Quick answer to how long does vicodin remain in your body: 48-72 hours.
Vicodin, the commonly prescribed pain medication is the brand name for the drug mixture of Hydrocodone with acetaminophen. The narcotic drug has a half life of 4 hours. That translates to every four hours your body will use and expel half of the drug left in your system. The bulk of vicodin will be absorbed by the liver and kidneys and expelled from the body in urine. The remaining amount will slowly leave your system over the next 48 to 72 hours (two to three days). Immediate drug effects will be felt for the next four to six hours while lingering after effects may be noticed in some users for the next few days (the amount of time for the opiate to fully be removed from your system).
Please note that the time frame of how long any drug leaving your body will vary depending on a variety of factors. A person’s weight, metabolism and amount ingested will change the rate of your systems consumption for vicodin. Like other opiates and narcotics, Hydrocodone is highly addictive. The longer a user has been consuming the drug, the longer it will take to be ejected from the body and detox the blood stream. Side effects of both short and long term uses of the drug include upset stomach, nausea, and dizziness. Prolonged usage can result in liver damage from excessive intake of acetaminophen. For the average person, how long vicodin stays in the system is usually less than three days.