How To Reduce Your Chances Of Failing A Drug Test

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If you've been told to take a drug test for your work or sport or to qualify for workers' compensation payments, you'll want to do everything possible ahead of time to increase your chances of passing. By preparing in advance, you might avoid a false-positive result that could stand in the way of future opportunities. Here are a few precautions that you should take prior to drug testing so that you can hopefully achieve the best outcome.

Avoid Taking Certain Medications

Certain prescription medications could show up on your drug test and trigger a false-positive result. Before you stop taking any prescribed medications even for a short period of time, you should consult with your doctor so that you don't put your health in jeopardy. Even some over-the-counter medicines may cause you to fail your drug test. Some medications that you should consider not using prior to drug testing include:

  • Cough medicine
  • Antidepressants
  • Diet pills
  • Ibuprofen
  • Naproxen
  • Ritalin
  • Anti-allergy medicine containing diphenhydramine

If you believe that your test result was positive because of a medication you use, you might be allowed to take the test again at a later date. However, a retest isn't always granted, so you should be aware of the ingredients in your medication that could trigger a false-positive result.

Stay Away from Drug Users

Even if you don't use drugs yourself, you could still get a false-positive result on your drug test if you were around people who used drugs before you tested. If you're around people who are smoking marijuana, you might fail your drug test from inhaling large amounts of secondhand smoke. You might also accidentally ingest certain prohibited substances if you eat food at a place where drug use is occurring.

Avoid Certain Foods and Beverages

Even some of the foods and drinks you consume could falsely be detected as certain prohibited drugs. Poppy seeds often don't show up as heroin on many modern-day drug tests, but you could still get a false-positive result if older drug testing methods are used. If your drug screening includes testing for alcohol, some fruit and yeast products might be detected as alcohol in your system. Some specific foods and beverages that you should definitely avoid consuming prior to drug testing include:

  • Edible hemp products
  • Cocoa leaf tea
  • Overripe fruit
  • Granola
  • Pizza

If you've done everything right before your drug test, you shouldn't have to worry about failing. However, you may be inadvertently setting yourself up to fail your test because of your lifestyle choices, so you might need to make certain modifications so that you can get through your drug testing without any problems.

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22 March 2022

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