A young woman worked as a lawyer at a law firm by day and used fentanyl socially every weekend. She enjoyed using the substance with her friends and girlfriend. Believing that she was using it responsibly, it never crossed her mind that she might have fentanyl in her system when she went to work on Monday when she showed up at work, but she found a file at her desk. This file discussed a client fired because a random test showed he had fentanyl in his system. At that moment, she wondered if fentanyl would appear in her system today, after a weekend of use, if she were to have a random test done. How long does fentanyl stay in your system, anyway?
In 2020, 591 people died from fentanyl-related overdoses in St. Petersburg, Florida. Tranquil Shores understands work won’t stop just because you need treatment. The world will keep spinning, and your company will need you. We allow our clients to keep and use their electronic devices for work while they stay at our facility for treatment. Today’s blog will discuss how long fentanyl stays in your system and the duration between tests.
How Long Does Fentanyl Stay In Your System?
Fentanyl is a substance used pharmaceutically and illicitly. Due to being 50-100 times stronger than morphine and heroin, it is excellent for managing pain. There are several ways that someone might consume fentanyl. These can be lozenges, tablets, powders, and injections. There are many reasons why someone might want to know how long fentanyl stays in their system. For example, they might be starting a new job or entering recovery from fentanyl addiction. Whatever your reason is for wanting to know, know that recovery is possible, and fentanyl will not be a part of your system forever.
How The Body Processes Fentanyl
The body first processes fentanyl in the liver and small intestines. Several enzymes break down the substance so that the body can naturally distribute it throughout the body and eliminate it through waste. Several factors at play can determine how long it takes for an individual’s body to eliminate fentanyl from the body completely. These include how well your liver functions, overall physical health, and age.
Fentanyl’s Lifespan In Your Body
The lifespan of fentanyl in your body can vary from person to person, and the factors that play into each person’s individual experience with fentanyl. These can include how much someone takes, how often they take fentanyl, and how they are taking fentanyl. They can also depend on the person who uses fentanyl’s weight and the condition of their liver and kidneys. Also, different types of tests can detect fentanyl at different periods.
Fentanyl’s Consumption and Its Impact on Fentanyl Lifespan
How long it takes to stay in your body varies by how long it takes to feel the effects. How you take fentanyl can impact how long one feels fentanyl’s effects. Swallowing fentanyl is the slowest method because it has to pass through several organs, such as the stomach, intestines, and blood, before reaching its final destination. Absorbing the substance through a fentanyl patch is also considered a slower method. However, smoking or injecting fentanyl is quicker when it comes to feeling effects.
Fentanyl’s Half-Life
On average, fentanyl has a half-life of around 3-7 hours. A half-life is how long it takes your body to remove half of a single dose of the substance from your body. The time it takes your body to reach this point depends on several factors. These factors can include how you took the substance, the frequency you took fentanyl, and how much fentanyl you consumed.
Fentanyl Detection Times
There are several types of fentanyl tests that someone might take. These tests include urine, blood, and hair. Different types of tests can detect fentanyl at different time intervals. Often, it takes 2-3 hours for fentanyl to be detected in your system, although hair tests can take a few days to show initial use.
Fentanyl In Urine
Urine tests detect fentanyl for up to 3 days. A urine test tests the substances produced when the body breaks down fentanyl with enzymes. Factors such as body weight and frequency of use can impact how long fentanyl will remain detectable in your urine. Someone who uses fentanyl daily will have fentanyl in their body for longer than someone who only occasionally uses fentanyl.
Fentanyl In Blood
The detection of fentanyl in the blood can be up to 20 hours to 3 days, depending on how the person consumes fentanyl. However, this type of testing is rare because it is considered invasive. Those performing the test will only use blood tests when other tests, such as urine tests, are unavailable.
Fentanyl In Hair
Hair tests detect fentanyl for up to 90 days. They are often a reliable way to determine if someone has had a past with fentanyl. These tests don’t determine if someone is currently using fentanyl because they can detect up to 90 days, but show if someone has used fentanyl in the past 90 days.
How Testing for Fentanyl Works and What to Expect in Terms of Detection Times
In Florida, people might get tested for fentanyl for several reasons. These reasons can include if an employer or authority figure reasonably suspects you might be using fentanyl. They might reasonably suspect that you are using fentanyl if you are showing signs of fentanyl addiction. Most of the time, if you receive a test for fentanyl, you will be asked to give a urine sample. A medical professional’s office will collect this sample to ensure that the urine belongs to you and is not contaminated. They will then test for substances indicating if you have had fentanyl in the last 3 days.
The professional will put the blood into a test tube to send it to a lab. The lab will test it for chemicals or examine it under a microscope to determine if you have been taking fentanyl in the last 3 days.
Hair tests are collected from the back of the head close to the neck. Collecting hair here allows the sample not to leave visible signs of removal. The hair will undergo an enzyme test and a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to rule out false positives. These tests detect fentanyl for up to 90 days.
Tranquil Shores Help With Fentanyl Use Disorder in Florida
Tranquil Shores helps you reclaim your life from fentanyl use disorder. Located in Madeira Beach, FL, we have direct beach access. Our 3:1 client-counselor ratio ensures we provide you with the direct care you deserve. For more information or to get started on your treatment, call us at 727-391-7001 today.
FAQs
What does fentanyl look like?
Fentanyl can come in several different forms. The most common forms are liquid and powder. When in powder form, it can become a pill that looks like Xanax. The color of the powder is typically light brown or off-white. Liquid fentanyl appears as nasal sprays or eye drops. Fentanyl can also look like small candies. The substance does not have a scent or taste, which, combined with the high strength that fentanyl has, makes it very dangerous when combined with other substances.
