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What Is The Half Life Of Oxycontin?

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Posted on Thu, 27 Aug 2015
Question: Last week I took a total of 160mg of oxycontin. My last use was Friday. I'm a make 148 pounds 6'0. I took a urine sample today (Monday) will I pass?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (21 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Not entirely sure of dates...

Detailed Answer:
Ok.... first, there is some variability due to liver function variation that you just cannot predict. Furthermore, your data presentation is not great. However, it seems really unlikely you will pass unless (and this is entirely possible) they used the wrong test.
Several points:
First, the most commonly used drug test for opiates (dipstick) cannot possibly look for everything. It is geared to heroin. Heroin doesn't look all that much like oxycodone; so, typically, oxycodone doesn't show up. If you are very lucky. The better test (which, of course, costs 10 times more) is GC Mass Spec which can be set up to test literally anything but almost always is set up to test for oxycodone. Specifically. Accurately. With high sensitivity.
second, you didn't say the most important thing which is how much and when the most recent dose was. Oxycontin does not come in lower than 10 mg. It is timed release. It doesn't even fully dissolve for 12 hrs. so 72 hrs between taking 10 mg and getting tested is a very short time. Not only will it be in the urine, if the dose was large there could still be enough at 72 hrs to have noticeable effects (like forestalling withdrawal).
third, there is some variability of liver function that cannot be accounted for and the tests vary somewhat. Typically for short acting oxycodone at doses about 10 mg the urine test is positive for 3 to 5 days (note variation). For long acting oxycodone you would add another 24 hrs onto that (with further variability) so we typically say 5 to 7 days but some people it is negative at 5 and some it might show up at 8.

Three days..... oxycontin.... if they did a test that can show it, it will be there.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (8 minutes later)
I took 15 mg a day last week. and on Friday I took a full pill (30 mg). that was the last time. I have drank more water since Friday. on sat and Sunday. I took the test today. (Monday)
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (15 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Very unlikely to be negative if looked at

Detailed Answer:
Moderate dose 72 hrs prior of a long acting form of oxycodone will show on the appropriate test.

Water intake does not change liver metabolism rate. It does dilute the urine. This will not be helpful. On the one hand there is a minimum cut off and it should not even be close for 72 hrs prior to taking 30 mg of a long acting narcotic. It should be well over 10 times above the limit of detection. If you could dilute the urine 10 fold....it would still likely be positive in the right test... but the dilution rate itself would be a marker of guilt and would flag the urine. Yes, if you work at it enough or throw something into the urine after giving the sample but before it is tested, you can make the test unable to be run. But it will be able to be found, often very very easily, that the specimen was altered. This is considered to be even worse than a positive sample. While personally in my addiction groups, people can walk back from a positive sample, I do not give them the benefit of the doubt, or work on mistakes, or do anything other than throw them out if I find they are intentionally deceiving me.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (2 hours later)
please review the following. then respond with your educated response to the likely hood of me resulting to a positive test for oxycontin
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (2 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Remember when I said dipstick....

Detailed Answer:
and that it didn't necessarily test for oxycodone?
Immunoassay = dipstick
It's limit that it is set to detect is a LOT of drug, not a little bit. That makes it LESS likely to detect anything, heroin, oxycodone, etc. Given that the poppyseeds I had Friday are likely to show up if the limit of detection is the more usual 200 rather than 1000, I have to say I see why they set a high limit.

https://www.medialabinc.net/spg696455/the_problem_with_oxycodone_and_oxymorphone_oxys_in.aspx
this says it better than I do.

And this says it much, much worse.....
http://jat.oxfordjournals.org/content/34/2/78.full.pdf
When it says it's 98% sensitive that is for levels of the drug at 100. Your test is at 2000. At 2000, about nothing showed up. That's the latest greatest one of the dipstick ones compared to a real test. About Nothing Showed Up. Oh....there was a false alarm that showed up as positive, when the better test didn't show anything. Uhoh.
Another one
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/0000
these people used oxycodone less than 24 hrs prior. Check the cut-off sensitivity... 100, not 1000.
another one
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/0000
(it's well known that immunoassay generally does NOT show up oxycodone unless it is specifically and separately tested for).

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/0000
6% of 19% (assuming the 19% was everyone...this is overly optimistic). So... maybe 33% chance if we are being wildly optimistic about a test. Frankly, the limits for calling something positive here are likely 10 fold LOWER than the numbers you are giving so the chances of a positive are lower than 33% and likely MUCH lower than 33%.


You're about as likely to have the test be positive from mis-firing as it is from a real positive. Seems much less than 50/50. A little urine dilution will push the urine away from the very high limit of detection but too much urine dilution will be a red flag warning.

I should mention that use of narcotics outside of physician monitoring is not a good idea. It leads to progressive use of them. It leads to drug dependence where if not used, the person has severe nausea/vomiting/pain/sweats/diarrhea (withdrawal). And, to progressive problems in health, relationships, and legal issues.


Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (2 hours later)
No one made me use these drugs, after 7 years of service i have seen 6 countries and fought in two wars. After a while for some, the walls began to cave in. I feel my past has caught up with me. My father was a drug abuser, and would beat me bloody ( even after being sober for many years). I my uncle died from using crack. My other uncle died from cancer ( lung). Through it all i remained so strong! I overcame being homeless, established myself in the world and became a free and accepted XXXXXXX I have given so much to my commuinity, but until a few months ago i have let go of all the things i loved to do, trading it all with popping a pill. Up intil two months ago, my mother contacted me, and my sister, i havent seen them since i was three. I didnt know i had a mother. My mother told me my sister has hiv. my sister told me my mother is bipolar skitso. so between her mood swings, and my household falling apart, i pop a pill to make it to the next day, just to wake up, be a leader smile when im hurting, helping others when i need help and giving when i need given too. its hard being a leader. I am ashamed of myself, putting my family at risk just because im at times weak, more so ashamed to show im weak. My shrink gives me pills that make me so drowsy, i fall asleep during the work day, my mood swings every way possible. i just have a lot on my plate right now. But i most certainly will not pop a pill again. I pray my test comes back negative, so i can never relive this day again. i learned my lesson. going on day 3 and i havent used a pill. im not addicted or dependant on them, my will power is much too strong, its my poor choice to use period that lead me to this point
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (34 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
ok... several points.

Detailed Answer:
well... genetic predisposition, you know better than me.

One pill a day... unlikely to be withdrawal but with long acting, cannot say for sure. AND, while 10-30 mg a day is a low dose, wow:
1) mainly, " i just have a lot on my plate" does not even begin to cover it.
2) a leader smile when im hurting,
3)my household falling apart
4). I am ashamed of myself, putting my family at risk just because im at times weak, more so ashamed to show im weak.
ok.... it's a bit of an interconnected situation as you've mentioned. One in which a safe context in which to talk would seem to be real helpful point.
ok, so, talking to family and friends about this is probably not something you feel inclined to do at this moment. Individual or group interaction to discuss things would be a usual course of action.
Otherwise there is a very decent likelihood of things escalating out of control:
increased use in frequency and probably dose
secondary effects like dependence, tolerance, wtihdrawal, etc.
further increases in mood swings
possibly legal and job issues (there is certainly a risk).
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman

Addiction Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :1985

Answered : 4214 Questions

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What Is The Half Life Of Oxycontin?

Brief Answer: Not entirely sure of dates... Detailed Answer: Ok.... first, there is some variability due to liver function variation that you just cannot predict. Furthermore, your data presentation is not great. However, it seems really unlikely you will pass unless (and this is entirely possible) they used the wrong test. Several points: First, the most commonly used drug test for opiates (dipstick) cannot possibly look for everything. It is geared to heroin. Heroin doesn't look all that much like oxycodone; so, typically, oxycodone doesn't show up. If you are very lucky. The better test (which, of course, costs 10 times more) is GC Mass Spec which can be set up to test literally anything but almost always is set up to test for oxycodone. Specifically. Accurately. With high sensitivity. second, you didn't say the most important thing which is how much and when the most recent dose was. Oxycontin does not come in lower than 10 mg. It is timed release. It doesn't even fully dissolve for 12 hrs. so 72 hrs between taking 10 mg and getting tested is a very short time. Not only will it be in the urine, if the dose was large there could still be enough at 72 hrs to have noticeable effects (like forestalling withdrawal). third, there is some variability of liver function that cannot be accounted for and the tests vary somewhat. Typically for short acting oxycodone at doses about 10 mg the urine test is positive for 3 to 5 days (note variation). For long acting oxycodone you would add another 24 hrs onto that (with further variability) so we typically say 5 to 7 days but some people it is negative at 5 and some it might show up at 8. Three days..... oxycontin.... if they did a test that can show it, it will be there.