Local Rehab Explains Heroin Detection Time

Greenland, NH – Addiction Recovery Services recently published a blog post where they explained how long heroin stays in the body. The time heroin stays in the body is associated with its half-life. A half-life is how long it takes half of the substance to leave the body. For heroin, it’s half-life is 15-30 minutes. However, even though half of the heroin present in the body will metabolize in 15-30 minutes, there is still heroin in the body. When people increase their intake of heroin, they have a higher risk of experiencing side effects and overdose.

“Heroin first enters the bloodstream through nasal passageways if snorted, through the stomach lining if swallowed, and directly if injected. It reaches the brain in seconds, creating an intense rush that only lasts a few minutes. Meanwhile, the body begins to break heroin down with the help of the liver. The two metabolites – morphine and 6-monoacetylmorphine – leave the system through urine. These metabolites are what show up on urine tests and indicate signs of heroin use,” the blog post states.

Heroin can leave the body in 3 days, but withdrawal symptoms typically start around 6 hours after the last dose. These symptoms are uncomfortable and can become dangerous, which may lead to people deciding to return to use. However, there can be several factors that can influence how long heroin stays in the system. Everyone is different, which means one person’s body may remove heroin faster than another person. Factors may include weight, length of consuming heroin, and tolerance. For example, taking more heroin for an extended period can result in heroin staying in the body for longer. Also, someone who weighs more than another person may find that heroin stays in their system longer.

Different tests can also detect heroin for various lengths of time. For example, when it comes to the most common standard test, which is a urine test, heroin is typically detectable for 24 hours after the last dose. However, some urine tests can detect heroin for 48-72 hours. But other tests can also detect heroin, such as blood, hair, and saliva. When it comes to blood tests, heroin is only detectable for 1-2 hours after the last dose. Because of this, blood tests are uncommon. These tests are also more expensive and invasive, which factors into them not being used. Hair tests are also expensive, but they can be reliable because they can detect heroin for up to three months. Saliva tests are similar to blood tests in that they can only detect heroin for an hour or less. These tests also tend to work best if the substance was taken orally.

“Heroin addiction treatment is not something to fear. By surrounding yourself with like-minded peers and sharing your trials and tribulations, you open the door to a supportive and understanding community. Therapy and mental health counseling can give you insight into your heroin use disorder and allow healing and freedom from its grasp,” the blog post continues.

Addiction Recovery Services has discovered a better way to treat people. They offer intensive outpatient programming that is flexible to meet the needs and schedules of students and workers. They treat mental health through specific programming, and they have psychiatric appointments available. They will work with their clients to establish medication-assisted treatment plans, and they recognize that harm reduction is a personal choice.

Addiction Recovery Services offers a better way to treat people in their community. For more information, visit their website or call them at 978-228-5853.