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What does a Drug's Half-Life Mean?

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

A drug’s half-life is the time it takes for half of a given dose to be eliminated from the body or bloodstream. This value varies considerably between different types of medications, and even different preparations of the same one. The most influential factor is the way the drug has been chemically prepared, but variables such as a person’s health and metabolism can also effect how long it takes to pass from the body. Medical professionals who prescribe and dispense drugs use all of this information when deciding on the best drug for a patient.

Biological and Plasma Half-Life

A drug's half-life is the amount of time it takes for a drug to lose half of its strength in blood plasma. This is most easily measured in medications administered through an injection or IV drip.
A drug's half-life is the amount of time it takes for a drug to lose half of its strength in blood plasma. This is most easily measured in medications administered through an injection or IV drip.

There are two ways to quantify the half-life of a medication. The biological or elimination half-life is the time it takes for the bioactivity of the drug to reduce by 50% of its initial value. In contrast, the plasma half-life is the time it takes for the concentration of the drug in the bloodstream to reduce by 50%.

Two related terms are clearance and volume of distribution. Clearance refers to the speed at which the drug is eliminated from blood plasma, while volume of distribution is a measurement of the amount of drug distributed throughout the body’s tissues. Half-life, clearance, and volume of distribution are important measurements for assessing how effective a given drug regimen is, particularly when a new drug is being developed and tested.

Factors that Affect How Long a Drug Lasts

A drug's half-life is the time it takes for half of a dosage to leave the body or blood stream.
A drug's half-life is the time it takes for half of a dosage to leave the body or blood stream.

Many things can influence a drug’s clearance rate and half-life. One is a person’s metabolism, which can change the rate of clearance from the bloodstream and affect the speed at which a drug is processed. Liver and kidney health are also important, as the liver is a site of drug metabolism, and the kidneys are crucial in blood filtration. The medications a person is taking can interact with one another to modify the half-life of any of them as well. Many medications for the treatment of thyroid disorders and some antipsychotics, for example, can have this effect. Even basic factors such as age and sex can play a role, as they affect metabolic rate.

The half-life refers to the time it takes for half of a given dose to be eliminated from the body or bloodstream.
The half-life refers to the time it takes for half of a given dose to be eliminated from the body or bloodstream.

The effects of a drug typically begin to taper off as the first half-life point is reached. In most cases, 90% to 95% of a drug is eliminated after four cycles. For instance, if a drug’s half-life is ten hours, it will take 40 hours for approximately 95% of the drug to be eliminated from the blood plasma. This is important information for people who are taking prescription medications that are regularly screened for in blood tests. Someone who is taking prescription steroids for conditions such as acne or asthma might test positive for steroids in an employment-related drug test, for example.

Drugs with Short Half-Lives

Many types of tranquilizers have short half-lives.
Many types of tranquilizers have short half-lives.

Medications in this category must be taken several times a day, to keep the concentration of the drug high enough for it to be effective. Many over-the-counter and prescription painkillers, as well as many types of tranquilizers, have short half-lives. Other medications that are cleared from the bloodstream quickly include antibiotics and insulin.

Drugs such as tranquilizers and pain relievers are often addictive, particularly when they have very short half-lives. This is because their effects are fast and strong, but because they wear off quickly, the patient needs to take more to continue feeling relief. When these types of medications must be taken in the long term, a medical professional will typically try to prescribe those that remain active for longer to reduce the possibility that dependency might develop.

Drugs with Long Half-Lives

Physicians who prescribe and dispense medication should note the drug's half-life when deciding on the best drug regimen for a patient.
Physicians who prescribe and dispense medication should note the drug's half-life when deciding on the best drug regimen for a patient.

Medications that are eliminated from blood plasma more slowly remain at effective doses for much longer periods of time, from days to weeks to months, and even longer. For example, biophosphonates, which are used to treat osteoporosis, are absorbed by bones and have half-lives that can extend for many years. It is much more common, however, for a drug’s half-life to be measured in terms of hours and days.

The longer a drug’s half-life is, the longer it takes for the body to eliminate a single dose. This is medically significant in many instances, because drugs can interact with one another, and because some can influence the success of a surgical operation. For example, the blood thinner warfarin is prescribed to people who are at risk of developing blood clots. A person who is preparing to undergo a surgical procedure must stop taking the drug several days in advance, to eliminate it from the body and reduce the risk of excessive bleeding during the operation.

Prescription Concerns

Base drugs can be prepared in different ways to yield products that are effective for different lengths of time. For example, morphine has a half-life of just two hours, but the derivatives codeine and tramadol last for four and six hours, respectively. Access to drug variants allows medical professionals to treat pain with a high degree of specificity.

Acute pain, such as that experienced during a gallbladder attack, is often treated with morphine. A person who is recovering from gallbladder removal surgery, on the other hand, has pain of lower intensity, but that pain might linger for several weeks. He or she is therefore more likely to be prescribed codeine or another derivative with a longer half-life and a lower risk of dependence.

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent TheHealthBoard contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently working on her first novel.

Learn more...
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent TheHealthBoard contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently working on her first novel.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

anon943104

How long before a single dose of 400mg tramadol is not detected in urine?

Isuggest

Post 24 asked about half-life. Half-life is what half the life of a pill is and depends upon the person. Here's my bad joke, "A med tablet has a half-life just like medications take from you half a life.

Isuggest

The pills I take for tension headaches and anxiety are taking half my life away. Over time I've felt more and more fatigued and now am sleeping half the night and half the day. I'm chronically depressed; I have no life. Life is pretty boring and lonely. Beginning yesterday I got a headache that was very painful and lasted until today when I was able to get my refill of generic Imitrex.

anon352516

What is the clinical significance of half life?

anon349591

From what I've heard, after 8 or so half lives, most drugs are hard to detect in a urinalysis.

anon285614

How long will it take for butalbital (Fiorinal) to not show in a urine test?

anon162607

i took half of a adipex on monday and a another half on wed. how long would it take for that to get out of my system?

anon145289

Leslie Yeransian and Siri Nilson of ABC News did a great snapshot of this entitled "What Does a Drug's Half-Life Mean"?

anon135749

What is the half life of Fosamax having been taken for 10 years? I stopped taking it five months ago after I broke my femur in a non-traumatic fall.

gdenuel

i realize that klonapin is long lasting. Is it just in your system or do you still feel its effects for a long time?

anon117197

does a person still feel the effects of a benzo at its half life? also if it has a build up because of long half life, do you still feel the effects?

anon113244

I had been using Atenolol 50mg for four years. I have recently discontinued it about seven days ago. Can anyone tell me how long it take for Atenolol to leave my body? Thanks, Anna

anon111454

phentermine 37.5 half-life is 16 to 31 hours. how long before i can take a drug test and it not be in my system or blood? Thank you.

anon87462

Is it true that a drug's half-life can be altered by changing the dose?

anon81532

What is the difference between a drug's Half Life and the drug's peak? I'm starting on Norvasc and am concerned. Thank you!

anon80135

thank you, really helpful!

anon74939

If a drug's half life is six hours, how long would it take to remove the drug from the body?

anon64838

How long does it take for Boniva to leave the body? I've been on it for six years.

anon47244

valium has a very long half life. xanax is short.

anon40231

How long does it take for a 1 mg Xanax to be out of my urine?

anon37662

This article is really very helpful for basic knowledge of drug's half-life in simpler understanding format.

anon37586

how long does it take for 1 tablet (70 mg) Fosamax to leave your body?

tedbones56

how long does it take for prozac 20mg to leave your body based on half life?

anon32453

This was just what I was looking for now. Thanks!!

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    • A drug's half-life is the amount of time it takes for a drug to lose half of its strength in blood plasma. This is most easily measured in medications administered through an injection or IV drip.
      By: Judex
      A drug's half-life is the amount of time it takes for a drug to lose half of its strength in blood plasma. This is most easily measured in medications administered through an injection or IV drip.
    • A drug's half-life is the time it takes for half of a dosage to leave the body or blood stream.
      By: Evgenia
      A drug's half-life is the time it takes for half of a dosage to leave the body or blood stream.
    • The half-life refers to the time it takes for half of a given dose to be eliminated from the body or bloodstream.
      By: candy1812
      The half-life refers to the time it takes for half of a given dose to be eliminated from the body or bloodstream.
    • Many types of tranquilizers have short half-lives.
      By: ognianmed
      Many types of tranquilizers have short half-lives.
    • Physicians who prescribe and dispense medication should note the drug's half-life when deciding on the best drug regimen for a patient.
      By: dusk
      Physicians who prescribe and dispense medication should note the drug's half-life when deciding on the best drug regimen for a patient.