Average Drug Test Detection Times

Drug tests detect the presence of substances in a person’s body. These tests may take a sample of urine, saliva, hair, or blood.

Hair tests have the longest detection period (typically up to 90 days) and urine tests are the most common, showing results for several days or weeks after the last use.

How long a drug stays in your system largely depends on the type of drug, frequency of use, and personal factors.

For example, benzodiazepines may remain in urine for three to six weeks, while codeine may only last a day.

Drug tests may detect substances such as:

• alcohol
• benzodiazepines
• marijuana
• opioids
• antidepressants
• stimulants
• hallucinogens

Drug Detection Times By Test Type

Each type of drug test has a different time frame in which substances can be detected. Find average drug detection times for urine, blood, hair, and saliva tests.

Urine Drug Testing

Most drugs can be detected in urine for 2 to 4 days. As with any substance, this will depend on several factors, such as how high the dose was.

Learn more about how long drugs can be detected in urine.

Blood Drug Testing

Drugs may be detected in the blood for 1 to 2 days. This form of testing provides one of the shortest windows of detection for substances.

Though the detection window is short, blood testing has the advantage of accurately detecting recent drug use. It’s also been recognized as an established laboratory test method.

Find more information on how long drugs can be detected in the blood.

Hair Drug Testing

Hair testing offers the longest window of detection by far at an average of 90 days.

This method is not as commonly used, however, because it does not reveal drug use within the last 7 to 10 days.

This form of drug test is ideal for pinpointing a lifestyle use of drugs, as it can detect drug use within the last few months.

Learn more about how long drugs can be detected in your hair.

Saliva Drug Testing

Saliva drug testing can detect substances in oral fluids just hours after the last use with an average of about 5 to 48 hours.

This method benefits from fewer possibilities of being tampered with (unlike urine samples) and involves less invasion of privacy.

Learn how long drugs can be detected in saliva here.

Drug Detection Times By Substance

While each type of test provides a general time frame in which substances can be detected, you can find more targeted ranges by looking at the specific drug.

Drug Detection Times For Lyrica

Lyrica (generic name pregabalin) is an anti-epileptic drug used to treat seizures. This substance can create a feeling of euphoria and relaxation, making it susceptible to abuse.

Detection times for Lyrica include:

• urine tests: 5 to 6 days
• blood tests: 1 to 2 days
• saliva tests: 1 to 2 days
• hair tests: 90 days

Learn more about Lyrica detection times here.

Drug Detection Times For Cymbalta

Cymbalta is used to treat depression and anxiety and can lead to a drug dependence issue if misused.

However, drug tests for Cymbalta are rare, so it’s not likely that you or your loved one will get tested for this.

Detection times for Cymbalta include:

• urine tests: 2 to 7 days
• blood tests: 5 days
• saliva tests: 5 days
• hair tests: 90 days

Read more about how long Cymbalta might stay in your system.

Drug Detection Times For CBD

The length of time CBD stays in your system depends on the potency of the drug, how much was consumed, personal factors, and more.

However, it’s important to note that CBD alone cannot be detected on most drug tests. What can be detected is THC, the other active compound found in cannabis.

THC and marijuana are tested for with most drug tests.

CBD detection times:

• urine tests: 2 to 5 days
• hair tests: 90 days

THC detection times:

• urine tests: 3 days or up to 30 days
• blood tests: 3 weeks
• saliva tests: 1 to 3 days, or up to 30 days
• hair tests: 90 days

Drug Detection Times For Flexeril

Flexeril is a muscle relaxant that blocks pain sensations sent to your brain.

Flexeril detection times include:

• urine tests: 3 to 8 days
• blood tests: up to 4 days
• saliva tests: up to 36 hours

Find more information on how long Flexeril remains in your system.

Drug Detection Times For Lisinopril

Lisinopril treats high blood pressure and is usually prescribed after a person has had a heart attack.

This medication is not commonly abused and is not often tested for. But it can produce a feeling of sedation if used in large quantities or mixed with other substances.

Lisinopril detection times:

• urine tests: 3 to 4 days
• blood tests: 3 days
• saliva tests: 3 days
• hair tests: 90 days

Learn more about how long Linsinopril stays in your system.

Alcohol Detection Times

Alcohol can stay in your system for anywhere between 24 hours and 90 days.

In most cases, you will not be tested specifically for alcohol, but some tests do show positive results for alcohol.

You might be given a breath test (breathalyzer) if tested specifically for alcohol.

Alcohol detection times include the following:

• breath testing: 12 to 24 hours
• alcohol urine tests: 3 to 4 days
• alcohol blood tests: up to 6 hours
• saliva tests: 6 hours
• hair tests: 90 days

Benzodiazepine Detection Times

Depending on the drug and test type, benzodiazepines (benzos) can stay in your system for about 10 days.

In general, benzos are detectable in the urine for up to 10 days, in the blood for up to 24 hours, in saliva for up to 3 days, and in the hair for up to 90 days.

Xanax detection times:

• urine tests: 7 days
• blood tests: 1 to 6 days
• saliva tests: 36 hours
• hair tests: 90 days

Klonopin detection times:

• urine tests: 5 to 9 days
• blood tests: 4 to 8 days
• saliva tests: 5 to 6 days
• hair tests: 90 to 120 days

Lorazepam detection times:

• urine tests: 6 days
• blood tests: 3 days
• saliva tests: 8 hours
• hair tests: 30 to 90 days

Librium (Chlordiazepoxide) detection times:

• urine tests: up to 6 weeks
• blood tests: 6 hours
• saliva tests: up to 10 days
• hair tests: 90 days

Restoril (Temazepam) detection times:

• urine tests: up to 1 week
• blood tests: up to 24 hours
• saliva tests: up to 24 hours
• hair tests: 90 days

Valium (Diazepam) detection times:

• urine tests: up to 6 weeks
• blood tests: 2 days
• saliva tests: 10 days
• hair tests: 90 days

Halcion (Triazolam) detection times:

• urine tests: 2 days
• blood tests: 24 hours
• hair tests: 90 days

Opioid Detection Times

Because they are widely abused, opioids are one of the most common substances to be tested for.

Opioids may be detected in your system at varying intervals depending on the half-life.

Some opioids have short half-lives (such as heroin and morphine) and will flush out of your system sooner than those with long half-lives, such as methadone.

Hydrocodone detection times:

• urine tests: 4 days
• blood tests: 24 hours
• saliva tests: 12-36 hours
• hair tests: 90 days

Suboxone detection times:

• urine tests: 6 days
• blood tests: 2 days
• saliva tests: 72 hours
• hair tests: 90 days

Codeine detection times:

• urine tests: 3 days
• blood tests: 1 day
• saliva tests: 4 days
• hair tests: 90 days

Demerol (meperidine) detection times:

• urine tests: 2 days
• blood tests: 24 hours
• saliva tests: 2 days
• hair tests: 90 days

Dilaudid (hydromorphone) detection times:

• urine tests: 3 days
• blood tests: 2 days
• saliva tests: 4 days
• hair tests: 90 days

Fentanyl detection times:

• urine tests: 3 days
• blood tests: 2 days
• hair tests: 90 days

Gabapentin detection times:

• urine tests: 2 to 3 days
• blood tests: 5 hours
• hair tests: 90 days

Heroin detection times:

• heroin urine tests: 3 days
• heroin blood tests: 2 days
• saliva tests: 2 days
• hair tests: 90 days

Methadone detection times:

• urine tests: 14 days
• blood tests: 3 to 4 days
• saliva tests: 10 days
• hair tests: 90 days

Morphine detection times:

• urine tests: 3 days
• blood tests: 12 hours
• saliva tests: 4 days
• hair tests: 90 days

Percocet detection times:

• urine tests: 4 days
• blood tests: 1 day
• saliva tests: 2 days
• hair tests: 90 days

Tramadol (Ultram) detection times:

• urine tests: 3 days
• blood tests: a few hours
• saliva tests: 2 days
• hair tests: 90 days

Oxymorphone (Opana) detection times:

• urine tests: 3 days
• blood tests: 1 day
• saliva tests: 2 days
• hair tests: 90 days

Opium detection times:

• urine tests: 3 days
• blood tests: 1 day
• saliva tests: 36 hours
• hair tests: 90 days

Oxycodone detection times:

• urine tests: 3 days
• blood tests: 1 day
• saliva tests: 4 days
• hair tests: 90 days

Antidepressant Detection Times

Antidepressant drugs can be detected in a person’s system for about 4 to 7 days.

These drugs will not show up on a typical drug test, because this is not considered a common drug of abuse.

If you need to get tested for antidepressant use, you’ll get a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) screen, which checks for the amount of tricyclic antidepressants (TCA) in your blood or urine.

Wellbutrin detection times:

• urine tests: 4 days
• blood tests: 4.4 days
• saliva tests: 4.4 days
• hair tests: 90 days

Zoloft (sertraline) detection times:

• urine tests: 9 days
• blood tests: 5 days
• saliva tests: 2 days
• hair tests: 90 days

Trazodone detection times:

• urine tests: 26 days
• blood tests: 2 days
• saliva tests: 2 days
• hair tests: 90 days

Prozac (fluoxetine) detection times:

• urine tests: 96 days
• blood tests: 96 days

Elavil (amitriptyline) detection times:

• urine tests: 30 days
• blood tests: 3 days
• saliva tests: 2 days
• hair tests: 90 days

Seroquel (quetiapine) detection times:

• urine tests: 2 days
• blood tests: 2 days
• hair tests: 90 days

Stimulant Detection Times

This type of drug test often screens for amphetamine, a central nervous system stimulant. Most drug tests include amphetamines in the screening process.

Stimulants can be detected in your system for 2 to 3 days after the last use.

Cocaine detection times:

• urine tests: 4 days
• blood tests: 2 days
• saliva tests: 2 days
• hair tests: 90 days

Crack cocaine detection times:

• urine tests: 3 days
• blood tests: 2 days
• saliva tests: 2 days
• hair tests: 90 days

Methamphetamine (meth) detection times:

• urine tests: 4 to 7 days
• blood tests: 3 days
• saliva tests: 4 days
• hair tests: 90 days

Ecstasy (molly/MDMA) detection times:

• urine tests: 4 days
• blood tests: 2 days
• saliva tests: 10 hours
• hair tests: 90 days

Adderall detection times:

• urine tests: 4 days
• blood tests: 2 days
• saliva tests: 2 days
• hair tests: 90 days

Ritalin detection times:

• urine tests: 3 days
• saliva tests: 3 days
• hair tests: 90 days

Vyvanse detection times:

• urine tests: 3 days
• blood tests: 8 hours
• saliva tests: 3 days
• hair tests: 30 days

Flakka detection times:

• urine tests: 3 days
• blood tests: 2 to 3 days
• saliva tests: 2 to 3 days

Hallucinogen Detection Times

Not all standard drug tests will test for hallucinogens. Usually, you’ll be given a test specifically designed to detect hallucinogens.

In general, hallucinogens can be detected in your system for 2 to 5 days.

LSD detection times:

• urine tests: 2 to 5 days
• blood tests: up to 16 hours
• saliva tests: up to 16 hours
• hair tests: 90 days

Ketamine (Special K) detection times:

• urine tests: 14 days
• blood tests: 1 day
• saliva tests: 1 day
• hair tests: 90 days

PCP detection times:

• urine tests: 14 days
• blood tests: 1 day
• saliva tests: 3 days
• hair tests: 90 days

Psilocybin (magic mushrooms) detection times:

• urine tests: 1 day
• blood tests: 1 day
• hair tests: 90 days

DMT detection times:

• urine tests: 1 day
• blood tests: 2 hours
• saliva tests: 4 to 12 hours
• hair tests: 90 days

Factors That Affect How Long Drugs Can Be Detected In Your System

Many factors can affect how long a drug can be detected in your system.

These include:

• the chemical properties of the drug (the half-life of the drug)
• the amount of drug taken
• frequency of use
• how spaced out the periods of use are
• the route of administration

Other factors, such as your physical characteristics, can also affect how long a drug remains in your system.

These personal factors include:

• physical health
• exercise habits
• rate of metabolism
• diet
• weight
• gender
• fluid intake
• excretion rates (for urine, feces, exhaled air, sweat, tears, hair, nails, etc.)

Purpose Of Drug Testing

You may be required to do a drug test for several reasons. This includes employment, personal reasons, medical purposes, or playing in a sport.

Drug Testing For Employment

Some places of employment require drug testing, such as fields that need their employees to be alert and focused.

You may need a drug test if you’re applying for a job in health care, transportation, construction, the government, or education.

Drug Testing For Personal Reasons

If you have been dealing with substance abuse, you may need to perform a drug test at the request of a family member or spouse.

At-home tests typically take urine samples and might test for:

• marijuana
• cocaine
• opiates
• methamphetamine
• amphetamines
• PCP
• benzodiazepine
• barbiturates
• methadone
• tricyclic antidepressants
• ecstasy
• oxycodone

Drug Tests By Your Primary Care Provider

A primary care provider (PCP) may administer a drug test to check for substance abuse issues. If they’re concerned you may have an addiction, they may ask to do a drug test.

If the test is positive, your PCP can help you to set up a treatment plan to overcome the substance use disorder.

Drug Testing In Sports

If you play a sport you may be required to participate in a drug test. These are often testing for any illicit drugs, steroids, or drugs that are otherwise prohibited.

Drug Test Panel Types

A panel is the drugs or family of drugs that are included in the drug test. The most common forms are 5-panel drug tests and 10-panel drug tests.

Here’s what each type of panel is testing for:

• 5-panel drug test: Tests for marijuana/cannabis (THC), cocaine, opiates, amphetamines, and phencyclidine (PCP).
• 6-panel drug test: Tests for marijuana, opiates, cocaine, amphetamines, methamphetamines, and benzodiazepines.
• 7-panel drug test: Tests for marijuana, opiates, PCP, cocaine, amphetamines, benzodiazepines, and barbiturates.
• 8-panel drug test: Tests for marijuana, opiates, PCP, cocaine, amphetamines, methamphetamines, benzodiazepines, and barbiturates.
• 9-panel drug test: Tests for marijuana, opiates, PCP, cocaine, amphetamines, methamphetamines, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and methadone.
• 10-panel drug test: Tests for marijuana, opiates, PCP, cocaine, amphetamines, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, methadone, methaqualone, and propoxyphene.
• 12-panel drug test: Tests for marijuana, opiates, PCP, cocaine, amphetamines, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, methadone, methaqualone, propoxyphene, ecstasy, and oxycodone.

How Drug Tests Work

Many drug tests are administered in a lab, though at-home tests may be taken privately.

The steps for taking a urine test are as follows:

1. The person administering the test will show you a private bathroom specifically for drug testing.
2. Clean your genital area with a cleansing pad provided.
3. Urinate into the cup provided, collecting at least one to two ounces of urine.
4. Once you’ve finished collecting the sample, place the lid on the container and return the sample to the technician.

You can expect the following from a hair drug test:

1. The tester will collect a small sample of hair close to the scalp.
2. If a person has little to no hair on their head, the tester may collect hair from another part of the body.
3. Once the hair is collected, it’s sent out for testing.

If you’re getting a blood test, you will go to a lab where a technician will draw a sample of blood from a vein in your arm to be tested.

For a saliva test, the technician may use something that looks like a long Q-tip to swab the inside of your cheek. The results are often ready immediately.

FAQs For Average Drug Detection Times

Read the frequently asked questions below to learn more about drug detection times for drugs and alcohol.

❓ Can A Drug Test Be Wrong?

✔️ It is possible to get a false positive on a drug test, which can be caused by ingesting second-hand smoke, eating certain foods such as poppy seeds, and the presence of other substances.

❓ Are At-Home Drug Tests Accurate?

✔️ In general, at-home tests are fairly accurate when detecting the presence of drugs or alcohol in a person’s system.

However, at-home drug tests are not as reliable as lab tests.

❓ How Long Does It Take To Confirm A Positive Drug Test?

✔️ This depends on the type of drug test. Many tests will show results within a few minutes or hours. You should receive confirmation from the tester within 24 to 48 hours.

❓ Why Is It Taking So Long To Get My Drug Test Results?

✔️ Typically, it should take no more than two days to receive your test results. If it’s taking longer, it may be due to a high volume of people being tested.

The lab may also have a resource or staff shortage due to COVID-19 or other complications.

❓ Does Alcohol Show Up On A Drug Test?

✔️ Alcohol shows up on some drug tests, but not all. It will show up on a drug test if specifically requested.

❓ How Do I Know If I Passed My Drug Test?

✔️ If you fail the drug test, you may receive your test results by mail or through the lab’s client portal online. If you pass your drug test, you may not hear back at all.

❓ What Are The Minimum And Maximum Detection Times For THC?

✔️ After a single use, THC can be detected in your system within 1 to 3 days. For people with chronic heavy use of THC, it can be detected for up to 30 days.

❓ Can A Hair Follicle Test Detect One-Time Use?

✔️ It’s not likely that a hair follicle test will detect one-time drug use.

❓ What’s The Difference Between A Drug Screen Vs. Drug Test?

✔️ Drug screens only show non-negative results and test a person’s urine for elevated levels of drug metabolites.

Drug tests are more precise, take longer to produce, and show negative or positive results.

❓ Can You Take A Drug Test While On Your Period?

✔️ Yes, your period will not affect your drug test results. You can safely take a hair, saliva, urine, or blood drug test during menstruation.

Find Treatment For Substance Abuse

If you or a loved one are dealing with substance abuse issues, help is available.

At Spring Hill Recovery Center, we offer a wide range of addiction treatment programs to meet your recovery needs. This includes residential rehab, therapy, detox, and more.

Reach out to our addiction treatment specialists today to learn about your recovery options in Massachusetts.