Expert: Charles I. - 9/20/2009

Question
a person over the last 5 years has buit up to roxicodone .
starting with loretabs then now up to 5 a day of the #15s......
? how long does it take for the stuff to actully get out of a persons system? ...physically  i dont mean mentally.
thankyou

Answer
Hi Vickie,

When you ask about getting out of your system...I'm not sure if you are asking about how long it takes for it not to be detectable in an urinalysis or how long it takes to get over the dope sickness. As far as urinalysis is concerned, your system should be clean in 4 to 5 days. Opiates are water-soluble and are removed from the system quickly unlike THC which is oil-based and remain in the system longer. As far as being dope-sick, that could be from a few days to a week or so. Considering the longevity of use (5 yrs) it may take a week or so before the sickness passes...after that the physical aspect of the addiction isn't much of a factor.
It is extremely important to always consider the psychological factor of the addiction if a person is trying to successfully recover from drug use. With opiates, the psychological addiction is the biggest factor! If the individual doesn't get counseling to help change behavioral and cognitive aspects of the disease, then the likelihood of long-term successful recovery becomes slim. I hope this helps to answer your question...good luck to you.

Charles