How Long Do Benzos Stay In Your System?

Benzodiazepines, referred to as benzos, represent one of the groups of drugs often used in the treatment of anxiety, sleeplessness, and other related disorders. Though these medicines can ease the pain, patients should know how long they take before they exit the body. 

If you are using benzos as prescribed or you are worried about someone about to undergo drug testing, it is essential to know the things that affect the detection period of benzos. This article discusses some of these factors more deeply to understand how do benzodiazepines work.

The Basics of Benzos

If you are wondering how benzodiazepines work, Benzodiazepines increase the activity of the inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain known as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). They promote calming the central nervous system, lessening anxiety symptoms, achieving relaxation, and inducing sleep.

Detection Time of Benzos

In a urine test, different kinds of benzodiazepines show different durations of detection when tested. Short-acting benzodiazepines—such as Ativan (lorazepam) and Xanax (alprazolam)—usually stay in an individual’s system for 1 to 6 days. 

However, you will likely detect long-acting benzos, such as Valium (diazepam), for up to 10 days or even longer. The presence of Benzos in the blood after the last use depends on factors such as their half-life or individual metabolism.

Saliva test results provide a detection window of 1 to 10 days after the last drug use, and hair follicle tests can detect some benzos up to 90 days after the previous use, which is the most extended detection window of all the tests.

Factors Influencing Detection Time

Type of Benzo, Frequency, and Extent of Use

The type of benzodiazepine determines how long it takes for the drug to exit from the body. Short-acting benzos exit the body faster than longer ones. Something like Xanax (alprazolam) has a shorter half-life compared to Valium (diazepam), which leads to a shorter detection period.

Frequent administration of benzos may cause their accumulation in the body, further extending their detection times. People who have been using benzodiazepines regularly or for a long time may have a longer detection window than people who rarely use them.

Dosage And Rate of Metabolism

The dosage of benzos can also impact how long they stay in the system. High doses of benzos may require longer to clear from the body than low doses. Furthermore, extended-release formulations may have a longer detection time than immediate-release formulations.

People metabolize benzodiazepines differently, which can lead to a variation in how quickly benzos are metabolized and excreted from the body. Factors like liver function, age, general health, and genetics can all influence metabolism, thus impacting the time that benzos stay in the system.

Age and Health

Age and overall health can slow down the speed at which the body processes benzos. Younger, healthier individuals are more quickly able to metabolize drugs than older individuals or people with concurrent health problems.

Summary

Identifying the factors that impact benzos detection time is imperative to patients using these medications and those planning for a drug test. Knowing these factors, you will better understand how benzodiazepines work. 

If you have any doubts about using Benzo or undergoing a drug test, it is good to ask for support from a healthcare provider to address your unique situation. This will help you make mindful choices about benzos.