OxyContin is a controlled-release formulation of Oxycodone. It is specially formulated to give a slow delivery of Oxycodone over 12 hours. Because of its overdose issues and addictive nature, you may be eager to know how long OxyContin stays in your system.
This opioid drug can be found in your blood, urine, saliva, and hair when tested for drugs. There is no precise answer to the question, How long does OxyContin stay in your urine, blood, or saliva? It varies according to several variables about each user.
OxyContin Overview
OxyContin (oxycodone hydrochloride) is a prescription opioid (narcotic) for pain relief.
The chief ingredient in this opioid is Oxycodone. The differences between Oxycodone and oxycontin mainly lie in the delivery speed of their effects.
OxyContin is an opioid drug with a slow release that relieves pain over 12 hours. Oxycodone can be combined with Tylenol and Ibuprofen and is less potent than OxyContin.
Like morphine, OxyContin works to ease pain by binding to opioid receptors in the brain. However, when this opioid is taken at a higher dose, it may produce a feeling of euphoria. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified this drug under the Schedule II list, strictly a prescription medicine with a high potential for abuse.
Features of Oxycontin that the FDA has published:
- Used to manage pain severe enough to last days around the clock and when non-opioid prescription medicines fail to relieve pain.
- OxyContin is not taken on an as-needed basis.
- A long-acting (extended-release) opioid pain medicine that can put you at risk for overdose
- Not for use in children under 11 years of age or in adults who are not already using opioid pain medicines.
Even though law enforcement is very careful, OxyContin has become a dangerous drug to abuse because it makes people feel good.
Regular use of OxyContin can lead to overdose, dependency, and drug interactions. In such a scenario, it is essential to learn how long this opioid stays in your body.
OxyContin Half-Life and Elimination
The half-life of a drug is the time required for half of the full dose to be eliminated from the bloodstream. It takes a certain amount of time for the plasma concentration of OxyContin to reach half its original concentration.
An OxyContin tablet’s mean half-life is 6.5 hours, and a steady state is achieved in about one day. It takes almost double the time its parent drug, Oxycodone, reaches the half-life cycle.
The half-life duration and elimination of the drug from the body may vary for each. Here are some of the factors that can affect the length of time OxyContin remains in your body:
- Age
- Gender
- A dose of OxyContin was consumed.
- Health conditions
- Height and weight of the user
- Rate of metabolism
- The hydration level of the body
- Physical exercise
- Healthy functions of the liver and kidney
How long does OxyContin Stay in Your System?
We can roughly estimate how long OxyContin stays in your body by checking the estimated detection windows in drug testing methods.
Usually, the most reliable drug screens for opioids like OxyContin are urine-based.
At the initial screening stages, an immunoassay method is used to identify the presence of Oxycodone. Then a second confirmatory test may be done to cross-verify the result again. Confirmatory drug tests use gas chromatography/mass spectrometry or liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry to verify the presumptive positive result.
The average half-life of OxyContin is approximately 6.5 hours. So, OxyContin is expected to take about 40 hours to be fully eliminated from your system. However, the metabolites of this drug can stay in your body for much longer.
The dose and frequency of using OxyContin are the key factors determining how long this opioid will stay in your system.
Urine
How long does Oxycontin stay in your urine?
Urine drug testing is a reliable way to determine if you are using opioids. Urine tests rarely produce false-positive test results.
How long a drug can be found in urine depends on many things. These deciding factors are urine pH, hydration, metabolism, dosing, duration of use, and a drug’s particular pharmacokinetics.
The Oxycodone contained in OxyContin can be traced in the urine for up to 3 days. Oxymorphone, the metabolite of Oxycodone, can also be found in urine.
OxyContin can be detected in urine for up to 4 days.
If you have been taking OxyContin for a long time and in high doses, its metabolites are traceable in the urine for up to 10 days.
Blood Test
Oxycodone in OxyContin is detectable in the blood within 20 minutes after taking this drug. The plasma concentration of OxyContin reaches its peak level 2 to 3 hours after ingesting it. For 24 hours, OxyContin is detectable in the blood. The duration may vary according to the dose and extended-release nature of the drug.
Hair Test
Oxycodone is traceable in hair follicles between 1 and 3 months. However, a hair drug test is a complicated and expensive procedure. The hair test for an opioid is reliable for routine testing.
Saliva Test
A salivary drug test can detect Oxycodone and its metabolites for up to 3 days. The extended-release nature of OxyContin makes it traceable in the saliva for a longer period.
OxyContin Overdose
Can You Overdose on OxyContin?
It would help if you never took more OxyContin than the dose recommended by your doctor. It is better to reduce the drug dose as the pain subsides.
Patients regularly taking this opioid drug are vulnerable to overdosing on the drug. The drug’s euphoric effect can potentially make the user OxyContin dependent.
The Diversion Control Division (DCD) data indicate that OxyContin exhibits are primarily for the 40 mg tablets, although all strengths (10 mg., 20 mg., 40 mg., 80 mg., and 160 mg.) are also available.
According to the CDC, the United States of America is on its way to an opioid overdose epidemic. Available estimates released by the CDC indicate that over 33,000 people died due to opioid overdose in the year 2015.
OxyContin works by altering the brain and nervous system. However, anyone overdosing on OxyContin may put in fatal health conditions.
The following are ways you can avoid overdosing on this opioid:
- Always swallow the whole pill; do not crush, chew, or inject the tablet.
- Do not take other opioids, alcohol, or illegal drugs when taking OxyContin.
- Strictly stick to the doses and dosing schedule prescribed by your doctor.
- Never take more than one pill in 12 hours.
- Take OxyContin only when you have severe and continuous pain; otherwise, use only a non-opioid pain reliever.
Symptoms of OxyContin Overdose
Overdosing on OxyContin may cause the following health conditions:
- Dizziness
- Fainting
- Breathing difficulty
- Drowsiness
- Weak muscles and limps
- Reduced/slow heartbeat
- Discoloration of lips, fingernails, and skin
- Loss of consciousness
- Allergic reactions like itching and red bumps on the skin
When you notice serious physical discomfort, you must stop ingesting the drug. It would help if you met the doctor soon after you experience any symptoms of OxyContin’s side effects.
The Final Thought
OxyContin overdoses can cause fatal health conditions. The euphoric effect produced by this opioid drug can make you addicted.
Thus, it is useful to know ‘how long OxyContin can remain in your system’.
OxyContin is a sustained-release formulation of Oxycodone. A single dose of this drug can produce sustained pain relief for up to 12 hours.
The metabolites of OxyContin can be detected in urine 1–4 days after you take it. Its presence can be traced in the blood for 24 hours, in saliva for 1–4 days, and in hair follicles for 1–3 months.
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