How Long Do Hallucinogens Stay in Your System?

Any drug that alters your perception can be considered to have hallucinogenic properties. Thus, hallucinogens are the class of drugs that can affect your senses, mood, and way of thinking. Common hallucinogens include LSDs, magic mushrooms, peyote, DMTs, PCP, ketamine, among others. People often take them to enhance a particular experience, such as social gatherings or for spiritual purposes.

Like any other substance, hallucinogens stay in the body long after their effects have worn down. Thus, if you are taking hallucinogens drug tests as a user, you may want to know how long do hallucinogens stay in your system.

Do Hallucinogens Show Up In A Drug Test?

Common 10-Panel Drug tests do not usually detect most hallucinogen variants, except for the PCP. However, there are more varieties of drug tests that healthcare professionals use that have more sophisticated detection capabilities, and are able to test more than the usual kinds of drugs such as THC, opioids, or benzodiazepines.

If you are taking a drug test for formal purposes such as employment or legal purposes, it is best to assume that testing will most likely detect a hallucinogen in your system if you have recently taken it.

The most common drug tests include:

• Urine test
• Saliva test
• Hair follicle test
• Perspiration drug test
• Blood test

90% of drug tests will call for a urine sample. Thus, you want to take extra note of the drug detection timelines during urinalysis.

How Long Do Hallucinogens Stay In Your Urine?

Different hallucinogens will stay in your urine for different lengths of time. Aside from that, there are other factors that can influence how long are hallucinogens detectable in urine, such as:

• Weight and height: Your weight and height are directly linked to how your body processes the drug. Larger people tend to take higher doses, which means that the drug may stay longer in the body.
• Frequency and amount of intake: If you are taking the drug frequently and in larger doses, it is more likely that your urine sample will contain hallucinogens. This can also be the same case for those who are suffering from hallucinogen abuse.
• Metabolism: Metabolism rates differ from one person to another. This refers to how the body takes in the drug, passes it through the bloodstream, and finally brings it out as waste.
• Health conditions and other substances: Some health conditions can affect how one can process the drug. Kidney or liver problems, as well as the use of other contraindicating drugs, can affect hallucinogen half-life in the body.

When considering that all these factors are typical for an individual, there are also average timelines that we can observe in common hallucinogens.

Average hallucinogen drug detection timelines

LSDs

• Urine: 4 days
• Hair: 3 months
• Blood: 12 hours

Ketamines

• Urine: 11 days
• Hair: 3 months
• Blood: 4 day

Mescaline

• Urine: 3 days
• Saliva: 2 weeks
• Hair: 3 months
• Blood: 1 day

PCP

• Urine: 1 month
• Saliva: 2 weeks
• Hair: 3 months
• Blood: 1 day

Psilocybin / Mushrooms

• Urine: 1 day
• Hair: 3 months
• Blood: 1 day

For the least chances of the drug being detected in the body, you would want to go past these timelines if you have taken small doses of hallucinogens. However, if you have a hallucinogen dependency or are suffering from drug abuse, you may want to find a better way than abstaining for a few days.

Hallucinogen Abuse and Drug Testing

The average timelines shown above can be highly inaccurate for someone suffering from hallucinogen abuse. This is because some individuals who misuse the drug have taken them long-term, which makes their bodies are used to containing hallucinogens in the system. As a result, the drugs can stay longer than the average amount of time.

It can also be difficult to abstain from hallucinogens if you have already developed a dependency, and doing so without assistance can lead to uncomfortable or even life-threatening withdrawal symptoms.

Signs of abuse

• Intense cravings from the drug
• A high amount of preoccupation with drug use
• Increasing frequency and amount of drug dosage
• Loss of interest in other daily activities and pursuits in exchange for drug use
• Experience withdrawal symptoms when the drug is not taken
• Physical, mental, and behavioral changes due to drug use

If you or a loved one is experiencing any or all of these signs, it is likely that hallucinogen abuse is present.

How To Treat Hallucinogen Abuse

The problem of hallucinogen abuse goes beyond challenges passing a drug test–it affects the health and quality of life of individuals suffering. Here are some of the ways to treat hallucinogen abuse:

Formal rehabilitation

One of the best ways to fully recover from hallucinogen abuse is to go through formal rehabilitation in a qualified treatment center. You can undergo medical detox, an evidence-based treatment program, as well as aftercare programs to ensure a successful recovery.

A formal rehab is your best opportunity not only to pass a drug test but also to fully abstain from hallucinogens while managing withdrawal effects safely.

Gathering support

Letting trusted loved ones, as well as healthcare professionals, know that you will be undergoing addiction treatment can help you gain support in your recovery journey.

Having support also allows you to eliminate environmental factors that can lead you to a relapse. Your community will ensure accountability, continued support groups, and modifying interactions with you so that they can help you prevent addiction triggers.

A Decision to Commit

Aside from these strategies, one should also have the mindset of making a complete change. A transformation requires a decision to commit. Finding a purpose, motivating oneself through loved ones, and setting goals for yourself will allow you to gain a solid footing towards recovery.

Hallucinogen Drug Testing: Beyond the Timelines

Although timelines show an average picture to pass a hallucinogen drug test, it is essential to consider factors such as your level of use or a growing addiction. Beyond the average timelines, addressing a potential misuse problem can help one not only get through a drug test but also achieve lasting recovery.