Introduction
Having to take a drug test or drug screen can sometimes be a difficult task and time for some within the opiate addiction community. Some struggle to stay clean and away from opiates making the thought of having to take a drug test a total nightmare. Others simply have difficulty in having to submit a sample right on the spot or in front of someone supervising them. All and all, having to take a drug test is something most, if not all, of us truly despise and loathe.
As someone who has to take a drug test/screen about once a week for the Suboxone program I am currently in, I can honestly say that it can be a real pain in the butt sometimes. It can be not only a nuisance at times but can also be a nerve wrecking and, at times, even humiliating experience. Even when I know for sure that I am clean, I sometimes think in the back of my mind "what if something strange happens and my sample gets contaminated?" Or perhaps, "what if I eat or take some kind of medication that results in a false positive?" These questions are, for the most part, rather silly but still add to the stress of having to be drug tested. Not to mention, having to submit a urine sample in front of someone is something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Seriously, where do they find those people who are comfortable and willing enough for that type of job?
Most of us here reading this blog are probably familiar to drug tests through things such as work, rehabilitation programs, opiate maintenance programs, or legal issues. At times, these tests can be time consuming, degrading, and even expensive in some cases making drug tests that much worse. I have heard from and talked to a few people in Suboxone programs whose insurance won't cover drug testing requiring them to pay anywhere from $20 to almost $200 for a drug test. So it goes without saying, that while drug testing can help one stay away from opiates by having someone to answer to if they relapse, the process can certainly have it's strain on an individual.
As I mentioned earlier, I have to get drug tested almost weekly due to the Suboxone outpatient program I am currently partaking in. I have been involved in this program for close to a year now, starting out at 4 mg of Suboxone once a day. Today, I am now at .75 mg once a day and am confident I am moving in the right direction. This program has resulted in me taking around 40 drug screens in which about 4-5 were supervised. Thus, I feel I have a relatively good deal of knowledge and experience in regards to taking drug tests.
I created this blog to help people as much as I can and have always wanted to be straight up and honest with each and every reader who takes the time to read my body of work. In this post, I will talk about the detection times in certain drugs, my experiences with getting drug tested, some ways to defeat or possibly avoid having to take a drug test, and finally, just some basic information about the topic. I want to make clear that I am not encouraging anyone to go out and get high or to get high every day until you have to stop for a few days to clean out your system to beat a drug test. That is NOT the point of this post. Rather, I hope this post will provide readers with a sense of knowing what to expect when having to take a drug test and if they do mess up and mistake of using their drug of choice, all might not be lost. On that note, lets begin.
Some Quick Information About Drug Testing
Some reasons for why a person may have to take a drug test include the following:
Pre-employment or random, work-related drug testing to identify on-the-job drug abuse
Drug treatment programs such as Suboxone and Methadone maintenance programs
Legal Issues such as parole
Drug testing for college or professional athletes
Post-accident drug testing - a vehicular or on-the-job accident which may have involved human error and resulted in casualties or property damage
Safety-related - if an employee's job could lead to safety issues if judgment or physical ability were impaired
Like I always say, everyone and their bodies are different and unique in each person's own way. Thus, someone might be able to get a drug like Oxycodone out of their system in two days while someone else may need close to an entire week. As of right now, there is really no definite way or formula out there to know whether or not you will pass a drug screen unless you test yourself beforehand with an at home drug test. There are ways to perhaps determine your chances of passing/failing but even then, these are just estimations.
One can usually go out with little trouble and buy drug screens/testing kits at pharmacies such as CVS, Walgreen, and Rite Aid. Testing kits such as these range from a few bucks to close to a hundred dollars and can vary in reliability. The more expensive ones are usually more accurate and test for a variety of other drugs while the cheaper ones often test for less substances and can sometimes be less reliable. Please be aware that some of these drug testing kits do not test for Oxycodone, even if its says on the packaging that it does test for opiates. Oxycodone is unique in that it is an opioid rather than an opiate which can result in a negative result in some products even if you have used Oxycodone. This can be true with other drugs so make sure you are sure that the drug testing product you are getting and using is appropriate for your situation. Most professional lab tests and technicians, however, will be able to detect and differentiate these kinds of drugs.
There are numerous aspects that can affect whether or not one passes or fails a drug screen. In my opinion, one's metabolism is perhaps the most crucial. I know some people, as well as reading from others online, that those with a fast metabolism can often get drugs out of their system relatively fast. One's health, activity level, diet, and health can all affect the body's metabolism thus having quite an impact on the chances of someone testing negative or positive for drugs on a drug test. Usually, the younger, healthier, and more active an individual is, along with their physical make-up (body fat, muscle mass, etc.,), the less time it will take to get out of one's body.
It is also important to know that the cutoff limit of the drug test can play a role as well. The cutoff limit is the maximum amount of the presence of the drug allowed that can be present in the individual's drug test without failing. Cutoff limits are usually higher in employment drug screens and lower in treatment programs or parole. If you are nervous about whether or not you can pass a drug screen, the higher the cutoff limit, the better.
Some important factors to take into consideration about the length of time it takes for a drug to leave one's system can be found below.
Amount and Frequency of Use:
-Single, isolated, small doses are generally detectable at the lower boundary. Chronic and long-term use typically result in detection periods near or at the upper boundary.
- Metabolic Rate:
- Individuals with slower body metabolism are prone to longer drug detection periods.
- Body Mass:
- In general, human metabolism slows with increased body mass, resulting in longer drug detection periods. In addition, THC (marijuana's active ingredient) and PCP are known to accumulate in fatty lipid tissue. Chronic users, physically inactive users, and individuals with a high percentage of body fat in relation to total body mass are prone to longer drug detection periods for THC and PCP.
- Age:
- In general, human metabolism slows with age, resulting in longer drug detection periods.
- Overall Health:
- In general, human metabolism slows during periods of deteriorating health, resulting in longer drug detection periods.
- Drug Tolerance:
- Users typically metabolize a drug faster once a tolerance to the drug is established.
Urine pH:
Urine pH can impact detection periods. Typically, highly acidic urine results in shorter detection periods.
Half Life
Perhaps the next most important aspect of determining one's chances of passing or failing a drug test involves the drug's half live. A drug's half life is "the time required for a quantity to fall to half its value as measured at the beginning of the time period." In other words, after a specific period of time, the amount of the drug one used will be spilt into half. For example, the half of Oxycodone is roughly 4-6 hours. If someone were to consume 60 mg of Oxycodone, the amount of this drug after 4-6 hours would be equal to around 30 mg. Another 4-6 hours later, there would be around 15 mg of Oxycodone in one's body.
The half life varies greatly from drug to drug. Most opiates have relatively short half lives meaning they are out of one's system pretty quick. However, some drugs like Suboxone and Methadone meanwhile take much longer in comparison to most opiates while Marijuana is notorious for having one of the longest half lives in the world of drugs. Some quick research and a little math can go a long way in helping one with determining their chances of passing or failing a drug test. Remember, this formula isn't 100% accurate but is rather more of a general guideline to use.
For more information on the half lives of drugs, click on the links below. The final (3rd) link below is a great video that provides a quick understanding of drug half lives.
University of Nottingham - Half Life of Drugs
Wikipedia Biological Half Life
Drug Half Life Video
Common Types of Drug Tests/Screens
There are several methods a doctor and lab can use to drug test individuals. The most common types are urine, blood, hair, and saliva. The most common kind of drug test out of these four methods is the urine drug screen. This test is usually pretty cheap, fast, and reliable for the most part. Urine drug screens can usually provide evidence of drug use for some drugs over the course of a few days to even weeks. Blood and saliva tests are less common but can be effective in determining whether someone recently used over a 24-48 hour period. These tests are used frequently in things such as a fatal car accident as the test can determine what kind of drugs (if any) were used over the last day or two. Hair follicle testing can provide positive results of drug use for weeks and even months after using but these tests are much rarer than urine screens. Some information on these types of drug testing can be found below.
1) Hair Testing:
Hair analysis to detect drugs of abuse has been used by court systems in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and other countries worldwide. In the United States, hair testing has been accepted in court cases as forensic evidence following the Frye Rule, the Federal Rules of Evidence, and the Daubert Rule. As such, hair testing results are legally and scientifically recognized as admissible evidence.
. Most hair tests screen and confirm for the main drugs of abuse (Cocaine, Amphetamines, Methamphetamines, Opiates, PCP, and Marijuana).
Hair testing for alcohol markers is now recognized in both the UK and US judicial systems. There are guidelines for hair testing that have been published by the Society of Hair Testing that specify the markers to be tested for and the cutoff concentrations that need to be tested. Drugs of abuse that can be detected include Cannabis, Cocaine, Amphetamines and drugs new to the UK such as Mephedrone.
2) Urine Testing:
Drug Screens are reported as PASS, or FAIL with urine reported invalid or adulterated.
When an employer requests a drug test from an employee, or a physician requests a drug test from a patient, the employee or patient is typically instructed to go to a collection site or their home. The urine sample goes through a specified 'chain of custody' to ensure that it is not tampered with or invalidated through lab or employee error. The patient or employee’s urine is collected at a remote location in a specially designed secure cup, sealed with tamper-resistant tape, and sent to a testing laboratory to be screened for drugs (typically the SAMHSA 5 panel). The first step at the testing site is to split the urine into
two aliquots. One aliquot is first screened for drugs using an analyzer that performs immunoassay as the initial screen. If the urine screen is positive then another aliquot of the sample is used to confirm the findings by gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC-MS) methodology.
If requested by the physician or employer, certain drugs are screened for individually; these are generally drugs part of a chemical class that are, for one of many reasons, considered more abuse-prone or of concern. For instance, oxycodone and diamorphine may be tested, both sedative analgesics. If such a test is not requested specifically, the more general test (in the preceding case, the test for opiates) will detect the drugs, but the employer or patient will not have the benefit of the identity of the drug.
Common Urine Drug Testing Kit
Employment-related test results are relayed to an MRO (Medical Review Office) where a medical physician reviews the results. If the result of the screen is negative, the MRO informs the employer that the employee has no detectable drug in the urine. However, if the test result of the immunoassay and GC-MS are non-negative and show a concentration level of parent drug or metabolite above the established limit, the MRO contacts the employee to determine if there is any legitimate reason—such as a medical treatment or prescription.
On-site instant drug testing is a more cost-efficient method of effectively detecting drug abuse amongst employees, as well as in rehabilitation programs to monitor patient progress. These instant tests can be used for both urine and saliva testing. Although the accuracy of such tests varies with the manufacturer, some kits boast extremely high rates of accuracy, correlating closely with laboratory test results.
3) Saliva Testing:
Saliva oral fluid-based drug tests can generally detect use during the previous few hours to roughly 3 days. THC may only be detectable for less than 12.0 hours in some cases. On site drug tests are allowed per the Department of Labor.
Detection in saliva tests begins almost immediately upon use of the following substances, and lasts for approximately the following times:
- Alcohol: 6–24 hours
- Marijuana: 24-36 Hours
4) Blood Testing:
Drug-testing a blood sample measures whether or not a drug or a metabolite is in the body at a particular time. These types of tests are considered to be the most accurate way of telling if a person is intoxicated. Blood drug tests are not used very often because they need specialized equipment and medically trained administrators. They are also the most expensive method of testing out of four mentioned here and are usually reserved for criminal cases such as DUI's, vehicular homicide, and the like or during investigations regarding work place accidents.
Depending on how much marijuana was consumed, it can usually be detected in blood tests within six hours of consumption. After six hours has passed, the concentration of marijuana in the blood decreases significantly. It generally disappears completely within 30 days. Most opiates can usually be detected in the blood for no longer than 24-36 hours.
Some Ways to Defeat or Get Around a Drug Test
While I recommend being honest with your doctor, family, friends, or hell even your parole officer, I know that situations do arise when one must truly find a way to successfully pass a drug test. Below I have included a few options one can attempt to use to defeat or get around a drug test. Please remember that there is no fool proof plan that works every time and to use caution with any of these scenarios. There are a number of factors one must consider before trying any of these "tricks". A good place to start is to find out as much information as you can about the kind of test you are taking and the usual habits and steps the testing facility you are at commonly takes. Try to study, learn, and remember things such as how they go about testing you, where they keep the samples and how they handle them, whether or not you are supervised during your test, and such. The more you know, the better off you will be. Also, please note that these scenarios are meant to work for only urine drug screens.
1) Diluting Urine:
Diluting one's urine works by drinking a large amount of water in hopes of diluting one's urine so much that there will be little to no traces of drug use in the urine specimen. Diluting is defined as "to make a liquid thinner or weaker by adding water or another solvent to it". Most opiates are water soluble, meaning they leave the body through urine and sweat while staying outside of one's fat cells. The reason a drug such as marijuana takes so long to exit the body is because it stores itself in one's body fat. The traces of marijuana stay much longer in the fat cells than they would if they were stored somewhere else in the body. Opiates, meanwhile, usually leave the body much quicker and are often stored in the blood distributed throughout the skeletal muscle, liver, intestinal tract, lungs, spleen, and brain. Opiates are then usually excreted through urine and sweat.
There isn't really much of a clear cut answer out there as to whether or not drinking large amounts of water can actually make one "flush out" their systems faster but it is proven that drinking a solid amount water shortly before submitting a drug test can certainly dilute the urine specimen enough to force a negative result. In other words, don't count on drinking large amounts of water to flush out your system faster. Instead, the focus should be on using the water to dilute one's urine.
Most labs can and will test for dilution so someone attempting to try this route should come prepared. I have read that taking the Vitamin B-12 a few days leading up to as well as the day of the drug test can help keep your urine a yellowish color. When you attempt to drink enough water to dilute your urine, your urine will most likely come out looking like, well, water. Having very clear and lightly colored urine is usually a clear indicator for lab technicians that an attempt at dilution has been made so it is important you are able to get around this. Dilution can also affect Creatine levels in the urine so taking a Creatine supplement the week of your drug test may also prove beneficial if you are considering submitting a diluted sample.
It is important to be aware that some labs, treatment centers, and parole officers can reject urine specimens that are considered too diluted resulting in the individual having to retake the drug test or worst, face possible failure. Labs can measure and judge things such as urine color, smell, Creatine levels, zero gravity levels, and temperature so be sure to do your research beforehand and plan ahead for the worst. If you are absolutely positive you are going to fail your drug test and don't want to come clean with whomever is testing you, diluting your urine may result in you having to retake the test which can possibly buy you a few days to get clean. This is especially true if the drug test is sent off to a lab as it will take the lab some time to get your results, providing you with even more time to get clean. If the testing and results are collected onsite, then it may prove extremely difficult to get around this.
2) Urine Substitution
Urine substitution can involve two scenarios. The first is using synthetic urine which can be brought at certain specialty stores (think smoke shops) as well as online. I have no experience with using synthetic urine but I do know that recently, the more complex and evolving field of lab testing can easily determine most of the time whether the urine specimen on hand is actually real urine. Again, there are literally hundreds of different kinds of drug tests and testing facilities and some will be more modernized and efficient than others. One person may be able to get away with using synthetic urine at one test site while another may fail miserably.
Synthetic urine was a great tool to use in the past but as technology has advanced, its effectiveness has been somewhat diminished. From what I have read, synthetic urine can be effective for cheap drug tests that are commonly used at employment drug screening but are usually no match for drug testing in scenarios such as Suboxone/Methadone programs or parole. At the end of the day, I really recommend not going this route as it just seems far too risky (even for this kind of matter).
The other kind of method of urine substitution involves using someone else's urine who is clean from drugs. This could be a friend's or family member's urine sample that you would collect, carefully package, and bring to the testing facility with you. You can than simply add the substituted urine from your friend or family member into the specimen cup needed for the lab. However, there are a few potential complications or problems that could arise from this method.
First, you want to make absolutely sure that who ever you are getting the substituted urine from is a healthy individual who is clean of drugs. This can be a problem for some addicts as most addicts are friends with or hang around with, well, other addicts thus potentially resulting in one's search for clean urine being difficult and limited. There are literally hundreds of myths and urban legends out there on the internet about drug testing and I am not sure if this is simply one of them but I have heard labs can tell the difference between male and female urine so you may want to take that into consideration. Again, this may be just one of many invalid claims surrounding drug testing but it is good to be better safe than sorry.
A second potential complication that could arise is if you have to submit your urine sample in front of someone that will watch you while you do your business. This person's job is to look for any suspicious behavior indicating cheating or altering the results of your drug test as well as making sure the specimen is handled properly with little chance for contamination. To get around this issue, some people use a tool called a Whizzinator (see
HERE) to get around submitting a substitute sample under supervision. A simple Google search of the product can provide you guys with all the details you'll need but to give you a quick description, it is basically a kit consisting of a false penis, dried urine, and tubing that can be used to make it seem like the individual is peeing as one normally would. I have no experience with this product and probably wouldn't have the "guts" to even attempt it. My best piece of advice for someone attempting to go this route would to be extremely cautious with this route and to only do this as a last resort with plenty of practice. It is also important to remember that some states consider drug testing tampering a crime, especially in instances of parole, so again, please use caution and be aware of what you could potentially be getting yourself into.
A final concern with using substituted urine is to make sure you keep the urine warm when you submit it as they sometimes test the temperature of your sample. The temperature should be around a normal person's body temperature (98-100 degrees). You can use the hand warmers packets to keep your specimen warm by wrapping these packets around the container. It may help to have a thermometer handy as well. Urine can deteriorate quickly so make sure if you are going to keep it sealed up for more than a few hours to keep it in an airtight container and out of the light. The sealed sample should be placed in a fridge for no more than a few days. If you can, the best way to go about doing this is to have your friend provide you with the sample, such as in the parking lot of the testing facility, right before you submit the drug test to ensure freshness. Also, be aware that the temperature of your urine begins to drop immediately so keep those hand warmers close by!
I have used substituted urine twice during my time in the outpatient Suboxone program and was successful in passing both drug tests. I used my own urine when I knew I was clean and had a drug test in the near future and like an idiot, wanted to get high. I never used substituted urine that was more than 24 hours old to be on the safe side. I want to note that I did not have someone watching me submit my sample and I don't believe that they test the temperature of the specimen at the facility I get tested at. I made sure to keep my urine in an airtight container wrapped in a brown paper bag (to prevent light from getting at and deteriorating the sample). Immediately after collecting my sample at my house, I put it into my refrigerator and kept the sample there up until roughly a half hour before my drug screen. I made sure to give the bottle holding my sample a good shake as well as making sure that there was enough time to thaw out the sample. I then used the hand warmers (can be found by clicking
HERE) to ensure the temperature was appropriate, although like I said before, I don't believe they actually tested the temperature at my particular facility as the samples are simply put into a big box right after you submit them.
3) Rescheduling
Another option is to, if possible, simply reschedule your appointment to provide yourself with a few extra days to work on getting clean and any substances out of the body. This will usually work in most Suboxone and Methadone programs if you don't have a history of missing/skipping appointments or failing drug screens. Just be sure that it doesn't become a regular thing as I'm sure it could cause some suspicion. On the other hand, it may be much more harder for some individuals to be able to reschedule an appointment for a scenario such as parole.
4) Stay Clean
This one needs no explanation and is by far the best yet sometimes most challenging route to go. If you know you are clean, you know you will pass the test. It really is that simple.
*Detox Drinks/Kits/Supplements*
I know there are numerous drinks, kits, and supplements out there that claim they can either get you clean in a short period of time or that they can help you defeat or override a drug test. These products are usually on the expensive side and there is much debate in regards to their effectiveness. I have no experience with any of them and in my opinion, they are not worth the money and risk. Some people claim some of them work great and if you can find one that works, then by all means go for it. I think at the end of the day, the good and effective ones are probably few and far between. In addition to the lack of evidence supporting some of these products, some of the ingredients in these products can be tested for in labs and can result in a failed test depending upon the lab and its policy.
Average Detection Times
Under this section, I have included a few tables and charts that give you guys a brief understanding of the average detection times of various drugs. I provided you guys with a few sources. Some of the numbers vary from one another a little bit but for the most part, they are all in the same ball park. Please remember that these numbers are by no means definite and to not base your situation solely on these numbers. As I said earlier, some people manage to get drugs out of their systems fairly quick while others need much more time. The most important factor determining the detection time of an individual is the individual themselves rather than the amount of time or drug.
|
LOQ
(ng/mL) |
Detection Time* up to |
| Amphetamine-Type Stimulants |
| Amphetamine |
50
|
3 days
|
| Methamphetamine |
50
|
3 days
|
| 3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) |
50
|
2 days
|
| 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) |
50
|
2 days
|
| Phentermine |
50
|
|
| Ephedrine/pseudoephedrine |
Not quantitated
|
5 days
|
| Barbiturates |
| Long-Acting |
| Phenobarbital |
100
|
15 days
|
| Intermediate-Acting |
| Butalbital |
100
|
7 days
|
| Amobarbital |
100
|
3 days
|
| Short-Acting |
| Pentobarbital |
100
|
3 days
|
| Secobarbital |
100
|
3 days
|
| Benzodiazepines |
| Long-Acting |
|
10 days
|
| Diazepam |
100
|
|
| Nordiazepam |
100
|
|
| Intermediate-Acting |
|
5 days
|
| Alprazolam |
100
|
|
| Lorazepam |
100
|
|
| Oxazepam |
100
|
|
| Temazepam |
100
|
|
| Chlordiazepoxide |
100
|
|
| Clonazepam |
100
|
|
| Flunitrazepam |
50
|
|
| Short-Acting |
|
2 days
|
| Triazolam |
100
|
|
| Flurazepam |
100
|
|
| Buprenorphine |
| Buprenorphine |
0.5
|
7 days
|
| Norbuprenorphine |
0.5
|
7 days
|
| Cocaine & Metabolite |
| Cocaine |
50
|
<1 day
|
| Benzoylecgonine |
50
|
5 days
|
| Fentanyl |
| Fentanyl |
0.2
|
3 days
|
| Norfentanyl |
1.0
|
3 days
|
| Ketamine |
| Ketamine |
25
|
2 days
|
| Norketamine |
25
|
2 days
|
| Lysergic Acid
Diethylamide (LSD) |
| LSD |
0.5
|
<1 day
|
| 2-Oxo-3-hydroxy-LSD |
5
|
5 days
|
| Marijuana/Cannabis (THC-COOH) |
| Single Use |
3
|
3 days
|
| Moderate Use (4 times per week) |
|
5 days
|
| Heavy Use (daily) |
|
10 days
|
| Chronic Heavy Use |
|
30 days
|
| Methadone |
| Methadone |
100
|
7 days
|
| EDDP (methadone metabolite) |
100
|
7 days
|
| Methaqualone |
| Methaqualone |
100
|
6 days
|
| Opiates |
| 6-MAM |
100
|
1 day
|
| Morphine |
100
|
3 days
|
| Codeine |
100
|
3 days
|
| Hydrocodone |
100
|
3 days
|
| Hydromorphone |
100
|
3 days
|
| Oxycodone |
100
|
3 days
|
| Oxymorphone |
100
|
3 days
|
| Phencyclidine |
| Phencyclidine |
25
|
8 days
|
| Propoxyphene |
| Propoxyphene |
100
|
3 days
|
| Norpropoxyphene |
100
|
10 days
|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Drug | Class | Street Name | Prescription Brand Name Examples | Detection Time in Urine |
|---|
| Amphetamine | Stimulant | speed | Dexedrine, Benzedrine | Up to 2 days |
| Barbiturates | depressants / sedatives / hypnotics | downers, barbs, reds | Amytal, Fiorinal, Nembutal, Donna | short-acting: 2 days
long-acting: 1-3 weeks
(based on half-life) |
| Benzodiazepines | depressants / sedatives / hypnotics | bennies | Valium, Ativan, Xanax, Serax | therapeutic dose: 3 days
chronic use: 4-6 weeks or longer |
| Cocaine (benzoyl ecgonine metabolite) | Stimulant | coke, crack, rock cocaine | N/A | Up to 4 days |
| Codeine | Analgesic / Opiate | N/A | N/A | 2 days |
| Ethyl alcohol, ethanol | depressants / sedatives / hypnotics | alcohol, liquor, beer, wine booze | N/A | urine: 2 to 12 hours
serum/plasma: 1 to 12 hours |
| Heroin | Analgesic / Opiate | smack, tar, chasing the tiger | N/A | 2 days |
Marijuana, Can-
nabinoids | Hallucinogen | pot, dope, weed, hash, hemp | Marinol, Cesamet | Single use: 2 to 7 days
Prolonged, chronic use: 1 to 2 months or longer |
| Methadone | Analgesic / Opiate | fizzies | Dolophine | 3 days |
| Methamphetamine | Stimulant | speed, ice, crystal, crank | Desosyn, Methedrine | Up to 2 days |
| Methaqualone | depressants / sedatives / hypnotics | ludes, disco bisquits, 714, lemmons | Quaalude (off U.S. market) | Up to 14 days |
MDMA (methylenedioxy-
methamphetamine) | Stimulant | ecstacy, XTC, ADAM, lover's speed | N/A | Up to 2 days |
| Morphine | Analgesic / Opiate | N/A | Duramorph, Roxanol | 2 days |
| Phencyclidine | Hallucinogen | PCP, angel dust | N/A | 8-14 days, but up to 30 days in chronic users |
| Propoxyphene | Analgesic / Opiate | N/A | Darvocet, Darvon (all form of propoxyphene withdrawn from US market in November 2010) | 6 hours to 2 days |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Urine Drug Testing Detection Times
| Drug |
Cut-Off Level | EIA Screen Cutoff Level | GC/MS Confirmation Cutoff Level | Approximate Detection Time in Urine |
| Amphetamine (AMP) |
1000 ng/mL |
1000 ng/mL |
500 ng/mL |
2-4 Days |
| Amphetamine (AMP300) |
300 ng/mL |
1000 ng/mL |
500 ng/mL |
2-4 Days |
| Methamphetamine (MET) |
1000 ng/mL |
1000 ng/mL |
500 ng/mL |
3-5 Days |
| Methamphetamine (MET500) |
500 ng/mL |
1000 ng/mL |
500 ng/mL |
3-5 Days |
| Cocaine (COC) |
300 ng/mL |
300 ng/mL |
150 ng/mL |
2-4 Days |
| Cocaine (COC150) |
150 ng/mL |
300 ng/mL |
150 ng/mL |
2-4 Days |
| THC (THC) |
50 ng/mL |
50 ng/mL |
15 ng/mL |
15-30 Days |
| Opiates (OPI) |
2000 ng/mL |
2000 ng/mL |
2000 ng/mL |
2-4 Days |
| Opiates (MOR) |
300 ng/mL |
2000 ng/mL |
2000 ng/mL |
2-4 Days |
| Phencyclidine (PCP) |
25 ng/mL |
25 ng/mL |
25 ng/mL |
7-14 Days |
| Barbiturates (BAR) |
300 ng/mL |
300 ng/mL |
150 ng/mL |
4-7 Days |
| Benzodiazepines (BZO) |
300 ng/mL |
300 ng/mL |
150 ng/mL |
3-7 Days |
| Methadone (MTD) |
300 ng/mL |
300 ng/mL |
150 ng/mL |
3-5 Days |
| Propxyphene (PPX) |
300 ng/mL |
300 ng/mL |
150 ng/mL |
1-2 Days |
| Ecstasy (MDMA) |
500 ng/mL |
- |
- |
1-3 Days |
| Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCA) |
1000 ng/mL |
- |
- |
7-10 Days |
| Hydrocodone |
300 ng/mL |
- |
300 ng/mL |
2-4 Days |
| Hydromorphone |
300 ng/mL |
- |
300 ng/mL |
2-4 Days |
| Oxycodone (OXY) |
100 ng/mL |
- |
100 ng/mL |
2-4 Days |
| Oxymorphone |
100 ng/mL |
- |
100 ng/mL |
2-4 Days |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conclusion
Many of us here know just how stressful a drug test can be. Since being on Suboxone, I have been clean for about 95% of the time. Unfortunately, I have had my slip ups here and there where I crack and use Oxycodone. I have, for the most part, been sober but can feel for those struggling. It's not perfect but I can say I am doing a hell of a lot better than I was just a year ago. I would really like to remain totally sober with no its, buts, or what's, but as most of you, it is a lot easier said than done. Whenever I use my drug of choice, Oxycodone, I always end up turning into a nervous wreck the next few days after as I become so afraid that I will fail my next drug screen. It is a shitty and totally avoidable situation that I have put myself into a few times. In fact, a few times too many as no matter what the situation, the right thing to do is stay clean and learn how to deal with those dangerous and often sudden cravings and urges instead of cracking and using.
Getting high is fun and all, but in the end it is not worth the constant worrying. That's not even mentioning what would happen if I actually failed the test. Suboxone and the program I have taken part in has helped me so much that I would be devastated to be kicked out of the program for being not only stupid but selfish.
I don't want to sound like a smart ass or like I am proud of getting around the system with this post. If you have read some of my previous posts, this particular one may have shocked you a little bit. Instead, I wanted to write this post to help anyone who, like me, made the silly mistake of getting high when in reality, they should have stayed doing the right thing and remained sober. I truly know just how difficult and challenging it can be in getting and staying clean from opiates. It really is no joke. If this post can help someone stay in their Suboxone or Methadone program or avoid going to jail/prison, I am happy. However, please don't take this post as an opportunity to learn a new way of getting high without getting caught. I believe that if you keep getting high, cheating the system, and lying not only to your doctors, friends, and family, but to yourself that it will all come back to bite you in the end. The world of drugs and getting high is a dangerous game where the lows almost always outweigh the highs.
As I write this post, I have yet to fail a drug screen (knock on wood) and have found that giving myself a minimal of three days in between from when I last used my drug of choice (Oxycodone) and the day of my drug test works well. Obviously, it goes without saying that the more time since your last time using, the better off you will be. I believe the combination of being a relatively healthy, young man with a good metabolism along with using a drug that has a pretty short half life are the main factors explaining why I haven't failed a drug test. There has defiantly been a few close calls where I have gone about 60 hours since my last time using but in the end, I still passed. I don't really drink a lot of water, exercise a lot, or do anything else extreme to help increase my chances so it must be my metabolism, the short half life of the drug I use, and a little bit of good luck.
There are also a lot of myths and urban legends out there about ways to pass a drug test or get clean quickly. In my experience and to the best of my knowledge, the only way to truly beat a drug test without cheating is with time and a little will power. Some of these myths and urban legends are even dangerous so please, please, please be careful before trying anything or putting anything into your body. There have been people who have actually ended up in the hospital and even died from ingesting too much water over a short period of time (known as Hyponatremia or water intoxication/poisoning) so be careful if you do decide to try diluting your urine for a drug test. Another dangerous myth out there is that one can pass a drug test by ingesting large amounts of the vitamin Niacin. The vitamin can cause illness and death when taken in high enough doses and there is little to no evidence that it is effective in defeating the drug tests/screen around today.
A list of common myths and urban legends surrounding drug testing/screening can be found by clicking on the two links below this paragraph.
Common Drug Testing Myths Busted
Urban Legends, Drug Test Facts, & False Tips to Pass a Drug Test That Will Get You Into Trouble
As always, thank you guys for reading my blog and taking the time to comment on some of my other posts in the past. I really hope this material can reach out to and help some people, even if it is just one person. This post was defiantly different than the others I have written and it was a post that I really went back and fourth on writing and posting. In the end, I decided it might help some people who got themselves in a sticky situation. I know for every low life, scum bag addict you see in the news or on T.V., there are numerous other good people out there who just got themselves in a tough situation with opiates. I like to think of myself and most of my readers on here as these (the good) kinds of addicts.
Take care Guys and until next time, keep seeing that light!
Sincerely,
Seeingthelight
