How long mephedrone stays in your system depends on various factors, such as your age, weight, the dose you’ve taken, and your tolerance to the drug. Any underlying liver or kidney problems can also affect how long drugs stay in your system, in general. Today, we’re diving into how long it takes for mephedrone to take effect and how long it remains in a user’s system.

How Long Does MCAT Take To Kick In?

Also known as meow meow, MCAT, or MKAT, mephedrone is one of the most commonly used synthetic cathinone (bath salts) that acts both as a stimulant and hallucinogen. Mephedrone’s effects, especially when injected, have also been compared to the effects of cocaine.

Common side effects of mephedrone include:

• Stimulation
• Alertness
• Euphoria
• Empathy
• Well-being and confidence
• Increased libido
• Talkativeness
• Time distortions
• Hallucinations
• Reduced appetite

Although it was first synthesized in 1929, mephedrone resurfaced as a recreational drug in 2009 and slowly became popular enough to contribute to a sustained decline in ecstasy purity. Cheap and high purity MCAT became available for purchase through the internet, often sold under the guise of false labels to avoid legal detection.

Mephedrone is commonly snorted (which is usually painful and damages the nasal membranes) or swallowed (either by “dabbing” with a wet finger or wrapping it in cigarette papers and “bombing”). The drug may also be injected, although this method of MCAT is relatively new.

The usual dose of mephedrone is about 0.5 to 1 gram and is usually taken every hour or two; however, tolerance to MCAT develops quickly in users, with doses climbing to 4 to 10 grams per night.

When injecting the drug, some users take 0.5 grams or more at a time and usually inject less frequently than people who use other intravenous drugs, such as heroin (which is often used excessively at ten times daily). How quickly MCAT kicks in depends on the dose and the route of administration.

When taken orally, a light dose of mephedrone (50 to 100 mg) to a strong dose (150 to 300 mg) can produce side effects that kick in as quickly as 15 to 45 minutes and last as long as 3 to 4 hours. When snorted, an MCAT dose of 15 to 25 mg or 75 to 125 mg can produce side effects within 5 to 10 minutes, which may last from 1 to 2 hours.

Additionally, injecting mephedrone has become a more popular route of administration due to the onset of side effects. This form of use produces faster-acting side effects that are also shorter-lasting, contributing to excessive drug use and tolerance.

When a mephedrone dose of 10 to 20 mg (light) to 60 to 70 mg (strong) is injected, side effects may kick in within seconds, and the rush of the mephedrone high may last about 5 to 10 minutes. Overall, the duration of the effects from this route of administration may only last about 15 to 30 minutes.

How Long Is MKAT In Your System After Use?

The longer mephedrone stays in your system, the worse its side effects become. While the onset of MCAT may produce a rush of euphoria and pleasant stimulation, this high only encourages further drug use.

The more of the drug a person takes, the more their body is flooded, and the more likely they are to experience adverse effects like toxicity (overdose), increased heart rate, high blood pressure, sweating, overheating, dry mouth, chest pains, and more. It’s important to understand how long mephedrone lasts in the body to avoid mixing any drugs and also to avoid toxicity.

With that said, the half-life of a drug greatly determines how long it stays in the body. The half-life of mephedrone is 2.15 hours and can take several half-lives to be eliminated from the body.

In total, mephedrone stays in your system anywhere between 48 to 72 hours. Again, this depends on the dose taken. A higher dose of MCAT will take longer to eliminate from the body than a lower dose.

Does Mephedrone Show Up On Drug Tests?

No, mephedrone usually does not show up on regular drug screenings. Although there are mephedrone drug test kits available, MCAT is not one of the drugs that are included in drug screening panels that employers may ask employees to take.

It’s difficult for tests to be created for bath salts, in general, mainly because these drugs are changing every day. Once one kind of bath salt is banned, a new one takes its place, containing different ingredients but packing the same punch, if not a stronger one.

Help for Mephedrone Addiction

Mephedrone has an even more significant impact on the brain than ecstasy, another illicit drug that acts both as a stimulant and hallucinogen. Mephedrone stimulates the release of more chemicals like dopamine and serotonin to produce a rush of euphoria while affecting other vital functions of the body.

Long-term use of mephedrone can not only damage your physical and mental health but can also lead to a life of addiction. If you or someone you care about has developed a drug problem, our Heartland drug rehab can help.

Our facility offers various levels of care for substance abuse treatment, usually starting off with detox and ending with alumni support. Because mephedrone produces withdrawals when use is suddenly stopped, our drug rehab in Illinois may start off patients with a medically monitored detox to safely and effectively help reduce the discomfort of withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings.

With the additional support of our special programs and therapies, patients at our Banyan rehab in Gilman, Illinois, will have all they need to achieve long-term sobriety. To learn how to get started on our inpatient substance abuse treatment in Illinois, call Banyan today at 888-280-4763.