Lorazepam, sold under the brand name Ativan, is a prescription medication commonly used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and certain seizure disorders. It’s part of the benzodiazepine family, a group of medications that help relax the mind and soothe the nervous system.
Did you recently take Ativan and wonder how long it stays in your system? It’s a great question, especially for people who search for “How Long Does Ativan Stay in Your System” when facing a drug test, changing medications, or worrying about possible side effects.
We will look deeper into how Ativan works, the time it takes to affect your system, and the aspects that influence its time.
1. What Is Ativan and How Does It Work?
Ativan is a drug that targets the central nervous system by increasing the action of a chemical that is found naturally known as GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). It slows down brain activity, helping to reduce anxiety, promote sleep, and relax muscles, facilitating sleep and loosening of muscles.
Ativan is normally prescribed by doctors on a short-term basis because, when used long-term, it may cause dependency and tolerance. It is usually administered in tablet form, intravenously, or orally.
2. How Long Does Ativan Stay in Your System?
The duration that Ativan remains in your system is affected by a number of factors such as dose, frequency of use, and the metabolism of your body. The half-life of Ativan is typically between 10 and 20 hours.
The half-life of a drug refers to the time it takes for half of the dose to be eliminated from your body. However, because the drug can remain in other locations of your system, even after several half-lives, it is possible to detect traces of it.
The following is an approximate explanation of the duration of Ativan detection:
- In blood: 3 days following the final intake
- Urine: 6-9 days (with heavy or frequent use, even longer).
- In saliva: 8 to 3 days.
- In hair: Up to 30 days, or even 90 days in a few instances.
And so, in case you are asking yourself how long Ativan stays in your system in case of a drug test, it depends on the type of test to be conducted and the frequency of usage of the medication.
3. The Body Process of Ativan.
Once Ativan is taken, it is soon absorbed into the blood. It is then broken down by the liver into inactive compounds, which are later excreted through urine.
Since Ativan is a medium term benzodiazepine, it does not remain as long as the other drugs of its line, like Valium. It is, however, longer than the short-acting medications such as Xanax.
By and large,e it would require approximately 5 to 6 half-lives before most of the Ativan can leave your system. Assuming a half-life in the body of 12 hours, an example would be that at a 12-hour half-life it would take the body 60 or 72 hours (approximately 3 days) to clear any of the chemical completely.
4. Factors that Influence The Duration Of Stay Of Ativan In Your System.
The body of all people is different, and this implies that the duration it takes for Ativan to clear your system can differ. The main factors include:
Age:
The general effect of old age is slower metabolism of medications, which implies that Ativan may remain in the system of older adults longer.
Dosage:
The bodies are more time-consuming when the doses are higher and have to be fully processed and eliminated.
Frequency of use:
In case you use Ativan frequently, it can accumulate in the body, and it will take a longer time to get out of the body than for a person who takes it every now and then.
Liver function:
Because Ativan is metabolized by the liver, any problems with the liver will reduce the rate of elimination.
Body mass and metabolism:
Individuals who are metabolically more active, or who have lower fat levels in their bodies, can excrete Ativan more rapidly than others.
Other medications:
Some drugs have the potential to affect Ativan processing, either accelerating its excretion or delaying it.
5. Detection of Ativan in Drug tests.
Ativan is a drug that is under control and that may be found using various forms of drug tests. When prescribed with a prescription by a doctor, it is worth telling the testing facility in advance.
This is what you will get out of various tests:
- Urine Test: The most widespread one. Ativan can be detected within a period of 9 days in most cases.
- Blood Test: This test detects Ativan approximately between 2-3 days and in some instances up to 7 days in excessive users.
- Saliva Test: This will be detectable throughout 3 days post-last dose.
- Hair Test: Traces of Ativan may appear up to 30 days or more, depending on the growth of hair.
It can be remembered that people have different times of detection.
6. Final Thoughts
The answer to how long Ativan stays in your system depends on several factors, including your dosage, frequency of use, metabolism, and overall health. Most of the drug is out of your system in 3-5 days on average, but in the case of urine or hair tests, traces can still be detected even long after the drug has been ingested.