Knowing morning of drug test to-do’s can truly boost your odds of getting a much-desired negative drug test result.
There are simple procedures you can follow to make sure you pass a drug test on short notice. We’ve covered detox products to cleanse your system in 24 hours in previous articles, so today let’s focus on things you should (and not) do before taking the test.
Everything from what you drink and eat to the amount of exercise you do can greatly impact your drug screen results. But first, let’s go through common types of drug screening you may be facing.
Which drug tests detect marijuana in system?
When it comes to drug testing that employers carry out, four types will be used by drug testing labs to detect THC-COOH and other metabolites in employee’s system.
Urine drug test
Urine drug test is the most common type of DOT and non-DOT drug testing used for pre-employment and random drug screens. Also known as urinalysis drug test, it’s cheap and effective way for employers to test their employees.
You’ll be asked to provide a urine sample. In some cases like probation you may be observed while you empty your bladder into the test cup, but if you’re an ordinary member of workforce, odds are you’ll be left alone during urine test.
Urine specimen will then be tested via immunoassay method. This process is quick, and most facilities will provide negative result on short notice, usually within 24 hours.
If drug test shows positive, however, the lab will then re-test it using a process called gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In this case, it’ll take further 3-5 days for employer to receive the final result.
Depending on your THC metabolite levels, you might have enough time to get clean using detox products from a local head shop and pass a drug test naturally.
A chronic medical weed user would want to complete a more thorough detox program instead of relying on head shops, because in this case THC-COOH may be detectable in pee for up to 30 days.
Saliva tests
Also known as mouth swab drug test, saliva test will require a sample of oral fluid from the inside of your mouth. It’s quick and least invasive of all drug tests used by companies before offering employment.
However, saliva test has a shorter detection window for most drugs on 5-panel drug test when compared to a urine test. That said, an occasional marijuana smoker has a good chance of passing oral fluid tests naturally.
Blood tests
Blood test will only be used by companies if they suspect you of very recent drug use. It’s only possible for THC metabolites to be detected in your blood for three to four hours after weed enters your system.
Hair tests
Hair test is the biggest challenge for any chronic user who needs to pass a drug test. This is because hair follicle type of drug test can detect most drugs, including THC metabolites, for up to ninety days in your system.
Things not to do before a drug test
Before we get onto what you should do, let’s have a look at five important things that you need to avoid on the day of drug test.
1. Take prescription drugs
Unless absolutely necessary, it’s best to avoid taking prescription drugs before a drug test. That’s not to say you should go against your doctor’s recommendations. But if you don’t have a prescription, then refrain from taking pills.
Both over-the-counter and doctor-prescribed drugs can cause false-positives on drug tests, and the latter can actually show up as illegal drugs, such as opiates. These aren’t just myths, Ibuprofen has also been known to cause a positive result for THC1.
2. Eat red meat or processed foods
If you’re attending a blood test for anabolic steroids or other performance-enhancing substances, then it’s wise to avoid eating any red meat. The animals might have been fed with supplements that will show up on your drug test.
Wild boar should be avoided too as it contains high amounts of nandrolone. Processed foods shouldn’t be eaten as they can slow down your metabolism, causing drug and THC metabolites to remain in your system longer.
3. Take Vitamin C
You’ll find one or two websites that will recommend taking huge amounts of Vitamin C before a drug test. The theory is that it will help flush marijuana toxins from your system.
But there’s no scientific proof to back this up. You’ll likely just end up with a sick stomach and very yellow pee. Avoid this method, as it’s been proven time and time again that it doesn’t work.
4. Substitute dog urine
Many people try to cheat by switching their urine sample for either dog’s or another person’s pee. The lab will know if sample isn’t from human, so don’t do this.
And if you do obtain someone else’s piss, it still has to be the same temperature as if you just urinated. This way, using cold urine won’t be unnoticed by drug testing facility, and the old one won’t work as well, unless you store it properly.
5. Adulterate with household products
Another method recommended by various people is to use some household products to alter pH level for urine tests. The theory is that this will somehow stop detection of THC or other drugs in the sample. It doesn’t work, though.
The best you can achieve is inconclusive drug test, but further analysis may show adulterants and cause a failed drug test result. Such products include bleach, milk, vinegar, Epsom salt, and Visine (eye drops).
Things to do before a drug test
Now we know what you shouldn’t do, let’s have a look at what actually works.
1. Go straight edge
Sometimes the best methods are the simplest methods. In preparation for a drug test, you need to refrain from smoking marijuana or taking any other drugs. You should also avoid drinking alcohol. You want to get your body in top shape.
Diet is especially important. Try to up your fiber intake by getting as many vegetables and fruit into your body as possible. Exercising is important, too, especially for increasing your metabolism and burning some body fat cells.
The only exception is you need to avoid doing this within twenty-four hours before drug test, for reasons that we’ll cover later in this article.
2. Drink as much water as you can
When it comes to urine tests, water dilution tends to help people pass a drug test, at least according to the Internet. The idea is to up your fluid intake, ideally by drinking water. The magical number that pops up is to drink three bottles of water a day.
Dilution is even more important on the day of a drug test. You’ll be peeing a lot, but this may help by lowering drug concentrations in your bladder. Just don’t overdo it — only consume the amount of water comfortable to you.
The downside of this method is when urine samples are overly-diluted, this may become evident to staff performing drug testing. To counter that, you can take 50mg to 100mg of Vitamin B12, which will give your urine a more natural color.
Taking diuretics such as coffee and cranberry juice can work too. Another option is to take pills designed for premenstrual water retention. All of these will help flush toxins from your bladder by making you urinate more often.
It may be difficult to get the ratios right if you’re trying to pass a drug test for the first time. In this case, a good over-the-counter detox drink may be a better choice. Check out our best detox drink article for more information.
3. Use at-home drug tests
Preparing yourself by buying some at-home drug tests is another good idea. If you’re showing clean test results, it doesn’t mean you can relax, but it indicates that your detox routine is working.
Morning of drug test tips
To make it even more likely that you’ll pass a drug test, make sure you follow these morning tips:
1. Don’t use first morning urine
The first urine of the day is the last thing you want to submit for pee test. It’s going to be filled with drug toxins, so you want to hydrate and urinate as many times as possible before attending a drug test.
If possible, try to schedule your appointment for the late afternoon. When it comes to providing a sample, you also want to give mid-stream pee, as once again, drug metabolites will come out first.
2. Don’t exercise within last 24 hours
If you’re attending a drug test that includes THC and you’re concerned marijuana might show up, you’ll want to avoid exercising within twenty-four hours period before drug testing.
The reason for this is that THC from marijuana is stored in fat reserves. That said, exercise will stimulate your metabolism and lead to burning of fat cells. As a result, metabolites will re-enter your system and later come out in your pee.
3. Eat fatty and junk foods
As mentioned earlier, you want to keep THC-COOH locked in fat cells. A good way of doing so is to eat fatty or even junk foods. Getting yourself a fast-food breakfast on the way to your job will undoubtedly help to mask marijuana use, so enjoy it.
4. Substitute synthetic or powdered urine
If you’re a chronic marijuana smoker or struggling with drug abuse, the only sure-fire way to pass drug testing to switch your pee for synthetic one or for powdered human urine, as long as you sneak it into testing facility.
This is not recommended by us, because tampering with urine sample is illegal in most states. However, there’s a lot of information online that can advise you on ensuring that synthetic pee appears as if it came from your body.
5. Use quality urine additives
Suppose you don’t have time to mix and heat up synthetic urine. The last-minute alternative is to drop a special additive into your own urine specimen, such as Spike or Urine Luck.
Unlike household adulterants, these products have a decent success rate at masking drug use for EMIT tests. Of course, this is not recommended due to the reasons mentioned above, so use at your own risk.
Armed with this information, you should be in a better position to pass a drug test.