Can I clean my system of meth and fentanyl before a drug test?

Dear Reader, 

Unfortunately, there’s no evidence that lime juice can detox meth or fentanyl from your body. In fact, there’s no evidence that any detox method can quickly remove meth or fentanyl from the body. If you have an upcoming drug test, getting clarification about the drug testing process and what you’ll be tested for might help ease your concerns. Overall, you can’t do much to speed up the detox process; it’ll just take some time to let your body naturally detox.  

What’s lime water and why might you want to use it for a drug detox?  

Lime water is a mixture of lime juice and water. Lime juice can come directly from the lime itself, but it can also be bought as a juice or powder. Some people think that drinking lime water or ingesting baking soda can help you detox your body of substances.  

Methamphetamine, or meth, is an addictive drug that speeds the body’s central nervous system. Fentanyl is an addictive drug that is a strong pain reliever. They’re often mixed together when used recreationally. Meth and fentanyl, after entering the bloodstream, are naturally detoxed by your kidneys. Your kidneys remove excess or toxic substances from your blood and turn them into urine. Detoxes like drinking lime water don’t have any significant effect on this process. As a result, drinking lime water likely won’t change the outcome of a urine drug test.    

There could be many reasons you might want to detox your body from substances, including wanting to pass a drug test for a job or a sports team, for prescription medication monitoring, or substance use treatment.  

Some anecdotal reports show that people may believe that lime water makes urine more acidic, which helps you flush out more waste each time you pee. It’s true that when urine is more acidic, drugs like meth are excreted at a higher rate. There are also medical grade substances that can make urine more acidic. However, these are only accessible when receiving treatment for medical conditions to the urinary tract or kidneys. Therefore, it isn’t a viable or recommended option to influence a drug test for meth or fentanyl because the drug test might pick up on these substances. 

How long are meth and fentanyl detectable by a urine test?  

In general, meth stays detectable for up to seven days. However, this depends on how often you use meth and your personal medical history.  

On the other hand, fentanyl is less clear. This is because there are significant differences between medical-grade fentanyl and illicitly-manufactured fentanyl (IMF). On average, fentanyl is found to be detectable for up to seven days with a urine sample. But for some people, it can be detected as late as 26 days. Fentanyl also has different effects on the body compared to meth. So, if you take both substances, it may be worth considering that one substance may clear out before the other.  

What are the next available options?  

While meth and fentanyl take time to exit your system, there are some other options you can consider if you have an upcoming drug test. Stopping use of these substances can be difficult, so seeking support can be helpful:  

• Individual support. If you need more individualized support, such as managing withdrawal effects, you can consult with a health care professional.  
• Community support: Your college campus health center or local health clinic may have resources dedicated to substance use support. In New York City and cities across the country, there are substance use and recovery centers. They serve as overdose prevention centers or supervised injection sites and can connect you to health care professionals and resources on safer substance use.  

If you do have a drug test coming up, remember to be honest. Tampering with samples in any way can lead to consequences and potential legal liability. 

There’s a lot of support out there that can help clarify the drug testing process and future substance use. Hopefully this information is informative and helps you determine how to detox.  

Take care,