How Long Does Heroin Stay in Your System?

Heroin can stay detectable in your system for a few hours to several days or more. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration explains that heroin is typically detected in urine up to three days after using the drug. Small amounts of heroin can stay detectable in your blood, saliva and other parts of your body for longer.

How Long Do the Effects of Heroin Last? 

Heroin’s effects generally don’t last long, even though the drug can stay detectable in your body for days. When injected, the effects of heroin can reach their peak within 10 minutes. Withdrawal symptoms can happen as soon as a few hours after taking the drug.

What Factors Affect How Long Drugs Stay in Your Body?

How fast heroin leaves your body partly depends on how you metabolize substances. In general, your body eliminates drugs through metabolism and excretion. Your liver is mainly responsible for breaking down drugs, which your kidneys filter from your blood and excrete.

This process can be fast or slow, depending on factors like:

Age: An older person may eliminate heroin slower than someone younger. That’s because your liver and kidneys may work more slowly as you age.
Kidney and liver function: If someone has a healthy liver and kidneys, they’ll likely process heroin and excrete it faster than a person with kidney or liver disease, no matter their age.
Weight: Generally, the more weight someone has, the longer it takes for heroin to leave their system. Heroin is fat-soluble and may linger in fat cells and other tissues.

How Can You Get Heroin out of Your System?

The only way to get any substance out of your system is to let your body go through detoxification. Detox is the process of your body eliminating drugs. It’s also the first step to recovering.

Detox is not something you should go through alone. Stopping heroin by yourself can be dangerous, so seeking professional assistance is crucial.

Medical professionals can determine if you need medication-assisted treatment to help your body ease out of addiction. They can also recommend a therapy program to address the underlying cause of your addiction – an essential part of healing.

Hope for Tomorrow Is Your Hope Today

Whether you or a loved one struggle with heroin addiction, we’re here for you. Hope for Tomorrow offers tailored residential and outpatient treatment programs to help you manage withdrawal symptoms and feel strengthened along the way. 

Reach out to us to learn how we can help you find hope and healing.