How Long Do Benzodiazepines Stay In Your System?

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How Long Do Benzodiazepines Remain In Your Body?

Benzodiazepines can remain in the body for a few days to months depending on the type of benzodiazepine taken. They are detectable in drug tests using three common sample types: urine, blood and hair.

In general, a urine sample can detect benzodiazepines for up to 24 hours or for up to 10-15 days, depending on the type of benzodiazepine. Blood samples can detect benzodiazepines for 12-24 hours after last use, and benzodiazepines may be detectable in hair samples for up to 4-6 months (though a hair test will be negative for the first 5-7 days because hair grows slowly).

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What Determines How Long Benzodiazepines Stay In Your System?

The specific benzodiazepine taken and amount consumed, along with the age, weight, gender, and drug-taking habits of the user, all influence the length of time a benzodiazepine stays in one’s system.

Other factors that affect how long drugs stay in your system include how the drug was taken (oral vs. intravenous), whether other drugs were used, the ethnicity of the user, and whether the user suffers from medical conditions such as kidney problems. Some ethnicities have slower elimination times due to their genetic makeup, as specific genes that are present or absent can determine liver and kidney metabolism.

A person who takes benzodiazepines frequently will most likely test positive for a longer period of time compared to a person who only takes benzodiazepines on occasion. An increased frequency and higher dosage will build up in the body over time and, therefore, will test positive for a longer time frame. Someone with a fast metabolism who takes a small dose will generally test negative more quickly than someone with a slow metabolism who takes the same or larger doses.

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Understanding Benzodiazepine Half-Lives And Their Effects

Benzodiazepines are divided into three classes depending on their half-life:

Long-acting
Intermediate-acting
Short-acting

A drug’s half-life refers to how much time it takes for half the amount of active ingredients in the drug to be eliminated from the body by being metabolized and excreted through the liver and kidneys.

For example, if a half-life is 2 hours, then after 2 hours, 50% of the drug will remain in the body. After two half-lives (4 hours), 25% of the drug will remain in the body, and after three half-lives (6 hours), 12.5% of the drug will remain in the body. It usually takes four to five half-lives to remove a drug’s active components from the body.

Long-acting benzodiazepines have the longest half-life because they are the longest acting benzodiazepines and short acting benzodiazepines have the shortest half-life and are cleared from the body the fastest because they are the shortest acting class of benzodiazepines. These classifications help medical professionals decide which drug to prescribe for certain conditions.

Long-acting benzodiazepines are commonly used for alcohol withdrawal, seizures, muscle spasms, chronic anxiety, and panic attacks and include:

Chlordiazepoxide
Diazepam (Valium)
Clonazepam (Klonopin)

Intermediate acting benzodiazepines are used for anxiety disorders, panic disorders, seizures, sedation, and short-term treatment of insomnia and include:

Alprazolam (Xanax)
Lorazepam (Ativan)
Temazepam (Restoril)
Estazolam (ProSom)
Oxazepam (Serax)

Short-acting benzodiazepines are commonly used for sedation and short-term insomnia and include:

Midazolam (Versed)
Triazolam (Halcion)

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Why Would Someone Be Tested For Benzodiazepines?

Many employers require incoming employees to undergo a drug test before starting a new job. Drug testing is also common in the legal system for cases involving parole and child custody. Professional sports and athletics organizations test athletes regularly, particularly if an athlete falls under suspicion of using performance-enhancing drugs.

The majority of drug tests don’t test for the drug itself. Instead, they look for the presence of metabolites, which are the leftovers created when a person’s body metabolizes the drug. These molecules stick around for much longer than the actual drug, and drug tests can determine which drug was consumed by analyzing the metabolites left behind.

Types Of Drug Testing

As your body metabolizes the drug, its byproducts are distributed throughout the body; hence, drug samples can be collected from different parts, such as hair, urine, blood, and saliva. Benzodiazepines and other drugs can be detected over various periods of time, depending on the sample type.

Types Of Drug Tests
Urine Testing	The most common type of drug testing. Can detect benzodiazepines for up to 24 hours or for up to 10-15 days, depending on the specific benzodiazepine. In some cases of chronic use, it may detect up to 30 days. Measures metabolites filtered through the kidneys.
Saliva Testing	Accuracy is best within hours of drug consumption but can detect benzodiazepines up to 1-4 days. Saliva tests are common for fast, on-site situations, like on-the-job tests or roadside tests.
Hair Testing	Can detect benzodiazepines for up to three months.
Blood Testing	Blood samples can detect benzodiazepines for 12-24 hours after last use.
Perspiration Testing	A relatively new and the least common test. Primarily used in parole cases to monitor drug use long-term. Uses a waterproof skin patch that stays on the body for 7-10 hours and collects the perspiration.

How Long Are Different Benzodiazepines Detectable In Urine?

Please note that how long benzodiazepines stay in one’s system is dependent on several factors, and the timelines below may not apply in all cases. Below is the timeline for a one-time dose of each benzodiazepine.

Valium: 2-10 days
Xanax: 2-4 days
Klonopin: 10 days
Ativan: 5 days
Halcion: 7-24 hours

For multiple uses and chronic use, the detection time can be much longer, especially for immediate and long-acting benzodiazepines.

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Treatment For Benzodiazepine Addiction

If you or a loved one is using benzodiazepines and feel as though you are not able to safely quit, you may benefit from professional help. Abruptly stopping benzos, after you have been taking them for a while, can result in dangerous and life-threatening benzodiazepine withdrawal, so it is important to seek professional help. Do not hesitate to contact a treatment provider or visit our rehab directory to explore your rehab options.