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Will Nicotine Be Detected In A Cotinine Urine Test?
Question: Hi,
I have a cotinine urine test for a pre-employment screening at XXXXXXX Clinic in 4 weeks.
I have been a 1/2 pack a day smoker for almost 10 years with smoke free periods of 2-3 months at various times when I tried to quit. But I ended up restarting. Have been smoking 1/2 pack a day for a past year and quit only yesterday. The urine cotinine test is in 4 weeks. I have few questions:
1. What is the detection threshold for the XXXXXXX Clinic urine cotinine test? 200ng/mL or 10ng/mL - as in what is considered positive? Is there a way to find out?
2. I will abstain for the next 4 weeks (and hope to do so after that as well). What else can I do to get a negative result? I try to eat healthy - am a female with a BMI of 22.
3. Should 4 weeks of abstinence get me through the test? Ofcourse I assume it depends on the cut-off that XXXXXXX Clinic tests for? Just thinking about getting a positive test stresses me more and I honestly because my whole career is at stake.
I have bought 2 testing kits online with detection thresholds of 200ng/ml and 100ng/ml. But how do I know what is considered positive by XXXXXXX Clinic?
Thank you!
I have a cotinine urine test for a pre-employment screening at XXXXXXX Clinic in 4 weeks.
I have been a 1/2 pack a day smoker for almost 10 years with smoke free periods of 2-3 months at various times when I tried to quit. But I ended up restarting. Have been smoking 1/2 pack a day for a past year and quit only yesterday. The urine cotinine test is in 4 weeks. I have few questions:
1. What is the detection threshold for the XXXXXXX Clinic urine cotinine test? 200ng/mL or 10ng/mL - as in what is considered positive? Is there a way to find out?
2. I will abstain for the next 4 weeks (and hope to do so after that as well). What else can I do to get a negative result? I try to eat healthy - am a female with a BMI of 22.
3. Should 4 weeks of abstinence get me through the test? Ofcourse I assume it depends on the cut-off that XXXXXXX Clinic tests for? Just thinking about getting a positive test stresses me more and I honestly because my whole career is at stake.
I have bought 2 testing kits online with detection thresholds of 200ng/ml and 100ng/ml. But how do I know what is considered positive by XXXXXXX Clinic?
Thank you!
Brief Answer:
you should be clear
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
You should be clear if you entirely abstain from 4 weeks. There is no way to find out about the testing levels at the XXXXXXX Clinic but almost all tests fall to undetectable after 10 days of abstinence. There are some things you can do to help flush the nicotine out of your system.
Drink plenty of water.
Eat lots of fruits and vegetables with high fiber content.
Consider adding a daily fiber supplement like metamucil with one meal a day.
Exercise every day, this helps remove the nicotine through sweating.
Eat garlic, onions and egg yolks, this helps speed up metabolism of the nicotine and removal from the liver.
Avoid eating nightshade plants (tomatoes, eggplants) they are in the same family as tobacco and may cross react on your test.
Even if you did none of these things I still think your test would be negative, but the more of these you do the more likely your test will be negative.
Good luck and I hope you get the job
Regards,
Dr. Robinson
you should be clear
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
You should be clear if you entirely abstain from 4 weeks. There is no way to find out about the testing levels at the XXXXXXX Clinic but almost all tests fall to undetectable after 10 days of abstinence. There are some things you can do to help flush the nicotine out of your system.
Drink plenty of water.
Eat lots of fruits and vegetables with high fiber content.
Consider adding a daily fiber supplement like metamucil with one meal a day.
Exercise every day, this helps remove the nicotine through sweating.
Eat garlic, onions and egg yolks, this helps speed up metabolism of the nicotine and removal from the liver.
Avoid eating nightshade plants (tomatoes, eggplants) they are in the same family as tobacco and may cross react on your test.
Even if you did none of these things I still think your test would be negative, but the more of these you do the more likely your test will be negative.
Good luck and I hope you get the job
Regards,
Dr. Robinson
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you for your prompt response.
How does consumption of alcohol affect the clearing of the nicotine/cotinine from the system? Should I completely avoid that too?
In 10-14 days, do the levels fall at the level of a non-smoker or can they tell the difference between a non-smoker vs. someone who recently quit?
So I have already gotten the job and they would have to cancel the contract if I test positive for urine cotinine. Basically, I should not worry about testing positive should I? I know and am sure that I will abstain for the next 4 weeks (and hopefully thereafter too), in which situation I SHOULD test negative correct?
Thank you!
How does consumption of alcohol affect the clearing of the nicotine/cotinine from the system? Should I completely avoid that too?
In 10-14 days, do the levels fall at the level of a non-smoker or can they tell the difference between a non-smoker vs. someone who recently quit?
So I have already gotten the job and they would have to cancel the contract if I test positive for urine cotinine. Basically, I should not worry about testing positive should I? I know and am sure that I will abstain for the next 4 weeks (and hopefully thereafter too), in which situation I SHOULD test negative correct?
Thank you!
Brief Answer:
alcohol in moderation is okay
Detailed Answer:
The only problem with alcohol is that it can cause some dehydration and you really want to stay well hydrated to get the nicotine out of the system.
When the levels are non-detectable then they should not be able to tell the difference in a non-smoker and a person that has recently quit.
You should have a non-detectable cotinine if you abstain for 4 weeks.
Yes you will test negative if you do not smoke for 4 weeks.
Do not worry but do not smoke or let yourself be exposed to smoke.
Regards,
Dr. Robinson
alcohol in moderation is okay
Detailed Answer:
The only problem with alcohol is that it can cause some dehydration and you really want to stay well hydrated to get the nicotine out of the system.
When the levels are non-detectable then they should not be able to tell the difference in a non-smoker and a person that has recently quit.
You should have a non-detectable cotinine if you abstain for 4 weeks.
Yes you will test negative if you do not smoke for 4 weeks.
Do not worry but do not smoke or let yourself be exposed to smoke.
Regards,
Dr. Robinson
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you for your reassuring response. I will certainly abstain and hopefully from here on quit forever!
I have heard through a friends' colleague that XXXXXXX Clinic does a quantitative test - so they actually measure the urine cotinine concentration! Not sure what their cut-off is. Do you know much about such quantitative tests and how they are interpreted? Would I be in any kind of trouble with my previous history of being a smoker on such a quantitative test? I mean I understand that dipsticks etc will show me negative after 4 weeks of abstinence, but how about these quantitative tests?
Thank you.
I have heard through a friends' colleague that XXXXXXX Clinic does a quantitative test - so they actually measure the urine cotinine concentration! Not sure what their cut-off is. Do you know much about such quantitative tests and how they are interpreted? Would I be in any kind of trouble with my previous history of being a smoker on such a quantitative test? I mean I understand that dipsticks etc will show me negative after 4 weeks of abstinence, but how about these quantitative tests?
Thank you.
Brief Answer:
should be negative
Detailed Answer:
From everything I have read about cotinine testing, the quantitative tests from urine, blood and buccal swab should all be negative after one month of cessation.
K. Robinson
should be negative
Detailed Answer:
From everything I have read about cotinine testing, the quantitative tests from urine, blood and buccal swab should all be negative after one month of cessation.
K. Robinson
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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