How Long GHB Stays in the Body
While gamma-hydroxybutyrate (or GHB) can occur naturally in the human body, it can also be used as a substance of misuse due to its relaxing abilities. Those who misuse GHB may wonder: How long does GHB stay in your system? Keep reading to learn more about how GHB affects the body, how long GHB lasts, and how to find treatment for GHB misuse or addiction.
How Long Does GHB Stay in Your System?
How long GHB stays in your system can vary greatly depending on the dosage, frequency of use, and other factors.
Effects of GHB use can begin within 15–30 minutes, although a person who consumes it by accident may not be able to differentiate the drug’s initial effects from becoming drunk. Sedation and other effects typically last between 3–6 hours.
About 95% of this drug is metabolized by the liver. GHB has a half-life of about 30-60 minutes, which means that 50% of GHB is eliminated from the body within one hour. On average, 1.83–5.5 hours are needed, depending on dose, to eliminate the drug from the body completely.
Studies have shown that mixing GHB with alcohol increases how quickly the drug’s effects begin, which can be dangerous for a person who is accidentally dosed. However, alcohol also increases the GHB half-life or how quickly the body metabolizes GHB. So, within 30 minutes to 1.5 hours, GHB may be completely eliminated from the body if it is mixed with alcohol.
Factors that affect how long GHB stays in your system include:
- Weight.
- Body fat.
- Sex or gender.
Additionally, eating before taking the drug can slow down the drug’s absorption through the stomach lining. Taking GHB with food or just after eating decreases the absorption rate about 37%.
Existing liver problems can also change how the drug is metabolized, because most of it is processed in the liver. Kidney function problems may also affect how metabolites are excreted. The remaining 5% of GHB metabolites move through the kidneys and bladder.
Does GHB Show Up on a Drug Test?
Yes, because GHB is predominantly found as a date rape drug, there are several drug tests that can measure whether a person has this chemical in their system.
At high doses, blackouts or unconsciousness can last up to 24 hours after the drug has been taken. For doctors, this means that some drug tests may be more important and more accurate than others.
- Saliva: This type of drug test is typically less reliable than urine or blood tests because the presence of most drugs in the saliva is very short-lived. GHB is most detectable in saliva within 10 minutes after it is ingested, although it can remain detectable for six hours after the drug is consumed. A new test using saliva to non-invasively detect the presence of GHB, in the event that a person is hospitalized for poisoning, can rapidly determine the presence of the drug’s metabolites.
- Urine: While GHB is rapidly metabolized through the body, urine drug tests can detect the substance up to 12 hours after it has been ingested. A recent medical study, published by the American Chemical Society, conducted urine and blood tests every 30 minutes and found that GHB was most detectable up to two hours after it was consumed. During that time, it was also still distinguishable from other intoxicating or prescription substances.
- Blood: Blood tests are among the most effective drug tests when trying to determine if a person has taken GHB. The drug can be detected in blood tests up to 72 hours, or three days, after GHB has been consumed. Concentrations of GHB in the blood peak around 30 minutes after it is ingested, but metabolites remain circulating for much longer after the peak.
- Hair: Although hair tests are an effective way to detect many drugs, like marijuana or meth, there is no reliable hair test to detect GHB.
Treatment for GHB Abuse or Poisoning
GHB is a very dangerous drug. Although it is not widely abused for recreational reasons, it can be given to victims of rape or sexual assault prior to the incident. Some people do abuse GHB to get high, however.
Understanding how rapidly the effects of GHB begin, and then wear off, can help medical professionals appropriately test potential victims and manage GHB withdrawal symptoms or other potential complications.
Those accidentally poisoned by GHB should be hospitalized as soon as possible. A person who abuses GHB specifically to get high may also end up hospitalized due to overdose.
Medical detox followed by treatment in a rehabilitation program are the foundation of addiction treatment for many substances, including GHB.
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