How Long Does Methylphenidate Last in Your System?
Typically, methylphenidate is a medication with methylphenidate hydrochloride as the active ingredient. When it comes to methylphenidate uses it is primarily used in treating attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy. It is classified as a CNS Stimulant. Methylphenidate is marketed using brand names such as Ritalin, Concerta, Methylin, Quillichew ER, and Cotempla XR-ODT. At the same time, the common street names used to refer to the medication include diet coke, poor man’s cocaine, skittles, vitamin R, skippy, and pineapple.
Mode of Action: It acts as a norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI). As a result, it increases the presence of these neurotransmitters in the extraneuronal space, subsequently prolonging their action.
Looking for medicinal ADHD treatment? Click the button below to book your appointment.
Methylphenidate and Drug Testing
Reasons for Drug Testing: One of the reasons, although not common, is to determine whether the proper dosage is prescribed to the person taking the drug for medical reasons. Medics will draw the blood after the person has taken the dose to achieve medical results. The duration allows the drug concentration in the blood to reach peak levels.
The doctor uses the results to decide if the dosage needs to be adjusted to produce the desired therapeutic effects on the patient. Furthermore, the medication is often used as a recreational drug due to its cocaine-related stimulating effects. Tests using saliva, urine, and hair follicles can ascertain its use.
Factors that Influence the Period Methylphenidate Lasts in Your System
Several parameters are crucial in determining the prescription’s length stays in your body system. Such factors include:
- Drug Mode of Action: The method you use to take the medication determines the excretion rate. The intravenous method has been related to quicker excretion than the normal administrative oral method.
- Age: Younger people have been shown to excrete the medication at a faster pace in comparison to older ones.
- Health Status: If you have conditions that affect the brain, heart, kidneys, and liver, your body may take a long time to eliminate the medication from the system.
- The Rate of Your Body Metabolism: Studies have shown that if you have a fast Basal Metabolic Rate, your body is likely to excrete the medication more quickly than if your BMR is lower.
- Your Body Hydration: To help the body clear the medication more quickly, the body must be well hydrated by taking sufficient water.
- Your Physical Activity Level: Typically, the more physically active you’re, the quicker is the pace of metabolism and drug excretion.
How Long Does Methylphenidate Stay in Your Urine, Hair, and Blood?
Medical statistics have indicated that the drug does not stay for a very long time in the body since it is quickly metabolized. If performed on the blood anywhere between 12 and 24 hours, the test would turn positive. However, a test conducted on urine after one or two days may show the minute presence of methylphenidate. In the similitude with most drugs, a test conducted on the hair may show a positive use of the drug even after a long period after use. It is possible to show a positive methylphenidate test even after three months of use.
Get yourself evaluated for ADHD’s severe symptoms. Click the button below to book your appointment.
How Long Does Methylphenidate Stay in Your System for a Drug Test?
Typically, most CNS system medications have very short half-lives. They also have a quick onset of action, after which they dissipate quickly from the body. Usually, the drug may last about in some form for four to six hours in the body. Some other releases of the medication may last for a period extending to 10–14 hours. Positive methylphenidate tests may be realized in:
- Urine: One to three days
- Saliva: One to three days
- Blood: 12 hours
- Hair Follicles: One to three months
How Long Does 5mg Methylphenidate Stay in Your System?
Methylphenidate is taken orally and is available in 5 milligrams, 10 milligrams, and 20 milligrams. The strength of 5mg may stay in the body for about 6 hours, after which a subsequent dose may be taken. However, this depends on the severity of the condition, particularly on the doctor’s prescription. A typical prescription indicates that the medication should be taken twice a day. A total of 10mg should be taken each day, with the first dosage being taken in the morning and the other in the afternoon.
How Many Hours Does Methylphenidate Stay in Your System?
One factor determining the length of time the medication remains in your system is the type of methylphenidate you take. It is noted that the drug’s extended-release forms tend to be absorbed in a slower rate than others. This will make the drug detected in the body for longer durations than if you had taken the medication’s immediate–release forms.
Medical Guideline
In addition to knowing the length of time methylphenidate will take in the body, it is important to know all other parameters from a medical professional. At Mango Clinic, you will find mental health professionals with expertise in drugs used in treating ADHD, such as methylphenidate, among others. Contact us now for ADHD and other mental disorders treatment or click the banner below to book your appointment.
