How Long Does Lorazepam Stay in Your System?

Lorazepam is a psychoactive drug belonging to the benzodiazepine family. Lorazepam is also known as Ativan. Detection of Lorazepam depends on the type of drug test that is used to detect it. Different drug tests that can be used for detection are urine, blood, saliva, and hair. Read on to find out how long Lorazepam stays in the body.

How Long Does Lorazepam Stay in Your Urine?

Lorazepam users should not be surprised when the drug appears in a urine test. It can be found in urine up to 6 days after its use. Regular Lorazepam use can increase the detection time.

If the drug test targets the metabolite lorazepam-glucuronide, the drug can be detected for up to nine days. The metabolite is created as Lorazepam breaks down. 

There are a few medications that can cause a false positive urine test, including Zoloft and Daypro. 

How Long Does Lorazepam Stay in Your Hair?

Hair length and color treatment could impact a Lorazepam hair test. The drug usually shows up in hair for 30-90 days after its first use.

Hair tests administered just a few days after Lorazepam ingestion can give inaccurate results since hair follicles take time to grow.  

How Long Does Lorazepam Stay in Your Blood?

Blood reveals Lorazepam within 6 hours after ingestion. Testing can find Lorazepam for up to three days after its last use. Taking large doses of Lorazepam makes it discoverable for a longer period of time.

How Long Does Lorazepam Stay in Your Saliva?

Saliva tests are often used in the field by law enforcement. Tests show Lorazepam can be detected in saliva samples up to 8 hours after use. Saliva tests are not commonly used to test for Lorazepam. They often cost more than other tests and require a sufficient amount of oral fluid. 

How Long Does Lorazepam Stay in Lab Tests?

The half-life of Lorazepam is 12 hours. Its metabolite has an 18-hour half-life.

Do not use testing timeframes as an exact science. The above are just estimates for detecting Lorazepam in urine, hair, blood, saliva, or the lab. 

Stop using Lorazepam if you want to avoid a positive drug test. It typically takes five to six half-lives for your body to eliminate any substance.

Factors That Will Impact How Long Lorazepam Stays In Your System

Some research suggests kidney issues extend the half-life of Lorazepam.

There are a few factors that determine how long Lorazepam stays in the body:

• Age: Lorazepam usually clears the body faster in young people than older ones. There are a few reasons why. Older people’s organs are not as strong and can take longer to process Lorazepam. The elderly also have lower blood flow. These issues slow down the rate Lorazepam is removed by the body.
• Physical Stature: People who are taller and heavier often excrete Lorazepam faster. Excretion is slower in people who are lighter and shorter. Metabolism rates also play a part in excretion, regardless of a person’s size. A faster body metabolism rate will break the drug down quicker, which reduces the time the drug is in the body. Metabolism rates are different for each person. They vary based on an individual’s age, gender, and any health issues that concern the liver or kidney. 
• Diet: Food and water can affect how the body processes Lorazepam. Those who stay properly hydrated could excrete Lorazepam faster. People who eat poorly might see the drug stay in their bodies longer.

The use of other substances also affects the clearance rate of the drug. For example, research suggests taking Lorazepam with alcohol makes the drug’s clearance through the body reduce by 18%. 

Alcohol stops Lorazepam from joining other molecules in the body and metabolizing. Long-time users of Lorazepam will find the drug takes longer to clear the body. 

Building up a tolerance to Lorazepam can make people up their dosage amount of the drug. This will extend the window of detection across various tests since there is a greater accumulation of Lorazepam in the body.

The Specifics Of Lorazepam Use

Experts believe Lorazepam binds itself to GABA-benzodiazepine receptors in the brain. GABA is a neurotransmitter that blocks brain cell impulses. Decreased GABA levels are linked to anxiety, pain, and mood disorders. 

People who take Lorazepam are advised to stay away from driving or using machines. The drug can cause drowsiness. Users of Lorazepam should test and see how it affects their body, as side effects also include amnesia, blurred vision, confusion, and unsteadiness. 

Lorazepam addicts often use the drug with other opioids. This is a serious issue. Side effects of using both include breathing problems and death.

Flumazenil is a medical treatment to reverse the effects of Lorazepam overdose. The medication can only be given in a hospital with an IV.