How Long Does Heroin Stay in Your System?

By Carmen Cook, LMFT | September 29th, 2025

Heroin is a powerful and highly addictive opioid that can take a serious toll on both physical and mental health. Many people who use heroin wonder how long the drug can be detected in the body — especially if they’re facing a drug test, experiencing withdrawal, or considering heroin addiction treatment.

The truth is that heroin doesn’t stay in the body for very long. But its breakdown products (metabolites) can linger and be picked up by certain types of drug tests. Understanding how long heroin stays in your system requires looking at how the body processes it, the factors that affect detection time, and the differences between short-term and long-term use.

How the Body Processes Heroin

When heroin enters the body (whether injected, smoked, or snorted) it quickly crosses the blood-brain barrier. Once inside, it converts into morphine that binds to opioid receptors in the brain and nervous system. This is what produces the intense rush of euphoria and pain relief associated with heroin use.

The body then begins to break heroin down into metabolites, such as morphine and 6-monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM). These metabolites are what drug tests typically detect. While the high itself may fade within a few hours, these substances remain in the body longer and can leave traces in blood, urine, saliva, and hair.

Heroin Half-Life: What It Means

The half-life of a drug refers to how long it takes for half of it to be broken down and eliminated from the body.

Heroin’s half-life is extremely short, only about 2 to 6 minutes. This means heroin itself disappears from the bloodstream almost immediately after use. However, its active metabolites, particularly morphine, can remain detectable for much longer.

6-MAM, a unique metabolite that only comes from heroin use, has a half-life of around 30 minutes. Morphine’s half-life ranges from 2 to 3 hours, which is why drug tests often detect morphine rather than heroin itself.

How Long Does Heroin Stay in Blood, Urine, Saliva, and Hair?

Different testing methods can pick up heroin use for varying lengths of time:

• Blood: Detectable for up to 6 hours after use.
• Urine: This is the most common test, and can detect heroin metabolites for 1–3 days (sometimes longer in heavy users).
• Saliva: Detectable for up to 24 hours.
• Hair: Can reveal heroin use for up to 90 days or longer, depending on hair length.

These detection windows highlight why heroin can be difficult to detect with certain tests, especially if there has been a delay between use and testing.

How Long Do the Effects of Heroin Last?

The euphoric effects of heroin are relatively short-lived, usually lasting 3 to 5 hours depending on the dose and method of use. Because the effects wear off quickly, people often use heroin multiple times a day to maintain the high and avoid withdrawal symptoms. But this can contribute to building a cycle of addiction.

Short-Term vs. Long-Term Detection Windows

For a single use, heroin typically leaves the system within a few days. However, with long-term use, metabolites can build up and extend detection times.

• First-time use: Likely gone from urine within 2 to 3 days.
• Chronic, heavy use: May be detectable for up to a week or longer.
• Hair testing: Reveals use even months after the last dose.

Factors That Influence How Long Heroin Stays in the Body

The exact amount of time heroin stays detectable depends on a wide range of personal and lifestyle factors. These include:

• Frequency of use: Chronic users may have longer detection times than someone who used heroin only once.
• Dosage: Higher doses of morphine take a longer amount of time for the body to eliminate.
• Method of use: Injecting heroin delivers a faster and stronger effect, but may clear out of the body differently than if it were smoked or snorted.
• Metabolism: People with faster metabolisms tend to process and eliminate drugs more quickly.
• Age, weight, and health: Liver and kidney function play a major role in how efficiently the body clears heroin.
• Hydration and diet: Staying hydrated and maintaining a healthy diet can influence how quickly metabolites leave the body.

The Dangers of Heroin Use and Overdose

Heroin is not just dangerous because of its highly addictive properties. It also carries a severe risk of accidental overdose. Overdose happens when the body becomes overwhelmed by the drug’s effects, particularly on the central nervous system.

Heroin slows critical functions, such as breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure. When taken in large amounts (or combined with substances like alcohol, benzodiazepines, or fentanyl) the body may not be able to sustain basic functions. A heroin overdose occurs when breathing becomes dangerously slow or stops altogether, leading to oxygen deprivation in the brain. Without immediate intervention, this can cause irreversible brain damage, coma, or death.

Common warning signs of heroin overdose include:

• Extremely slow, shallow, or irregular breathing
• Gurgling or choking sounds (sometimes referred to as a “death rattle”)
• Blue or gray lips and fingertips, due to lack of oxygen
• Pinpoint pupils that do not respond to light
• Loss of consciousness or inability to wake up
• Limp or unresponsive body

In many cases, overdoses happen because users underestimate the strength or purity of the heroin. They may also mix it with other depressants. With fentanyl often present in today’s illicit drug supply, even a small dose of heroin can become lethal.

Timely intervention during an opioid overdose can save lives. The medication naloxone (Narcan) can rapidly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose by binding to opioid receptors and restoring normal breathing. However, naloxone is only a temporary solution that buys time until emergency medical care is available. Anyone witnessing a suspected overdose should call 911 immediately, administer naloxone if available, and remain with the person until help arrives.

Long-Term Health Risks of Heroin Abuse

Even beyond immediate dangers, chronic heroin use can cause long-lasting harm to the body. This may include:

• Collapsed veins and infections from injection
• Heart lining and valve infections
• Liver and kidney damage
• Lung complications, such as pneumonia
• Mental health issues like depression and anxiety
• Cognitive impairments from long-term use

The longer someone uses heroin, the greater their risk of permanent health damage.

Treatment Options for Heroin Addiction

Recovering from heroin addiction is challenging, but it is entirely possible with the right support and a structured treatment plan. At Mana Recovery, we provide evidence-based programs in Maui that help individuals safely break free from heroin use while building the skills and resilience needed for lasting recovery. Our treatment options are tailored to meet each person’s unique needs, whether they are just beginning their journey or seeking long-term support.

Our comprehensive services include:

• Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP): Provides structured, intensive treatment during the day while allowing individuals to return home in the evenings. This program offers a balance of therapy, education, and medical support for those needing more comprehensive care without full hospitalization.
• Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP): Offers flexible treatment schedules that allow clients to maintain daily responsibilities (such as work or family obligations) while participating in therapy, group sessions, and recovery activities.
• Outpatient Program (OP): Designed for individuals who require ongoing support after completing higher levels of care. An OP can help clients maintain sobriety, build coping skills, and reinforce the strategies learned during intensive treatment.
• Recover Strong: A structured group training program that integrates physical exercise, neuroscience-based techniques, and community support to rebuild the body, settle the mind, and enhance recovery outcomes. Recover Strong helps participants improve stress tolerance, mood, cognitive clarity, social connection, and confidence, while also supporting healthy brain chemistry and reducing cravings. Small group sessions, scalable movements, and individualized adaptations ensure everyone can participate safely.

In addition to these programs, Mana Recovery provides a variety of therapeutic approaches to address both the physical and psychological aspects of addiction. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps individuals identify and change patterns of thought and behavior that contribute to substance use. Motivational Interviewing (MI) encourages clients to explore their personal reasons for recovery and strengthen their commitment to change. Family therapy rebuilds trust and communication with loved ones, while group therapy fosters peer support, accountability, and connection within a recovery community.

By combining structured programs with individualized therapy and community support, Mana Recovery ensures that each person has the tools, knowledge, and encouragement needed to achieve and sustain long-term sobriety.

Receive Help for Heroin Addiction at Mana Recovery

If you or someone you love is struggling with heroin use, know that you don’t have to go through the healing process alone. While heroin may only stay in the system for a short period, its effects on health, relationships, and well-being can last a lifetime without treatment.

At Mana Recovery in Maui, we specialize in helping individuals take back control of their lives through personalized treatment plans, compassionate care, and a supportive recovery community.

Reach out today to learn how we can help you start your recovery journey.