How Long Does Fentanyl Stay In Your System?

Fentanyl is perhaps one of the most dangerous drugs when misused due to its potency and the adverse effects it can have physically and psychologically.

This powerful opioid is generally prescribed to alleviate severe pain conditions resulting from post-surgery or to ease the painful effects of some cancers.

However, fentanyl is also manufactured illegally, and its prevalence on the street among users, is rising considerably, causing huge risks that may lead to fatalities.

This blog is intended to highlight the effects of fentanyl and how long it stays in your system, the dangers implicated in using it, and what action you can take to withdraw from the substance safely.

What Is Fentanyl?

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid substance used in alleviating chronic pain by binding to the opioid receptors found in the brain and central nervous system.

This action alters how a patient experiences and responds to pain and is administered as a prescribed drug because of its potency.

Fentanyl can also be up to 100 times stronger than morphine, so even the smallest amount may lead to tolerance or dependence and even addiction, which is the reason it should only be administered as prescribed by medical specialists.

The most concerning problem, however, is that in recent times, fentanyl has been produced illicitly and is becoming readily available on the black market for anyone to use illegally, setting the trend for substance users, such as heroin, to mix fentanyl with their habitual drug so the effects they desire are substantially increased.

When fentanyl is not taken as medically advised, the chance of taking larger doses frequently becomes higher. When misused in this way, the possibility of overdose is a probable reality, as it is known that over 150 people die every day from overdoses associated with synthetic opioid substances, including fentanyl.

Fentanyl use may not only be illegal, but more important are the effects it causes on the body and mind with damaging consequences when misused.

What Are The Side Effects Of Fentanyl?

Side effects associated with both prescription and illicit fentanyl are quite common but when too much of the substance is taken, these side effects can become very serious and can lead to death. It’s important to understand some of the most common side effects to realize the harmful damage fentanyl can have.

• Respiratory Depression: Breathing can slow down considerably and could lead to cardiac arrest.
• Alterations in heart rate and blood pressure.
• Serious depression.
• Anxiety and irritability.
• Body pain: Often stomach, chest, and back pain.
• Sleep disorders.
• Feelings of nausea and/or vomiting.
• Diarrhea.
• Tolerance and/or dependence.
• Long-term health issues: Kidney or liver damage, amnesia, or seizures.
• Overdose/Fatality.

The severity of these effects depends on the quantities taken, frequency of use, and if consumed with another drug. 

How Long Does Fentanyl Stay In Your System?

To determine how long fentanyl can remain in a person’s system depends on the metabolism of the drug as to how quickly it is broken down by the body, and the half-life of the drug which we will look at below:

The Half-life of Fentanyl

The half-life of a drug refers to the time needed to eliminate half of the amount of the drug from the body, which typically is between 3 to 7 hours.

How the drug has been taken also affects the half-life time of eliminating fentanyl.

• Injected (intravenous): Depending on the dose of fentanyl injected, the substance has a half-life of 2 to 4 hours.
• Snorting through the nose or mouth (transmucosal): Depending on the formula used, the half-life is between 5 to 14 hours.
• Patches (transdermal): When fentanyl is absorbed through a transdermal patch, the half-life is approximately 17 hours.

To summarise, the time needed for half of the drug to leave the system is anything between 7 to 17 hours but this can vary depending on each person such as age, how the liver functions, and general health. As a rule of thumb, it takes around 5 half-lives for fentanyl to be eliminated from the system.

Metabolism Break Down Of Fentanyl

The metabolism of the drug depends on several factors as to how quickly the drug is broken down in the system; some of these to take into consideration are age and gender, genetics, liver function, and body mass among others.

The dosage and frequency of use of fentanyl is another factor to consider, including if the individual has used other drug substances or alcohol. All these factors contribute to the speed of the drug’s metabolism.

The metabolites of fentanyl can remain in the system long after you have stopped feeling its effects so to determine effectively any indication of fentanyl in the system, standard drug tests are generally carried out to reliably confirm any trace of the substance.

What Is A Fentanyl Drug Test?

When you have taken fentanyl, the substance leaves metabolites in your system and a standard drug test may be used to detect these traces. Normally only a urine test is used, but fentanyl may require an advanced drug screening.

A standard drug test, however, will detect fentanyl in the system and is often used for safety measures within workplaces, or where there is responsibility for operating high-risk machinery. The most common standard test for fentanyl is through a urine test.

• Urine: Fentanyl can be detected in urine for up to 24 to 72 hours after the last dose was taken.
• Blood Sample: The presence of fentanyl can appear in a blood test between 5 to 48 hours after the last use.
• Hair Test: Hair follicles can be tested for fentanyl for up to 3 months.
• Saliva: If fentanyl is taken orally, a saliva test proves less consistent in detecting the drug but may show after 1 or 2 days.

These timescales are only indicative and should not be considered definite as the elimination of fentanyl from the system can vary significantly depending on each person and their unique physique, together with other contributing factors previously mentioned.

Withdrawal Symptoms and Treatment

If you are concerned about your use of fentanyl or you have a dependence on the substance, you may be contemplating quitting and going cold turkey to avoid addiction but to withdraw from fentanyl alone can be very dangerous and involves serious risks which is why it is so important to seek professional medical help. 

Fentanyl withdrawal symptoms can include unpleasantness, such as anxiety, sweating, and intense cravings among others; some of them can be mild or serious but without help, there is more chance of relapse, developing further complications, and potentially life-threatening conditions.

You, or someone you know, may have a fentanyl addiction and want to reach out for help but don’t know what to do, you probably feel alone or even ashamed, so you carry on using fentanyl until it may be too late. That’s not the answer!

Fentanyl abuse, along with many other substance-related abuse, is becoming more and more recognized as a medical condition, leaving behind the outdated opinion of it being a social failure. There are more resources, facilities, and specialized medical care that can address the problems that substance users face.

Resilient Recovery Center is a luxury detoxification and rehab center located in Lancaster, California. We provide personalized treatment programs for several drug addictions, fentanyl addiction being one of them.

We have a range of services to help with drug abuse, including medically supported detox and comprehensive support for ongoing treatment, all of which is carried out by our highly qualified medical specialists.

Above all, we pride ourselves on knowing exactly what the patient is feeling, as many of our team members are recovering addicts themselves who have had to endure the physical and psychological facets of withdrawal but have made their way to recovery. You will find their compassion and dedication during every stage of your recovery with all the support and care you deserve.

Don’t feel alone, ashamed, or give up. We can help you now. Call us today and reach out; our friendly staff will give you advice, and guidance and will answer all your questions so you make the right decision. Your call could make all the difference in taking control of your life and leaving your drug use behind for good.