How Long Does Naltrexone Stay In Your System?

Naltrexone is a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drug for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD). It is an opioid antagonist prescription drug and is basically meant to reduce cravings for opioids and even alcohol in some cases. Naltrexone is known by brand names like Revia (tablet), Depade (tablet), and Vivitrol (injection).

Naltrexone is majorly used in substance abuse treatment programs; it can be taken daily, weekly, or monthly. It does not have a potential for addiction or misuse. However, understanding how long it stays in your system is a handy bit of information to have to comprehend your treatment plan and how it can help you on your road to recovery.

When taken orally, Naltrexone typically stays in your system anywhere between 1 – 3 days. When taken in an injection form, it can even last in your system for up to a month.

How To Get Naltrexone Out Of Your System?

Unlike with habit-forming drugs, getting Naltrexone out of your system is not a very complicated task. In fact, when taken orally, Naltrexone gets rapidly and completely absorbed in your bloodstream. The liver plays a key role in breaking down Naltrexone for elimination.

Overall, it takes approximately 96 hours for the drug to be entirely eliminated from your body.

How Long Does Naltrexone Stay in Your Urine?

Naltrexone remains detectable in your urine for only about 4 – 6 hours after your last dose.

The urine test is the most commonly conducted test to detect Naltrexone. It is easy to conduct, cost-effective, and yields results rather quickly.

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How Long Does Naltrexone Stay in Your Hair?

Naltrexone remains detectable in your hair follicles for the longest period of time, for about 90 days, typically.

Hair tests for Naltrexone are not really common, unlike urine tests. Hair testing is a long, drawn-out process and is also quite expensive to administer. However, it can be crucial when long-term monitoring may be required or to understand the comprehensive drug history of a person.

How Long Does Naltrexone Stay in Your Saliva?

Naltrexone remains detectable in your saliva for up to 24 hours after your last dose.

Saliva tests are the least invasive tests when it comes to detecting Naltrexone, and they are also quite useful as they yield quick results.

How Long Does Naltrexone Stay in Your Blood?

Naltrexone remains detectable in your blood for up to 24 hours after your last dose.

Blood tests are slightly more invasive than saliva tests, albeit only minimally. However, blood tests are also preferred for their accuracy rates in detecting the drug.

Test Type	Detection Window
Urine	4 – 6 hours
Hair	90 days
Saliva	24 hours
Blood	24 hours

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How Long Does It Take for Naltrexone to Take Effect?

Naltrexone is a quick-absorbing and fast-acting drug. However, how long it takes before the drug takes effect depends on the method of administration. If consumed orally, Naltrexone starts to act within 1 hour of consumption. If taken in the injection form (Vivitrol), it starts to act within 2 hours of consumption.

The effects of a Naltrexone tablet can last up to 2 – 3 days. Meanwhile, Vivitrol stays in your body anywhere between 25 – 50 days, and its effects start to decline after 2 days.

Half-Life of Naltrexone

When it comes to drugs like Naltrexone, half-life is the time taken for your body to eliminate half of the Naltrexone you had originally ingested or injected. Typically, the half-life for Naltrexone is anywhere between 4 – 13 hours. For Vivitrol, this is much longer. It might even take 5 – 10 days. Moreover, it might take a considerable number of half-lives for your body to entirely eliminate Naltrexone.

Peak Levels of Naltrexone

Peak levels of Naltrexone also depend on the method of administration. Typically, when you ingest it orally, Naltrexone reaches its peak after 1 hour. With Vivitrol, it can take only slightly longer – about 2 hours. However, with Vivitrol, the interesting thing is that the drug reaches a second peak after 2 – 3 days after the initial administration as well.

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Types of Naltrexone Testing

Urine Tests

Urine tests are most commonly used to detect Naltrexone in the system. They are easy to administer, efficient, and inexpensive.

Hair Tests

Hair tests can detect Naltrexone for an extended period of time as they have the longest detection window. However, as they are time-consuming and expensive, they are not generally preferred unless absolutely necessary.

Saliva Tests

Saliva tests are the least invasive method of testing for Naltrexone. They are highly useful for immediate detection purposes.

Blood Tests

Blood tests are a slightly more invasive method of testing for Naltrexone than saliva tests. However, they are also more accurate and can be useful for immediate detection purposes, especially in medical environments.