Get Info on Ketamine Drug Testing and Treatment Options Too
Whether you’re subject to drug testing as part of your job or as part of a probation program, you need to know if your ketamine use is likely to surface at an inopportune moment. One of the most common screenings is a 12-panel drug test, but it doesn’t test for everything.
Does ketamine show up on a 12-panel drug test?
Ordinarily, ketamine doesn’t surface on a 12-panel drug test unless a GC-MS or LC-MS panel is added to the screening. You can expect urine tests to show ketamine use for up to a month, blood tests for just a few hours, hair tests for up to 90 days, and saliva tests for 48 hours.
South Shores Detox is here for you when you decide that you want to get sober so you never have to worry about failing a drug test again. We offer a safe, comfortable place for you to detox and move on to long-term treatment programs.
Keep reading to learn more about how ketamine shows up on your drug tests and how treatment can help.
Can You Detect Ketamine Usage on a 12-Panel Drug Test?
One of the most common routine drug tests is the 12-panel option, but it won’t test for absolutely all drugs that you could take. If you know that one of these tests looms in your future, you might wonder how your ketamine treatment will present itself. Does ketamine show up on 12-panel drug tests?
The good news is that these common drug tests don’t usually detect ketamine unless the person who administers the test is specifically looking for the presence of the drug.
To get a clearer picture of illegal drug usage, your employer or probation officer could order additional panels alongside your 12-panel screening. These additional modules can include ketamine screening. If you think that you’ll be tested for the drug, look for orders for a GC-MS panel or an LC-MS panel.
How Long Does Ketamine Stay in Your System?
When you know that you’re going to be tested specifically using specialized tests that detect ketamine, you might worry about your last dose. When will traces be out of your system altogether?
For the most part, ketamine therapy leaves your system within about twelve hours. This is good news for some types of tests that won’t have ketamine detection once you clear this window.
But what can you specifically expect from standard drug testing methods?
Urine Tests: 14 Days After Last Dose
Urine screenings are one of the most popular types of drug tests out there because they are quick and easy to administer. However, unlike other drugs that clear your urine quickly, ketamine shows up on the screening for a long time. Even though the drug clears your system in just 12 hours, it can be present in a urine sample for several weeks, up to thirty days.
The amount of time that it takes for a ketamine drug test to come back clean depends on your dose and frequency of use. The more ketamine you take, the longer it will show up on a urine test.
Blood Tests: Less than 24 Hours After Last Dose
Blood tests are a less common option, but they have a huge benefit for someone who is worried about how their ketamine use will impact their job, probation, or other reasons for screening. It usually only takes a few hours for your drug use to move from your bloodstream into other parts of the body.
Some research shows that it takes less than three hours for this to occur. Once this happens, ketamine is likely no longer in your bloodstream and won’t surface in this testing method.
Hair Tests: Detecting Ketamine Use for 90 Days
Hair tests are a good option for ketamine and drug testing because they give a fuller picture of your drug use. Ketamine testing hair is a bit more complex than urine and blood tests because it doesn’t accurately show recent ketamine therapy or prescription drug usage. Instead, it takes about seven to ten days to show your last dose.
That being said, it also takes much longer for ketamine to leave the hair follicle tests.
Ketamine detection is possible on a strand of hair for about 90 days, depending on the length of the hair and the frequency of your ketamine use.
Saliva Ketamine Testing: Up to 48 Hours
The last type of ketamine drug test that you might encounter is a saliva test. These tests will show your most recent use of ketamine for up to 48 hours. If your employer is running a separate test specifically for recent ketamine usage, then this might be a reasonable option.
You’ll have to wait a couple of days for it to clear, but it requires less time than a urine drug test.
What Factors Let the Drug Disappear Faster?
Whether you’re undergoing ketamine treatment for treatment-resistant depression or struggling with ketamine misuse, you might wonder what you can do to get it out of your system faster. If an employer requires routine drug tests, you don’t want your ketamine abuse to surface.
The truth is that the drug metabolizes differently for people depending on how much they use and how frequently they use it.
The most common drug tests also rely on your body chemistry to rid your system of ketamine. A faster metabolism, lower body mass, and improved liver function can all contribute to the drug leaving the body faster. You may even be able to drink more water to flush it out of your system ahead of a urine test.
In other words, there are no hard and fast rules about how ketamine stays in your body. These are just rules of thumb, but your actual experience may be different.
Can Ketamine Usage Get Out of Hand?
If you know that you’ll be subject to a 12-panel drug test and you’re pretty sure it will detect ketamine, it may be time to consider whether your drug use has gotten out of hand. Chronic Ketamine use is a serious issue that requires treatment and professional help.
Some of the signs that you might be struggling with ketamine misuse include:
- Changes in behavior such as irresponsibility, lack of communication skills, and erratic choices
- Extreme mood swings
- Dilated pupils, slurred speech, and the appearance of being drunk
- Loss of sensation in the extremities
- Fatigue and weakness
- Short-term memory loss
- Financial issues
If you experience all of these symptoms on a regular basis, it may be time to evaluate your ketamine abuse. These symptoms can be extremely dangerous and can disrupt your life significantly. When it’s frequently abused, it may not have the positive benefits it can have when you enroll in treatment for ketamine therapy.
How to Get Ketamine Treatment at South Shores Detox
When you require ketamine testing and you know you can’t pass, it may be time to consider entering into treatment. Strict drug policies may make an exception if they test for ketamine and you’re more than willing to get help for a substance use issue. But what does help look like?
The first step to getting sober from ketamine and other substances is to enter a detox program. This gives you a safe, comfortable space where you can let your body adjust to life without drugs. You’ll be monitored 24/7 by a team of medical professionals who cater to your needs.
Instead of going cold turkey on your ketamine use, we may be able to taper you down on the same substances you’re currently taking. This can make a gentler transition for patients suffering from the effects of extreme withdrawal.
From here, you can enter long-term residential care where you will continue to receive intensive treatment, therapeutic interventions, and more.
Get Help from South Shores Detox for Ketamine Abuse Today
If you know that you’ll test positive for ketamine metabolites on your next panel drug tests, it may be time to consider enrolling in treatment. South Shores Detox allows you to rest easy, knowing that all of your needs are going to be taken care of while you’re with us. You might even stay until your drug use is completely undetectable on urine, blood, or saliva tests.
Our enrollment team is here to answer your questions about what treatment will look like and what it will cost. We can verify your insurance benefits in a quick phone call so that you can get the ball rolling.
Reach out to us today to learn more about how we can help you with ketamine use, mental health, and more!
References
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- Chen, C. Y., Lee, M. R., Cheng, F. C., & Wu, G. J. (2007). Determination of ketamine and metabolites in urine by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Talanta, 72(3), 1217–1222.
- de Jong, L. A. A., Qurishi, R., Stams, M. P. J., Böttcher, M., & de Jong, C. A. J. (2020). Prolonged Ketamine and Norketamine Excretion Profiles in Urine After Chronic Use: A Case Series. Journal of clinical psychopharmacology, 40(3), 300–304.
- Larabi, I. A., Etting, I., & Alvarez, J. C. (2023). The duration of ketamine detection in hair after treatment cessation: Case study and review of the literature in forensic and clinical casework. Drug testing and analysis, 15(9), 971–979.
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