How Long Does Lyrica Stay in Your System?

Lyrica, which can be effectively used to treat seizures, nerve, and muscle pain, can also be abused. Most people do not understand that Lyrica has many characteristics that make it a candidate to be misused.

If you have been abusing Lyrica, or even if you have been taking it as prescribed by a doctor, you may be wondering how long it lasts in your body. Drug tests can check for Lyrica’s main active ingredient, pregabalin, so if you’re taking Lyrica, you should educate yourself about detection times.

How Long Does Lyrica Stay in Lab Tests?

Lyrica is detectable by lab tests. However, most forms of drug screening do not check for Lyrica unless the party giving the test has an explicit reason to believe that the drug is being abused by the person taking it.

How long Lyrica shows up on drug tests is not the same for everyone. Detection times will vary according to a number of factors, including:

• The duration of use, frequency, and dosage being taken: How you’ve taken Lyrica will impact how long it shows up on drug tests. Those who have taken Lyrica for longer, more often, and/or at higher doses will have longer detection times on drug tests. In most cases, this means that people who have been heavily abusing Lyrica will have the longest detection times.
• Metabolism: People with faster metabolisms move Lyrica through their systems at greater rates. Bodyweight may also play a role.
• Age and overall health: It is important to be very healthy if you want to detox from drugs like Lyrica efficiently. Liver and kidney health are especially important in this process. Old age tends to slow detox times down.

How Long Does Lyrica Stay in Your Urine?

Urine tests are quite common. They are accurate, inexpensive, and non-invasive. They are especially popular in workplace settings. Research shows that Lyrica can be detected by urine tests for 5-6 days after the last time taken.

Although urine tests are common, the party administering the test would probably only check for Lyrica if they had a reason to believe that you were misusing the drug.

How Long Does Lyrica Stay in Your Hair?

Hair tests commonly find past drug use for three months or longer. This is far longer than the average detection times of other common drug tests.

You may be wondering why all drug tests do not use hair sampling if the detection times are so long. There are a few reasons: 

First, hair testing is not as accurate as some other types of drug tests. Secondly, hair tests are invasive, as they require the plucking or cutting of one or more hairs.

Usually, hair tests are used in conjunction with another, more accurate type of test to confirm a result.

How Long Does Lyrica Stay in Your Blood?

Lyrica has a half-life of about 6.3 hours. Drugs commonly stay in the blood for 4-5 half-lives. This means that Lyrica may be found by a blood test for 30 hours or more. Based on this information, it is safe to assume that blood tests can detect Lyrica for 2 days after the last use.

Of course, this timeframe will be affected by the factors discussed above.

How Long Does Lyrica Stay in Your Saliva?

It is common for drugs to stay in the saliva for about the same amount of time as the blood. This means that 2 days should be enough time to allow all the Lyrica to leave your saliva.

It is not likely that you would be given a saliva test to check for Lyrica. These tests are only common in law enforcement settings.

How Long Do Lyrica’s Effects Last?

Lyrica is most commonly taken orally. Once ingested, its brain effects may begin to be felt within 30 minutes. Lyrica usually needs to build up in your system over the course of a week or so for it to be effective in treating nerve pain or seizures.

Lyrica use can have many side effects. Most notably, Lyrica might make users sleepy and/or dizzy.  In addition to its side effects, Lyrica may cause withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms tend to be worse for people who have been abusing or misusing Lyrica.

They may include:

• Confusion
• Anxiety
• Restlessness
• Mood changes
• Tremors
• Chest pain

Withdrawal symptoms may continue for a week or longer after you stop taking Lyrica. These effects can make it even more difficult for people who are abusing Lyrica to stop taking it.

Can You Get Lyrica Out of Your System Faster?

It is not possible to detox faster from Lyrica. You might encounter kits or methods that advertise themselves as ‘quick detox’ solutions. Some of these may be dangerous, and none of them will be effective.

If you are planning on stopping your Lyrica use, consult with a doctor. They may advise that you taper your dose to lessen withdrawal symptoms. The only way to detox from Lyrica is to allow your body to go through its natural process.

Get Treatment for Lyrica Abuse

If you are concerned about failing a drug test due to Lyrica, it’s probably time to seek help. Fortunately, substance abuse treatment can help you get your life back on the right track.

Call Bedrock Recovery Center today to discuss your options for Lyrica addiction treatment. Our specialists can answer all your questions and help you design a personal treatment plan that fits your unique needs. This call could save your life!