Methamphetamine is a stimulant drug, an available prescription medication known as Desoxyn. The drug is used to treat obesity and ADHD. Dexamphetamine stays in the body’s system for a few days, usually detectable in urine for up to two days. However, crystal meth is the illegal version of the prescription that is cooked in meth labs. Street names for crystal meth include speed, crank, shards, ice, and stovetop. So how long does meth stay in your system? Keep reading to find out.
How Long Does Meth Stay In Your Blood System?
The half-life of methamphetamine alters the duration spent in the body’s system. The drug’s half-life is around four to five hours. Meth is metabolized in the liver by aromatic hydroxylation, N-dealkylation, and deamination, which means the bonding of certain chemicals and the oxidizing of these chemicals in the body. Meth can be detected in the blood system 1-2 hours after use and can last 1-3 days after the last use.
How Long Does Meth Stay In Urine?
Typically, urine tests are used to test for drugs in the system since it’s a simple procedure and cost-efficient. Methamphetamine can be detected 2-5 hours after last use and can be found 3-7 days within the urine after consumption. Other ways that meth is tested are through saliva or a spit test and through testing hair follicles. For most illegal or prescribed drugs, substances linger in the hair for the most extended duration. For instance, meth is found for up to six months within the follicles.
How to Use Meth and Why You Shouldn’t
There are numerous ways of doing meth, such as smoking, snorting, injecting, and swallowing methamphetamine pills. Smoking is the most common method of meth usage. When a meth addict chooses to smoke the substance, they use a pipe or a flute. Meth mouth, which refers to the decay in the teeth and mouth, usually is caused by smoking meth.
Snorting the substance will produce euphoric effects in several minutes, which is more gradual than if a person is smoking or injecting the substance. To snort meth, the crystals are crushed into a fine powder and inhaled through the nose, then absorbed in the body. Additionally, injecting crystal meth is completed by diluting the powder form into a liquid. Then the drug is directly inserted into the bloodstream for rapid effects.
For the prescribed medication, swallowing meth is the slowest processing method in the body’s system, taking 15-20 minutes to feel the effects. Desoxyn is often prescribed in a pill form, so individuals may take it orally. However, through these consumption methods, there are adverse physical side effects such as nasal tissue damage when snorted, malnutrition, weight loss, heart damage, brain blood vessel damage, and respiratory issues.
Meth Addiction Resources & Treatment at Better Addiction Care
How long does meth stay in your system? After finding out, you may think twice about the next use. If you or a loved one are struggling, at Better Addiction Care, we provide individuals with the services and meth addiction treatment they need to recover and sustain sobriety. Our trained staff has witnessed the hardships that follow addicts, and our mission is to ensure support and guidance during the treatment process. We will design a recovery plan that fits your needs and goals. We offer numerous helpful resources like finding jobs for people in recovery. Don’t wait to get your life back on track and overcome addiction today.
Speak to a specialist at Better Addiction Care by contacting 800-429-7690 now. Read about self-assessment and how it can help you get started today!
Related Readings:
Negative Side Effects of Crystal Meth
Signs of Methamphetamine Addiction
Sources
- National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2020). Methamphetamine DrugFacts. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/methamphetamine
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2019). Methamphetamine. Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/atod
- Mayo Clinic. (2021). Drug Testing: What You Need to Know. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/drug-testing/about/pac-20395268
- American Addiction Centers. (n.d.). How Long Does Meth Stay in Your System? Retrieved from https://americanaddictioncenters.org/meth-treatment/how-long-in-system
- Drug Enforcement Administration. (n.d.). Drug Fact Sheet: Methamphetamine. Retrieved from https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/Methamphetamine-2020_0.pdf
- MedlinePlus. (2021). Methamphetamine. Retrieved from https://medlineplus.gov/methamphetamine.html
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- WebMD. (2021). Methamphetamine: Effects, Hazards & Warnings. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/methamphetamine-use-and-its-risks
