal

Amphetamine is a type of stimulant drug often used in treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy. It works by boosting certain chemicals in the brain to enhance focus, alertness, and energy. To avoid withdrawal symptoms, take your medication exactly as your provider prescribed it to you. Schedule a time to take it every day and stick to that same schedule for the duration that you’re taking the drug.

Bingeing practices greatly increase the length of time amphetamines stay in the system as the body’s cells and tissues keep storing up residue materials along the way. Amphetamine effects also block the re-uptake or recycling of excess neurotransmitter amounts, so chemicals remain in the system longer than they normally would. Under these conditions, an amphetamine “high” effect can last from eight to 24 hours depending on the type of drug and dosage amount. The best and safest way to stop heavy substance use is to speak with your doctor. They may recommend a medically supervised detox to help wean you safely off the substance. In an inpatient medical detox setting, you are under round-the-clock care from doctors and nurses as your body is slowly weaned off the substance.

How Long Does Withdrawal Last? Amphetamine Withdrawal Timeline

Half-life durations can run from two to 12 hours depending on the type of amphetamine and route of ingestion used. The pH scale runs from 0.0 to 14.0, with 0.0 being the highest acid level and 14.0 being the highest alkaline level. People who fall on the alkaline side of the scale tend to metabolize amphetamines slower than someone with a more acidic body chemistry. So, how long do amphetamines stay in your system depends on your body’s pH level at any given time.

• If you take an extended-release amphetamine, wait at least eight hours before drinking alcohol.
• For those with chronic use or those with slower metabolisms, it might take up to a week or more.
• Talk with your healthcare provider if you feel like you are dependent on amphetamines or if they are not working to alleviate your symptoms.
• Your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) reflects this and shows how much of your blood is alcohol.
• For Class A drug possession, prison time can be as much as seven years.

AlphaBiolabs offers a range of easy-to-use home drug tests, designed to give you peace of mind or enable you to seek support for a friend or loved one who has been misusing drugs. For example, if amphetamines are swallowed, the effects are typically felt more slowly and can be less intense. However, a person who snorts, injects or smokes amphetamines may experience effects more quickly and more intensely. Outside of a medical setting, users typically consume amphetamines because it makes them feel full of energy and excited. These types of drugs are typically swallowed, injected, smoked, or snorted. It is also not uncommon for amphetamines to be consumed in a drinkable format.