How Long Does Adderall Stay in Your System?

Many factors go into how long Adderall stays in your body. In addition to these factors, the type of drug test will also influence how long the substance can be detected.

Drug tests come in four main types: urine, blood, saliva, and hair. Let’s take a look at what factors influence how long Adderall will stay in your system, and go over the different drug tests you may encounter:

How Long Does Adderall Stay in the Body?

If you have used Adderall any time in the past 3 months, and you are facing a potential drug test, the substance could be detected. Drug tests are conducted in four main ways: By testing the blood, urine, saliva, or hair. Each test type can detect substances for different periods of time after they are ingested. 

How Long Does Adderall Stay in Your Blood?

Drug tests can detect this prescription stimulant in the blood for about 24 hours after use. Remember, however, that this time frame can vary depending on the factors listed above. If the extended-release version was last ingested, the detection time could be even longer. 

How Long Does Adderall Stay in Your Hair?

Hair tests detect past drug use for a long time. It is common for hair tests to be effective in determining drug use for up to 3 months.

However, it takes a while for substance use to show up in hair follicles. If you took the drug within the last one to two weeks, a hair test might not be able to detect it yet.

How Long Does Adderall Stay in Your Saliva?

Saliva tests are commonly used by police officers in the field and in other scenarios. These tests are able to detect the drug for around 2 days, or 48 hours. If you just ingested the drug right before the test, it might take 15 minutes to one hour for it to be detectable by a saliva test.

How Long Does Adderall Stay in Your Urine?

Urine tests are the most common type of drug test. Adderall can be detected in urine for around 3 days after ingestion. And it appears on this type of test after 3 hours of ingestion.

Even though urine tests are the most common form of drug testing, you cannot count on this time frame if you are trying to avoid detection. The best way to avoid a positive drug test is to not take the drug, and allow your body to eliminate past use from your system naturally.

Factors That Affect How Long Adderall will Stay in Your System

Many factors go into how long a drug stays in a person’s body. These factors should always be considered when trying to guess how long Adderall will remain in the system. 

Physical Factors

Everyone’s body is different. How long a drug stays in one’s system is directly related to that person:

  • Metabolism
  • Height
  • Age
  • Weight
  • Percentage of fat
  • Genetics
  • Overall health

As a general rule, drugs are moved through the body faster by someone who is healthy than they are by someone who is unhealthy. When speaking about drugs, the function of the liver and kidneys are particularly important.

An overall healthy person with liver problems might take longer to move drugs through their system than someone who is not in great overall health, but who has a healthy liver.

Adderall Use Specifics

When a person is addicted to a drug such as Adderall, their tolerance increases as they use the substance more and more. In order to get the same effects from the drug, they must take higher doses of it more frequently.

This causes a build-up of Adderall in the user’s system, which in turn results in a longer processing time for removing the drug from the body.

In addition to the dose, the variety of Adderall being used or abused also affects its lifespan in the body.

There are two main varieties of this stimulant drug: regular and an extended-release version, also called Adderall XR.

As the name suggests, the extended-release version slowly breaks down in the body, making its effects last longer. Extended-release Adderall also stays in the body for longer than the standard version of the drug.

Mental Factors

Believe it or not, the mental state can also influence how long a drug stays in your system. People with mental issues such as anxiety or depression are likely to take longer to move Adderall through their bodies. Higher stress levels are also related to lower rates of drug processing.

Treatment for Adderall Addiction

The effects of Adderall are similar to those of cocaine. Because of these stimulating, possibly euphoric effects, the drug is commonly abused. Addiction to this substance is a very dangerous condition that can lead to a fatal overdose.

If you or someone you love is suffering from an addiction to Adderall, the time to act is now. Inpatient treatment is a great way to get an addict started on the road to recovery. Inpatient treatment includes detox and ongoing support methods such as therapy and group counseling. Making the call could mean the difference between life and death!

  1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3489818/
  2. https://www.dea.gov/factsheets
  3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1524735/
  4. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2004/021303s005lbl.pdf
  5. https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/prescription-stimulants

Written by Spring Hill Recovery Editorial Team

© 2024 Spring Hill Recovery | All Rights Reserved

* This page does not provide medical advice.

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