Can You Get Meth Out of Your System Faster?

The Half Life of Meth and Accelerating the Process of Meth Detox

Maybe your employer requires routine drug testing, but you slipped up and used meth recently. There are many occasions when you may be faced with drug testing and want to know: Can you get meth out of your system faster? Is it possible and what can you safely try to pass the test?

The best way to eliminate meth in the body is to go through a detox process under medical supervision. Icarus Behavioral Health provides the services you need in the early days of recovery and can help you stay sober long enough to get a clean drug test.

Keep reading to learn more about the half-life of meth and how drug tests are influenced by drug use, and get answers on how to get (and keep) meth out of your system!

How Long Does Meth Stay in the Body?

The first thing to know about crystal meth use is its overall half-life. Medical professionals measure this important metric based on the amount of time it takes for half of the drug to be depleted from the body system. The good news is that the half-life for methamphetamines is relatively short at just ten hours.

You can trace this out to its logical conclusion depending on how much meth you have been taking. Every ten hours, the amount in your system is cut in half, so do the calculation based on dosage, if known.

That being said, medical professionals may still be able to trace meth use through the various forms of drug testing: urine tests, blood tests, and hair follicle tests. Each one has its own guidelines for how long meth stays in your system.

What Impacts How Long Crystal Meth Stays in the Body?

Chronic meth users may have a more serious problem as it can be easier to detect meth with repeated and heavy usage. Because you have a greater store of it in the body, it’s more likely that you will show up positive even with some of these strategies.

However, even occasional meth users may need to ensure that they show up clean on a routine drug test. Here are some factors that can impact how long it affects test results:

• Amount of drug taken: The dosage itself matters because it will take more half-lives to get to the point where a drug test can no longer detect it in your system. A 200-milligram dose takes longer than a 100-milligram dose to work its way out of the body.
• Overall health: If you are in good shape and relatively healthy, then your liver functions more effectively and may be able to process meth faster.
• Route of drug use: Injections or snorting meth will have a more immediate effect and may leave the body earlier as well. Smoking or swallowing has a slower onset and is processed differently.
• Combination with other substances: Drinking alcohol with meth use can also slow the body’s ability to process the drug because they are both processed through the liver. Other substances used in tandem with meth may delay the half-life of methamphetamine.

With all of that in mind, let’s take a closer look at how long meth will show up in specific tests.

Methamphetamine Drug Tests and Detection Windows

Not all drug tests are going to show the same results. Some will trace meth use only a few days while hair follicles can show use dating back up to three months. Know what the detection window is for a specific type of drug test to determine what you can do to test clean.

Urine Drug Test: 3 Days After Use

A urine test clears methamphetamine out of your system faster than other types of tests. In just three days, you may no longer be within the detection window for meth use. This might be good news if you have a meth drug test pending.

Meth Blood Tests: 1 to 3 Days After Use

Blood tests are a little more lenient than urine tests. You may present as clean just one to three days after your last dose of crystal meth. A saliva test is also closely related to this window of detection at roughly four days.

Hair Follicles: Up to 90 Days

Unfortunately, hair follicles can reveal a more long-term meth addiction and there isn’t much you can do to speed up the process. With the longer detection window, you may pop positive for methamphetamine for up to ninety days with this type of test.

However, it’s important to note that this isn’t usually a preferred method of drug testing for workplaces. unless you work in a position involving public safety such as for the DOT. If you’re worried about an employer discovering your drug use, you are more likely to experience urine or blood tests.

How to Get Meth Out of Your System Faster: Is There a Proven Option?

If you’re struggling with meth addiction, you might be wondering how long meth lasts in the body and what you can do to speed up that process. If you know that you will have a urine or blood test soon, some of these methods might prove helpful.

Medical Detox Process for Improved Physical and Mental Health

Of course, the best thing you can do is to abstain from using meth anymore. A medical detox is the safest and most effective treatment for meth addiction. Icarus Behavioral Health allows you a safe space to work through the withdrawal symptoms, which can often be uncomfortable.

Because you’re safely tucked away in our detox facility, you have no risk of using the drug again. A few days with us ensures your sobriety with around-the-clock access to care. We can even offer medication to eliminate some of your concerns such as anxiety, disrupted sleep patterns, and mood issues.

While in our care, we can assess you for mental health concerns that might contribute to meth use, helping you stay clean long-term.

Can You Get Meth Out of Your System Faster? Drink More Water and Exercise

There is some debate about the efficacy of this method, but it’s worth trying in addition to some other means of clearing meth from your system. Drinking more water on its own isn’t likely to flush meth out of your system, but you can speed up your metabolic rate by engaging in physical exercise alongside increased water intake.

Because your body is moving and burning calories, it also theoretically metabolizes methamphetamine faster. If you aren’t used to physical exercise, be sure to take things slow. Anything that elevates your heart rate and works up a sweat is good.

While you’re focusing on the benefits of exercise for physical and mental health, you might also want to consider a healthier diet. A well-balanced diet aids in detoxification, cleansing the kidneys and liver that are responsible for a drug’s metabolic rate. Eat lean protein, fruits and vegetables, and whole grains.

Baking Soda and Water

One of the most popular methods to attempt to pass a drug test into thinking that you don’t struggle with meth addiction is to consume large quantities of baking soda and water. This is a very natural way that a meth user may be able to mimic clean urine tests, but it holds risks and is far from foolproof.

That being said, it doesn’t cover all substances in similar ways. For example, it may mask meth but not cannabis usage.

The baking soda method comes with its own risks. Consuming too much baking soda can lead to some fairly serious health issues such as nausea, vomiting, depressed breathing, and swelling in the legs and feet. It may also result in dehydration and all of the symptoms that come along with it.

Take Advantage of a Sauna to Detox Your Body

Much like exercise helps you to work up a sweat and burn meth from your system, you also might want to investigate a sauna at your local gym. Spending time in the heat and working up a sweat without the need for exercise appeals to many people. If you don’t have a sauna, you can try extra hot baths or showers.

It may not be exactly pleasant, but your body can eliminate meth from your system via the skin as your core body temperature rises.

Activated Charcoal Pills to Detox Your System

Some people want a magic pill that can make it impossible for crystal meth and other drugs to show up on a routine test. Activated charcoal is one option that might keep your substance abuse from surfacing on a drug test, and many people are using it for all sorts of detox purposes and overall health.

Activated charcoal is what a doctor may give you if you show up in the emergency room with symptoms of an overdose. It binds to harmful substances in the stomach and keeps them from harming the rest of the body.

You may choose to take multiple doses of activated charcoal if you’re concerned both popping positive on a drug test. But beware: repeated charcoal doses can cause blockages in the intestines and even just one dose can lead to extreme vomiting and dehydration.

Get on a Path to Recovery from Meth Abuse Today

When you want a safe place to make the meth withdrawal symptoms as comfortable as possible, Icarus Behavioral Health in New Mexico provides the solution you have been looking for. From medical detox to residential treatment programs, we offer everything you need for substance abuse treatment.

If you have concerns about your substance misuse and want to show up clean on an upcoming drug screening, reach out to us today. Our enrollment team is ready and waiting to help you verify insurance benefits and get the help you need today.

Rest assured, all calls are confidential, so please reach out to get support options now!

References

1. Harris, D. S., Boxenbaum, H., Everhart, E. T., Sequeira, G., Mendelson, J. E., & Jones, R. T. (2003). The bioavailability of intranasal and smoked methamphetamine. Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics, 74(5), 475–486.
2. Richards JR, Laurin EG. Methamphetamine Toxicity. [Updated 2023 Jun 8]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from:
3. Amphetamine screen (urine). University of Rochester Medical Center. (n.d.).