How long does hydrocodone stay in your system?

Answer 1

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The half life of hydrocodone is 3.8 hours. So after about 4 hrs 1/2 of the dose is still in your system. How long does it stay in your system, essentially indefinately, but detectable amounts after 16 hours would be 1/16th of the dose. Chronic use changes this and is unpredictable as to when it is out of your system.

If your trying to beat a drug test it really all depends on how sensitive the test is - most of them can detect drug levels with short a short half life (4 hrs is a very short half life) as far as a pill taken 3 days before. Some are even more sensitive. So if you are trying to beat a drug screening, don't. Either get a legal prescription for the stuff if you need it (that's the only way to beat a drug test 100%) or stop using it for fun. Long term effects are not pretty.

Source(s):

I'm a pharmacist and I get this question probably three times a week.