How long does ethylphenidate stay in system

Based on the findings, a doctor can decide if the dosage needs adjusting to achieve the desired therapeutic effect. Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life. National Library of Medicine. Revised July 15, Huang Y, Tsai M. CNS Drugs.

J Clin Psychiatry. Breindahl T, Hindersson P. J Anal Toxicol. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellMind. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. Apply market research to generate audience insights.

Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. It works by stimulating your central nervous system, keeping the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine in your brain longer.

If you take Ritalin for any reason, knowing how long the medication can stay active in your body may be helpful in preventing an accidental overdose of the stimulant, which can have serious consequences. Any of these symptoms are a sign to get medical help by calling or heading to the nearest hospital emergency room.

Ritalin is a medication that teenagers and young adults sometimes use in order to get high. If they don't have a prescription, they may ask other people for Ritalin pills, crush or snort it, or even steal or lie in order to get the drug.

What's more, Ritalin can be habit-forming. As a result, you may be tempted to take larger dosages to achieve the same effect that you once got, but doing that can increase the risk of becoming addicted. There are many variables that can play a role in how long Ritalin, or any drug, for that matter, continue to be active in the body after it's taken. The instant-release ones will leave the body faster, while extended-release Ritalin will stay in the system longer.

Overall, methylphenidate has a fairly short half-life of between hours. It takes half-lives for a drug to be eliminated from the body. As a result, it can be said that methylphenidate only stays in your system for less than 24 hours. There are many different factors that dictate how long Ritalin stays in your system. And, they are all unique from one person to the next.

Some of the primary factors include:. Due to all of these unique circumstances, it can be impossible to predict exactly how long it takes to eliminate methylphenidate from the body. If you are an illicit drug user, a drug test may be one of your worst enemies. Even though Ritalin has a short half-life and leaves the system fairly quickly, the metabolites of methylphenidate may linger in your system for longer. And, even though Ritalin may not show up on your standard 5-panel drug screen, methylphenidate metabolites will — especially if you get tested within the given detection window.

Different types of drug tests have different detection windows. For example, substances tend to stay in the hair and urine for far longer than they do in blood and saliva.

Those patients who still require treatment for ADHD or narcolepsy can switch to the alternative medication. Note that only a doctor can make such a decision.

One alternative medication is Adderall, which contains amphetamines. In Adderall vs. Ritalin comparison it was found that they have similar results in treating ADHD.

From the above, Ritalin can remain within the body for several days. These values may be even higher in chronic abusers of the stimulant. Therefore a Ritalin detox may take several days in chronic abusers of the drug.

They also provide you with treatment options to help you deal with methylphenidate addiction and withdrawal symptoms and finally overcome your addiction.

Isaak Stotts is an in-house medical writer in AddictionResource. After graduation, he became a substance abuse counselor, providing individual, group, and family counseling for those who strive to achieve and maintain sobriety and recovery goals. He has a particular interest in psychopharmacology, nutritional psychiatry, and alternative treatment options involving particular vitamins, dietary supplements, and administering auricular acupuncture.

AddictionResource aims to present the most accurate, trustworthy, and up-to-date medical content to our readers. Our team does their best for our readers to help them stay informed about vital healthcare decisions. Our writers and reviewers are experienced professionals in medicine, addiction treatment, and healthcare.

AddictionResource fact-checks all the information before publishing and uses only credible and trusted sources when citing any medical data. The Verified badge on our articles is a trusted sign of the most comprehensive scientifically-based medical content. If you have any concern that our content is inaccurate or it should be updated, please let our team know at [email protected]. Last Updated: July 9, How Does Ritalin Work? How Long Do the Effects Last? Ritalin Half-Life Methylphenidate has a half-life of two to three hours , which affects the length of time the drug lasts in the body and how long its effects last.

Hope Without Commitment. Find the best treatment options.