How Long Does Oxycodone Stay in Your System?
How long does oxycodone stay in your system? Learn more about this prescription opioid drug, and how it breaks down in your body.
Oxycodone is a very strong prescription opioid that is prescribed for pain relief. It’s 1.5 times more potent mg for mg than morphine, which is more potent than codeine. This is why it’s also one of the most commonly abused drugs.
Oxycodone is not only potent, but it can also stay in your body for quite some time. Understanding how long it takes for the body to clear oxycodone is important. It can help drug users figure out whether they feel comfortable taking this drug.
This article will explore the length of time that it takes for oxycodone to leave your body. It will also note the differences between the clearance rate and the drug detection window of oxycodone.
The Half-Life and Clearance Time
The primary factor that influences how long oxycodone stays in your system is its half-life. Oxycodone has a 3 hour half-life, which means that it takes your system 3 hours to get rid of half of the dosage. In general, it will take your body about 21 hours to completely clear itself of all oxycodone. The half-life of oxycodone is the same regardless of the dosage taken.
Other Factors Involved
In general, most people will clear the active chemical from their body within a day. However, there are some discrepancies that can factor into the clearance rate. The other factors involved include:
- Whether an extended-release capsule was taken. These capsules will release oxycodone much more slowly into the body. As a result, it will take longer for the body to clear it.
- The length of the oxycodone abuse, as well as the frequency of the abuse.
- The drug abuser’s medical condition and health. Those with impaired kidney and liver functions may have a difficult time processing and removing oxycodone and its metabolites. Health affects the metabolism rate of the body.
- Whether other drugs and substances were taken at the same time.
- The drug user’s age, body weight, gender, body fat percentage, etc. Oxycodone can be stored in fatty tissue.
These factors may cause discrepancies of several hours. It takes a longer time for some for opiates to leave their body.
Clearance Rate Not Equivalent to Drug Detection Window
Many people assume that if the drug is eliminated from the body, it won’t show up on drug tests. This is not accurate because many drug tests look for oxycodone metabolites instead of oxycodone itself.
Oxycodone is metabolized in the body to noroxycodone and oxymorphone. Both metabolites remain detectable by oxycodone drug tests. The detection window for oxycodone is:
- Up to 3 or 4 days for a urine drug test.
- Up to 24 hours with a saliva drug test.
- Up to 24 hours with a blood test.
- Up to 90 days with a hair drug test.
It takes a lot longer for the body to clear the metabolites. These metabolites are generally in such small quantities that they won’t have much of an effect on the substance abuser. Saliva testing is usually the most ideal testing method for oxycodone. It’s non-invasive and offers a fairly long detection window. Hair tests are also a good option, as they can test for oxycodone use within the past months.
Get Help for Oxycodone Abuse
Although oxycodone is an effective prescription opioid, it’s highly addictive and can lead to drug addiction. Those who believe that they may be addicted to oxycodone should seek professional help immediately. It’s not a good idea to quit oxycodone use without medical supervision, as the withdrawals can be deadly.
The right substance abuse treatment will make sure that your body clears oxycodone in an efficient and safe manner. It’ll also make sure that you don’t experience any intense or overwhelming withdrawal symptoms via drug detox. Contact us for more information on the various addiction treatment programs that are available today.