How long does it take alcohol to exit your system?

[bbinacan]

[JTG of the PRB]

1. If I'm only drinking moderately, it's about 3 hours.

If I drink heavily (which I haven't done in a while) it can take five hours if I get a meal sometime during the night after drinking, and 8 hours of I don't.

This reminds me... I'd like to drink this weekend... :beer:

[bbinacan]

3. I've heard it can take

up to 72 hours for all of it to be gone. :shrug:

[rug]

2. Depends how it exits.

[suninvited]

9. it exits primarily through the lungs

contrary to popular belief, it does not exit by peeing a lot.

[rug]

10. I was thinking more of vomiting.

Bound to eliminate more volume more quickly.

[suninvited]

11. that might work

for the stuff that hasn't entered the bloodstream yet. Never thought of that.

[coconuted]

4. Well,

Beer starts to exit my system about an hour and a half after I start drinking it.

[Richardo]

5. Like the number of licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop, some of us may never know.

*hic*

[aquaman]

6. Never....

If you drink all of the time! :toast:

[NNadir]

7. It basically depends on your liver and kidney function. If either are diminished

or impaired, possibly by excessive alcohol use, it can take longer than with other people.

Metabolism also plays a role, since the liver detoxifies alcohol by oxidizing it to acetaldehyde (which is itself fairly toxic) and finally acetic acid. In this process it makes NADPH and ATP, energy, but interestingly reduces the ability of the liver to metabolize fats and amino acids. Extremely obese alcoholics are known sometimes to die effectively from malnutrition. However if one is using a lot of energy, as in exercise, the rate of metabolism of alcohol can be increased a little bit.

It is thought that genetic forms of alcoholism involve deficiencies in the number of enzymes for the metabolism of alcohol, a disposition that is seen in some Western European populations, notably those of Celtic origins, and native Americans populations. I am not trying to be racist here, by the way, but am merely noting that in some cases alcoholism is a disease with a genetic component, like Tay-Sachs (found mostly among Jews and Southern Europeans, particularly Italians), Sickle Cell (found among people of African heritage), lactose intolerance (mostly found in Asian populations) and similar syndromes.

[dixiegrrrrl]

8. Alcohol is normally metabolized at the rate of 1 oz per hour.

thru your kidneys.
Not stored in fat.
Unless your kidneys are damaged, then it can take longer.
Which is why people try to avoid DUI charges by delaying the breathalyzer/blood test.

[Orrex]

13. I thought it was metabolized in the liver?

I mean, nobody gets cirrhosis of the kidneys...

[dixiegrrrrl]

16. Oh lordy....I can't believe I typed that. Of course liver......

Thanx for catching that for me. :hi:

[Orrex]

17. Actually, I'm kind of relieved

I was afraid that I'd need to start referring to my in-ground pool as "liver-shaped."

:evilgrin:

[michreject]

20. Yep!

1 oz. per hour.

[armyowalgreens]

12. At least one hour for every drink. That's assuming you metabolize alcohol at a normal speed.

[pokerfan]

14. Alcohol Metabolism

http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/alerts/l/blnaa35.htm

[HopeHoops]

15. If you do it right, forever.

Of course, I guess that depends on the desired BAC.

[NMDemDist2]

18. about five to seven years

until it's totally out of your system

if you're a heavy drinker it will get into your spinal fluid etc and it takes YEARS to finally flush out.

if you had one too many beers, your blood alcohol levels should return to normal 4-5 hours later.

[CreekDog]

19. umm how long are 3 boring and incomprehensible stories?

:shrug: