Detection of barbiturates in the urine can vary dramatically depending upon which one you take.  The half-life of each different barbiturate can vary from a few days to more than a week.  The half-life of each drug is the period of time which it stays in your system.

Barbiturates are depressants which affect the central nervous system and can result in achieving results from mild sedation to total anesthesia.  They can become both physically and psychologically addictive.  Withdrawal symptoms from barbiturates can be severe and even lead to death in some instances.

Detection time for barbiturate use can vary in each individual.  Factors such as your body weight, age, health, your metabolism, how long you have been using and the barbiturate type may determine how long the metabolites will remain in your system. Urine tests check for the drug metabolites not the drug itself.  Metabolites are the byproduct of the drug after your body processes it.

For detection time in the urine, barbiturates can last anywhere from 2 days to 10 days depending upon the various factors mentioned above.  This is a relatively short period of time compared to other substances like marijuana for instance which can stay detectable in a urine sample for up to 14 weeks.

The older we get the more our metabolism slows down so it extends the time that substances remain detectable in our samples.  If you have a relatively high body mass then your metabolism is slower and the longer the barbiturates will stay detectable in the urine. Being physically active will help you rid your body quicker of many drug metabolites.  Remember, if you do need to take a drug test and you have a prescription then you should disclose to the testing facility exactly what prescriptions you are on and it is also advisable to bring your prescriptions to the testing facility to show them.