Lorazepam (brand name Ativan) generally has an elimination half-life of about 12 to 14 hours. This means it takes roughly 12 to 14 hours for the concentration of lorazepam in the blood to reduce by half

. Based on this half-life, it typically takes about 5 half-lives for the drug to be mostly cleared from the body, which is approximately 60 to 70 hours (2.5 to 3 days). However, some inactive metabolites of lorazepam can remain detectable in the system for longer periods, especially in urine tests, where they may be found for up to 6 to 9 days or even longer if the drug is used regularly

. Detection windows in different tests are approximately:

• Urine: up to 6 days, sometimes longer for metabolites (up to 9 days or more)
• Blood: up to 3 to 5 days
• Saliva: up to 8 hours
• Hair: up to 30 days or more, sometimes up to 3 months

Lorazepam is metabolized in the liver primarily by conjugation to an inactive metabolite (lorazepam-glucuronide), which is then excreted by the kidneys. This metabolite can persist longer in the body, contributing to longer detection times in urine

. In summary, lorazepam stays in your system for about 2 to 3 days for the active drug, but its metabolites can be detected for up to one to two weeks depending on the test used and individual factors like metabolism, dosage, and frequency of use