How Long Do Benzodiazepines Stay in Your System?
The Body’s Response to Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines are anti-anxiety prescription medications that affect the central nervous system, and they work to calm the central nervous system and relieve symptoms of anxiety and stress. Benzos are also used to treat insomnia and seizure disorders. However, they are intended for short-term use because of their high risk for dependence. Benzo addiction can easily make anyone happy and requires professional rehab to overcome.’
Benzo use is intended for short-term relief of stress and anxiety symptoms but often requires further psychological or medical intervention to be successfully managed. Benzodiazepines work by enhancing the effects of the neurotransmitter GABA which calms the nervous system and the body’s flight or fight response. Some of the effects of benzodiazepines on the body include:
- Mental confusion
- Drowsiness
- Lack of motor control
- Slurred speech
- Muscle weakness
- Slow breathing
- Short-term memory loss
- Blurred vision
- Muscle weakness
- Increased anxiety or depression
How Long Do Benzodiazepines Remain in the Body?
Several types of benzodiazepines work differently in terms of how fast they take effect, how long their products last, and their tendency to remain in the body. Benzodiazepines may be detectable for days or months, depending on their dosage and intake. Urine testing can detect short-acting benzos (i.e., Halcion) for up to 24 hours, intermediate-acting benzos (i.e., Xanax, Klonopin, Ativan) can be detected for 1 to 3 days after use, and longer-acting benzos (i.e., Valium) can show up on urine testing 5 to 8 days after use. Chronic benzo misuse may be detectable in urine testing for up to 30 days. Blood tests can only detect benzos for 12 to 24 hours and hair follicle tests for 4 to 6 months.
Benzo Detox and Withdrawal
Benzodiazepine withdrawals can be intense and even dangerous. When attempting to stop taking benzos, you should never try to go cold turkey without talking to your doctor or a treatment center. Withdrawal symptoms can include:
- Nausea
- Sweating
- Anxiety
- Panic attacks
- Tremors
- Headaches
- Heart palpitations
- Muscle pain
- Seizures
Withdrawal symptoms start within 24 hours and can last a few days to several months, depending on how long and severe the benzo abuse was.
Learn more about prescription drug detox here:
Benzo Addiction Treatment at Novo Detox
Benzo addiction can happen to anyone, even when they’re taken as prescribed. However, there are addiction treatment centers that can help anyone, no matter how long or severe their prescription drug addiction is. Novo Detox offers inpatient treatment for all drug and alcohol addiction types. We recommend that anyone with benzo addiction start with our drug and alcohol detox program to withdraw from the effects of benzo abuse safely. Once drug and alcohol detox is complete, you can choose from several rehab programs that may be offered either at our treatment center or one of our other network addiction treatment centers. Levels of care include inpatient treatment, partial hospitalization program (PHP), intensive outpatient program (IOP), outpatient treatment, or virtual IOP.
All our prescription addiction treatment programs include similar addiction therapies such as motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, family therapy, medication-assisted treatment, dialectical behavior therapy, and 12-step programs like Alcoholic Anonymous. When treating prescription medication addiction, we also like to emphasize the need for dual diagnosis treatment to address co-occurring disorders that may still present, such as anxiety and insomnia, so that we can get to the root of substance abuse and addiction.
Please call us at (844) 834-1777 anytime if you or your loved ones want more information about our addiction treatment program. Our addiction specialist is ready to take your call.
