Does the average urinalysis differentiate between benzos?

[dingleberry]

I would really like to know for sure, but I am assuming this is one of those things that cannot be answered 100% either way (due to the various types of testing methods). I have heard, that to test for the different types of benzos it takes a very advanced expensive test that is unlikely to be used by a pain clinic or an employer, for the most part their tests just show if benzos are present or not.

I have also heard things to contradict this. My question refers to urinalysis only and not hair follicle or saliva. My question is also geared toward the standard pain clinic. If anyone with first hand experience knows and they themselves switch between benzos successfully when they are prescribed only one type. Let me know your experience/ situation for sure.

Thanks in advance PR community.

[fatalframe]

I have never seen a urine test that would have been able to differentiate between different types of benzos, and I also worked in a hospital lab for 3 months, some kind of "summer job" if you will). I believe they could only differentiate if they did extensive blood.analysis, which they would not do (cause expensive)

[lttlmrmade]

[/U]

I would really like to know for sure, but I am assuming this is one of those things that cannot be answered 100% either way (due to the various types of testing methods). I have heard, that to test for the different types of benzos it takes a very advanced expensive test that is unlikely to be used by a pain clinic or an employer, for the most part their tests just show if benzos are present or not.

I have also heard things to contradict this. My question refers to urinalysis only and not hair follicle or saliva. My question is also geared toward the standard pain clinic. If anyone with first hand experience knows and they themselves switch between benzos successfully when they are prescribed only one type. Let me know your experience/ situation for sure.

Thanks in advance PR community.

dingleberry, I just looked it up and it says "if a drug metabolite is found in the urine, the assay does not indicate frequency of drug use or distinguish between drug of abuse and certain foods and medicines" Cortez Diagnostics, Inc., diagnosticautomation.com.
Also, "At the moment, the standard screening procedure for benzodiazepines is unable to distinguish between different kinds of benzodiazepines. At the minimum, it is best to wait for one day before drug testing for Xanax to make sure it is out of your body. But, depending on frequency and length of use, you might want to wait for 3 days before drug testing (for an infrequent user) up to 4-6 weeks for a chronic user before testing for Xanax." Addictionblog.com

[Chancer]

@dingleberry
Great question as I have wondered the same because I have taken a few different ones and can only justify two off them and the Xanax is a big red flag because we don't prescribe it in the UK.
@fatalframe
Excellent answer, I did have a urine test done when I was in the psych ward and was on a manic high and the incompetent staff thought I was taking drugs.

They asked "have you been taking drugs?". To which I answers "of course I have been taking drugs, I am in hospital and you have my drug chart fool" :-)

[dingleberry]

Thanks @lttlmrmade and @fatalframe, I am really hopeful that they don't differentiate, mostly b/c I know benzos like cannabis can stay in your system a long time. The majority of research I have done indicate differentiating in a drug screen between benzos is unlikely in a urinalysis at a pain clinic or hospital type setting.

[fatalframe]

NOw I'm not a chemist but I'm 85% sure that cannabis is no benzodiazepine .But regarding your benzo test, you'll be fine, d/w

[Dougfresh]

The benzo test is just that, a benzo panel that detects an array of benzos. I keep 2-3 tabs (xanax) in a script bottle that was prescribed to me for panic and flying and it is a "as needed use". If I come up for a test and am asked about it I just would show the bottle and explain. If it went any further lawyer up because my script is legit and my issues are none of their business. Typically drug screenings are just linked to accidents at my place of work, and not sure if benzo would be on the panel.

[lttlmrmade]

I would really like to know for sure, but I am assuming this is one of those things that cannot be answered 100% either way (due to the various types of testing methods). I have heard, that to test for the different types of benzos it takes a very advanced expensive test that is unlikely to be used by a pain clinic or an employer, for the most part their tests just show if benzos are present or not.

I have also heard things to contradict this. My question refers to urinalysis only and not hair follicle or saliva. My question is also geared toward the standard pain clinic. If anyone with first hand experience knows and they themselves switch between benzos successfully when they are prescribed only one type. Let me know your experience/ situation for sure.

Thanks in advance PR community.

My friend has been going to a pain management doctor for years, but just recently they began drug testing (she is straight as an arrow and takes as prescribed and just came through her third back surgery!)! I asked her and she said she has changed meds a couple of times and no specific med was mentioned, just the drug class!! Hope this helps a little more!!

[endo1]

I dont believe the "average" one can but I wouldnt be surprised if more sophisticated ones (which I bet my left nut you wont have to take, and again, im not entirely sure what im saying is 100% accurate) could differentiate, simply because they detect usage in part by measuring levels of drug metabolites. For example, I dont believe valium and clonazepam share any drug metabolites, so technically you could distinguish the two by testing for say, oxazepam (a metabolite of valium and several other benzos, so really this wouldnt distinguish valium use from clonazepam use, just clonazepam from drugs that share the oxazepam metabolite) vs. 7-aminoclonazepam but like I said, I think that would be an advanced, benzo specific test that I REALLY dont think you'd ever be subjected to. Hope everything goes well.

chromotography and mass spectromotry (possibly some spectroscopy techniques too) can definitely distinguish them from one another.

[dingleberry]

@endo1 @lttlmrmade @Dougfresh @fatalframe
Thanks all for your input, I greatly appreciate it. I am fortunate in that I would have an excuse for xanax in my analysis if need be, and also I am confident I would not be discharged for this issue anyway, at the worst a warning. But I still like to follow rules as best I can and knowing how things are these days it is still a concern for me. Maybe I am just paranoid, but its better safe than sorry. Luckily for me I have a situation that is not a rigid pain clinic type of situation so I will be fine but I can't feel good about taking another benzo if I think it might be detected and by chance brought up even though I know I wouldn't be discharged for such an offense and have a good excuse if it comes down to it. But for people in pain management rx'd benzo's this is a good topic to consider as many doctors are not nearly as understanding or forgiving as the guy I currently see. Its a good feeling to not have to feel like walking on egg shells all the time and completely paranoid about something like this but I still rather play by the rules, and I do for the most part but I don't want issues becuase I take a xanax once in a while while my main rx is for clonazepam.

[tirednurse]

The only thing I would add to the above given advice is that if you are taking significantly more(regardless of what benzo it is)than what is prescribed the elevated levels can show up on certain tests. Decrease the day before and hydrate well to be safe.

[dingleberry]

The benzo test is just that, a benzo panel that detects an array of benzos. I keep 2-3 tabs (xanax) in a script bottle that was prescribed to me for panic and flying and it is a "as needed use". If I come up for a test and am asked about it I just would show the bottle and explain. If it went any further lawyer up because my script is legit and my issues are none of their business. Typically drug screenings are just linked to accidents at my place of work, and not sure if benzo would be on the panel.

Well yes but it would not be a benzo specific test of course it is a general urinalysis for multiple drugs.

*This post was auto-merged. The following text was added 5 minutes after the last post:*

The only thing I would add to the above given advice is that if you are taking significantly more(regardless of what benzo it is)than what is prescribed the elevated levels can show up on certain tests. Decrease the day before and hydrate well to be safe.

Very good advice, I was thinking/ wondering the same time. Fortunately, I am already rx'd a large amount but I would definitely consider tuning it down to the rx'd amount starting say 3 days before the test to play it safe.

I know this is a good concern because when they gave me the first test they said it was to get a "baseline" to compare other tests to I assume. At the time I was not taking benzos, so I suppose consistency is the issue and it is easier to be consistent if their analysis reads as it should if I take the prescribed amount.

[dingleberry]

[/U]

dingleberry, I just looked it up and it says "if a drug metabolite is found in the urine, the assay does not indicate frequency of drug use or distinguish between drug of abuse and certain foods and medicines" Cortez Diagnostics, Inc., diagnosticautomation.com.
Also, "At the moment, the standard screening procedure for benzodiazepines is unable to distinguish between different kinds of benzodiazepines. At the minimum, it is best to wait for one day before drug testing for Xanax to make sure it is out of your body. But, depending on frequency and length of use, you might want to wait for 3 days before drug testing (for an infrequent user) up to 4-6 weeks for a chronic user before testing for Xanax." Addictionblog.com

Yes, it can certainly very wildly with the benzos in regard to the lingering or lack thereof in ones system of them. Thanks again for the research it is really very much appreciated. @lttlmrmade

[alumni]

Thanks @lttlmrmade and @fatalframe, I am really hopeful that they don't differentiate, mostly b/c I know benzos like cannabis can stay in your system a long time. The majority of research I have done indicate differentiating in a drug screen between benzos is unlikely in a urinalysis at a pain clinic or hospital type setting.

As noted earlier, cannabis is obviously not a benzodiazepine.
The question about identifying specific benzo metabolites through a urine tox screen depends entirely on the type of test being administered (number of panels and/or exam by GC-MS) and the actual drugs being used.
For instance, the metabolites of Klonopin and those of Xanax are readily identifiable as different when examined by a lab.
Whether this level of analysis is "likely" in a pain management or hospital setting is anyone's guess. I've seen it both ways.

[dingleberry]

As noted earlier, cannabis is obviously not a benzodiazepine.
The question about identifying specific benzo metabolites through a urine tox screen depends entirely on the type of test being administered (number of panels and/or exam by GC-MS) and the actual drugs being used.
For instance, the metabolites of Klonopin and those of Xanax are readily identifiable as different when examined by a lab.
Whether this level of analysis is "likely" in a pain management or hospital setting is anyone's guess. I've seen it both ways.

Yes I definitely don't want to confuse anyone cannabis is definitely nothing like benzodiazipines I only used it as an example because it is the only thing off the top of my head I can think of that (can in some cases) stores in fat cells for very long periods of time, though I am sure there are many other, perhaps much better examples from which to compare.

Also, I am beginning to think it may not be possible to reign in any sort of consensus on a period in which it takes for for say xanax to leave ones system good enough for a urine screen. There seems to be many factors at play to consider which inhibit the ability to give a straight standard answer for that question...

[Lynx4]

Both pain clinics I went to tested for everything except methadone and subutex (unless you were prescribed methadone; then they'd check the box for methadone too).

I don't know how all the other clinics in the US do it; I only know that my clinics could tell me every benzo that was in me, every opiate/opiod, how much, all of its metabolites, etc. They used a dip test initially and then sent that urine off to the lab for the gc/ms testing. The doctor I have now seals the urine bottle as soon as you come out of the bathroom and sends it off to be tested for everything, and he's a small, one man clinic. The larger clinic I went to initially used the strips and dipped them in the urine to make sure opiates were in your system but they also sent them off for a gc/ms test. I live in the North East so I don't know if that makes a difference. All I know is that I'd better have my drugs in my system and I'd better not have anything else! My doc lets me see my tox screens and they have gotten very fancy even to the point of having a graph showing where my medicine should show up on the graph and where it does show up (some people excrete meds slower or faster than others and it's a good tool for the doc).

So yeah, if the doctor wants to know what's in your system he can find it easily

[penha]

The benzo test is just that, a benzo panel that detects an array of benzos. .

That has been my understanding of it as well

[Perromaldido]

@dingleberry, I canmot answer for your country or state, but here and elsewhere the basic 5 panels screening won't reveal whick kind of benzo you are or have been on in the recent past. It'll just test you postive for bdp and tell where on the bdp scale you are. This scale may differ from country to country but by experience a number like 250 is enough to drive a doc nuts (literally: '' If I had your bdp value I'd be dead flat on that bed with an oxygen mask on''). To actually ''see'' what is it you've been taking they should check for the metabolites and recognize them. Oh and btw it's obvious but never give you first morn urine, drink plenty of water and give the sample as late as possible

[tirednurse]

Just to clarify much of what has been said above, most of which is excellent advice, What shows up in the urine drug test first of all depends on what kind of test they are going to do. You have a 5, 10 and 12 panel test and there may be more than that since the last time I researched this particular subject. When they dip the urine it shows whether or not any metabolites are present. When they send it to the lab it will show exactly how much you have been taking. The metabolites buil up in your body and will show up in the excreted urine. If you have been using more than you are prescribed the metabolite level will be higher. 3 days may not be enough to reduce that level to where it should be, if possible I would reduce for a longer period of time. One more added note, as well as hydrating the day before and of your test make sure you give a mid-stream urine sample. Most metabolites are in the first and last portion of the urine. Hopefully this will help. I have researched this subject quite a bit for a friend of mine who was in the same situation but for a different medication. The research was perhaps a bit over a year ago but I think most of this holds true.

As a nurse I just want to state that if you are taking much more medication than you have been prescribed perhaps it might be a good idea to talk to your practicioner about this so you can have a legit script with the amount that is appropriate for your needs or find a way to cut back to what you are prescribed. I have heard that detoxing from benzos is a real nightmare. Good luck

[Perromaldido]

Hello there @tirednurse. Thanks a lot about the mid stream urine suggestion. Until I read this, I thought that the best one to give was the very last cc's. That's helpful primarily because my urine is checked routinely to renew my driving licence. Thank God not for drugs but for a ridicolus 0,7 alcohol breath test while driving home.

On a completely different note (excuse me but I just can't help it) I wonder if the lady in your avatar and a couple of the pictures you've published is you. That being the case, I think that (among other reasons) you may be tired of all those men flying around you like damn, annoying mosquitos ;-)