How Long Do Benzodiazepines Stay In Your System?
Benzodiazepines can stay in your system for a few hours to several weeks, depending on the specific drug, dosage, and individual factors like metabolism. The duration varies based on whether the benzo is short-acting, intermediate-acting, or long-acting, with detection times differing across urine, blood, saliva, and hair tests.
This article explores what benzodiazepines are, how long they last in your body, and what affects their detection times.
What Are Benzodiazepines?
Benzodiazepines, or “benzos,” are prescription medications used to treat conditions such as anxiety, insomnia, seizures, and muscle spasms. Some well-known examples of benzodiazepines include diazepam (Valium), alprazolam (Xanax), and lorazepam (Ativan). These medications calm the central nervous system, which can sometimes lead to misuse or addiction in certain individuals.
Understanding how long benzodiazepines stay in your system is important, especially for drug testing or tapering off. If you want to stop using them, professional treatment can provide valuable support [1].
What Determines How Long Benzodiazepines Stay In Your System?
Several factors determine how long benzos stay in your system, including the type of benzo, your metabolism, and how often you use it. Short-acting benzos like Xanax may clear faster, while long-acting ones like Valium linger longer. Your age, liver function, body weight, and frequency of use also play a role. For example, chronic use can cause benzos to build up in your body, extending detection times. Other factors, like hydration and kidney function, can affect how quickly your body eliminates these drugs [2].
Individual Metabolism
Your metabolism impacts how long benzodiazepines stay in your system. People with faster metabolisms may process benzos more quickly, while those with slower metabolisms can prolong clearance. Age and liver health are critical, as the liver breaks down benzos into metabolites that can stay detectable longer.
Type of Benzodiazepine
Different benzos have varying half-lives, which affect how long they stay in your system. Short-acting benzos, like Xanax, have a half-life of 6-27 hours, while long-acting ones, like diazepam, can have a half-life of up to 100 hours. This means Valium may be detectable for weeks, while Xanax clears faster.
Frequency of Use
Single-use versus chronic use makes a big difference. A one-time dose of a benzo may be undetectable after a few days, but regular use can lead to accumulation, making benzos detectable for weeks. If you’re tapering off Xanax or another benzo, professional guidance is crucial to avoid withdrawal symptoms.
Benzodiazepine Effect Timespan
The effects of benzodiazepines typically last a few hours, but their presence in your system lasts much longer. Short-acting benzos like Xanax may provide relief for 4-6 hours, while long-acting benzos like Valium can last up to 12 hours or more.
However, the drug’s metabolites—chemicals left after your body processes the drug—can remain detectable long after the effects wear off. This is why drug tests can pick up benzo use even days or weeks later. Knowing the duration of effects versus detection time is vital for managing use or preparing for tests [3].
Benzodiazepines vary in their duration of action, which is determined by their half-lives. They can be categorized into three main groups:
1. Short-acting (1–12 hours): Midazolam, triazolam, and oxazepam.
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These medications are processed and eliminated from the body more quickly, making them suitable for treating insomnia.
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Due to their rapid clearance, short-acting benzodiazepines can lead to “rebound” insomnia or anxiety when discontinued.
2. Intermediate-acting (12–40 hours): Alprazolam, lorazepam, and temazepam.
3. Long-acting (40–250 hours): Diazepam, clonazepam, and chlordiazepoxide.
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Long-acting benzodiazepines have a longer half-life, and their effects can last for several days, particularly in older adults or individuals with liver impairment.
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They are typically prescribed to treat anxiety disorders.
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Some long-acting benzodiazepines, such as diazepam and chlordiazepoxide, produce active metabolites that further extend their duration of action.
Benzodiazepines Showing up on Drug Tests
Benzodiazepines can show up on drug tests for days to weeks, depending on the test type and benzo used. Urine tests are the most common, but blood, saliva, and hair tests are also used. Each of these tests has a different detection window. If you are facing a drug test, understanding how long benzodiazepines stay in your system can help you prepare.
What Shows Up as a Benzo on a Urine Test?
Urine tests detect benzodiazepine metabolites, such as oxazepam or nordiazepam, rather than the drug itself. These metabolites are produced when your body breaks down benzos like Xanax, Valium, or Ativan. Most standard urine tests will flag these metabolites, confirming benzo use. False positives are rare but can occur with certain medications, so always disclose prescriptions to the testing facility. If you’re wondering how long benzos stay in urine, it depends on the specific drug and usage pattern [4].
Benzodiazepines In Your System
Benzodiazepines are processed by your liver and excreted through urine, but their metabolites can linger in various parts of your body. How long benzodiazepines stay in your system depends on the drug’s half-life and your body’s ability to clear it. For example, how long diazepam stays in your system can be much longer than Xanax due to its longer half-life. Below, we break down detection times for different tests to give you a clearer picture.
How Long Do Benzos Stay in Your Urine, Hair, Saliva, and Blood?
Benzos can be detected in urine for 3-14 days, in hair for up to 90 days, in saliva for 1-10 days, and in blood for 1-7 days, depending on the drug and usage.
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Urine: Most benzos, like Xanax, are detectable in urine for 3-7 days after a single dose. Chronic use or long-acting benzos like Valium can be detected for up to 14 days or more. If you’re asking how long benzos stay in urine, it varies by drug and frequency of use.
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Hair: Hair tests can detect benzos for up to 90 days, as drug metabolites get trapped in hair follicles. These tests are less common but are used for long-term detection.
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Saliva: Saliva tests can detect benzos for 1-10 days, depending on the drug. Short-acting benzos clear faster, while long-acting ones linger longer.
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Blood: Blood tests detect benzos for 1-7 days. They’re often used in medical or legal settings for precise detection [5].
How Long Will Xanax Be Detectable in Urine?
Xanax is typically detectable in urine for 3-7 days after last use. As a short-acting benzo, Xanax (alprazolam) has a half-life of 6-27 hours, so it clears relatively quickly compared to Valium. However, chronic use can extend detection to about two weeks. Factors like dose and metabolism can also affect how long Xanax stays in your system.
Peak Levels and Benzodiazepine Half-Life
The half-life of a benzodiazepine determines how long it takes for half the drug to leave your system, affecting both peak levels and clearance time.
Peak levels
The peak level of a benzodiazepine refers to the highest concentration of the drug in the bloodstream after it has been administered. Typically, peak concentrations occur between 30 and 90 minutes after ingestion for most benzodiazepines (BZDs).
For example, alprazolam (Xanax) reaches peak plasma levels within 1 to 2 hours after oral administration. In contrast, lorazepam (Ativan) reaches its peak levels approximately 60 minutes after sublingual administration.
The time it takes to reach peak levels—and, consequently, for the effects to be most pronounced—can vary based on individual factors such as metabolism and the route of administration.
Benzodiazepine half-life
The half-life of a drug is the time it takes for its concentration in the body to decrease by half. Benzodiazepines (BZDs) have varying half-lives:
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Short-acting BZDs: 1 to 12 hours
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Intermediate-acting BZDs: 12 to 40 hours
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Long-acting BZDs: 40 to 250 hours
Typically, after 4 to 5 half-lives, a drug is considered effectively eliminated from the body. For example, a drug with a half-life of 15 minutes will have 50% remaining after that time and 6.25% after one hour. The longest-lasting benzo, like diazepam, can take weeks to fully clear due to its extended half-life [6].
Understanding BZD half-lives is essential for determining drug effects, appropriate dosing intervals, and the risk of accumulation, especially in individuals with liver impairment, where accumulation can be a concern.
What Is the Clearance Time for Benzodiazepines?
The clearance time of benzodiazepines varies based on their half-life and your body’s metabolism, typically ranging from a few days to several weeks. Short-acting benzodiazepines, such as Xanax, clear from the body more quickly, usually within 1 to 4 days. In contrast, long-acting benzodiazepines, like Valium, may take anywhere from 10 to 30 days for complete clearance. Factors such as liver function, age, and frequency of use can all affect these clearance rates.
FAQs
What Shows Up as a Benzo on a Urine Test?
Urine tests detect benzo metabolites like oxazepam or nordiazepam, not the original drug. These metabolites indicate the use of drugs like Xanax, Valium, or Ativan. Always inform testers of any prescriptions to avoid confusion. Standard immunoassay screenings often detect oxazepam, a common metabolite of many benzodiazepines, but they may miss others. For this reason, a positive screen is typically confirmed with more advanced and specific testing, like gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).
What Is the Elimination Time of Xanax?
Xanax has an elimination time of about 1-2 days for a single dose, but it can be detectable in urine for up to 7 days. For one-time users, it may be detectable for 1 to 4 days, while regular users may have detection for 5-7 days, or up to 6 weeks with long-term misuse. The average half-life is about 11 hours.
What Is the Longest Lasting Benzo?
Diazepam (Valium) is the longest-lasting benzo, with a half-life of up to 100 hours, making it detectable for weeks. Another long-acting benzodiazepine is Flurazepam (Dalmane), with a half-life up to 100 hours. Quazepam (Doral) can have a half-life of 50 to 200 hours.
What Is the Clearance of Benzodiazepines?
Clearance varies by drug, with short-acting benzos clearing in days and long-acting ones like Valium taking weeks. Metabolism, dose, and usage frequency all play a role.
How Long Will Xanax Be Detectable in Urine?
Xanax is detectable in urine for 3-7 days for occasional use, up to 14 days for chronic use. Individual factors like metabolism can affect this timeline.
Get Treatment for Benzodiazepine Addiction at Alliance Recovery
If you or a loved one is struggling with benzodiazepine addiction, don’t wait to get the help you need. Our experienced treatment team at Alliance Recovery is here to guide you on the path to recovery, with evidence-based treatments, compassionate care, and effective therapies.
Our executive leadership and admissions staff have extensive knowledge of addiction treatment, with many team members having gone through treatment themselves. Through years of dedication to service and building connections with fellow addicts, our team has cultivated a passion for helping others in the same position.
When you come to Alliance Recovery, you’ll experience:
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Real, genuine care from people who understand you
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Evidence-based treatment programs
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Individual and group therapy sessions
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Personalized treatment plans
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Supportive sober community & treatment staff
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Aftercare & career placement
Start your journey to recovery today. Call our treatment team at (844) 287-8506 to get started.
Sources
[1] https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt29393/2019-NSDUH-Detail-Tables.pdf
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK554498/
[3] https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(11)61160-7/fulltext
[4] https://www.aruplab.com/files/resources/pain-management/DrugAnalytesPlasmaUrine.pdf
[5] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323330
[6] https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2016/018276s052lbl.pdf
