How Long Is Methamphetamine in Your System?

While the subjective effects of meth use typically wear off between 8 and 24 hours depending on the amount used and route of administration (i.e., swallowed, smoked, snorted, or injected), meth may remain in a person’s system long after these effects wear off.^{1, 2}

Chronic, high-dose use can result in methamphetamine being detectable on a urine screening for around 2–4 days after use. The window of detection may be shorter with saliva or blood tests.^3­–5 However, hair follicle testing may detect drug use up to 90 days after use.⁴

Factors That Impact How Long Meth Stays in Your System

There are several variables that affect how long methamphetamine remains in someone’s body, as well as how long it may be detected. These include:⁴

• How often meth was used and for how long.
• Amount of meth used (dosage).
• The way in which meth was used (smoking, injecting, snorting, etc.).
• The purity of the meth that was used.
• The patient’s metabolism, gender, weight, and fluid intake.

The length of time meth use can be detected also depends greatly on the type of drug test used. The quality of the test also plays an important role. For example, home test kits are often less accurate than tests performed at laboratories.³ Different tests may also have varying cut-off levels for drug concentrations.⁴

Coping with Meth Detox Safely

While the internet is full of dubious (and often dangerous) methods for fooling a drug test, the only way to be certain is to abstain from meth use. Additionally, meth has many serious health effects and risks that can only addressed or avoided by quitting meth.²

Meth withdrawal is not often physically dangerous, though the psychological effects of withdrawal may warrant monitoring by medical professionals. Suicidality is a serious risk associated with acute meth withdrawal, which may be mitigated by medical detox.¹

There are no approved medications for treating meth withdrawal, but certain symptoms may be treated individually (such as insomnia). It is also common for people addicted to meth to use other substances at the same time.¹ Some of these other substances—such as opioids, benzodiazepines, or alcohol—can have severely unpleasant and, in some cases, dangerous withdrawal symptoms that may need medical management.⁶

Medical detox can make the withdrawal process safer and more comfortable, as well as facilitate entry into rehab. Continued rehabilitation following detox is often necessary for someone to remain in recovery.^{6, 7}

If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction and are unsure of where to turn, call us today at . Desert Hope, American Addiction Centers’ Las Vegas drug rehab center, is ready to help you get the treatment you need today.

FAQs About Metabolizing Meth