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Will Cotinine Urine Test Show Positive Tobacco Result 5 Weeks After Quitting?
Question: Hi,
I have a cotinine urine test for a pre-employment screening at XXXXXXX Clinic in 5 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 5 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?
2. I will abstain for the next 5 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 23.
3. Should 5 weeks of abstinence get me through the test? Just thinking about getting a positive test stresses me more and I honestly and really do want to quit besides passing the pre-employment testing (which by the way determines my whole career).
Honest answers are appreciated - I can try to defer the test a few days in hope of passing it if 5 weeks are not enough.
Thank you!
I have a cotinine urine test for a pre-employment screening at XXXXXXX Clinic in 5 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 5 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?
2. I will abstain for the next 5 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 23.
3. Should 5 weeks of abstinence get me through the test? Just thinking about getting a positive test stresses me more and I honestly and really do want to quit besides passing the pre-employment testing (which by the way determines my whole career).
Honest answers are appreciated - I can try to defer the test a few days in hope of passing it if 5 weeks are not enough.
Thank you!
Brief Answer:
5 weeks is quite a lot
Detailed Answer:
ok.... bmi of 23 is quite ok. But even if you were 33, cotinin does not accumulate in the fat the way chronic marijuana does. It leaves with a half life of about 17 hrs, so.... 5 days lowers the level considerably (1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32, 1/64...about 100 fold in 5 days or a bit lower). Go for the 5 weeks mainly because you will be establishing a good quitting pattern by that amount of time.
5 ug/ml
http://www.mayomedicallaboratories.com/test-catalog/Clinical+and+Interpretive/82510
5 weeks is quite a lot
Detailed Answer:
ok.... bmi of 23 is quite ok. But even if you were 33, cotinin does not accumulate in the fat the way chronic marijuana does. It leaves with a half life of about 17 hrs, so.... 5 days lowers the level considerably (1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32, 1/64...about 100 fold in 5 days or a bit lower). Go for the 5 weeks mainly because you will be establishing a good quitting pattern by that amount of time.
5 ug/ml
http://www.mayomedicallaboratories.com/test-catalog/Clinical+and+Interpretive/82510
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you for the answer. I am interpreting this answer as "I should pass the test as good as a non-smoker if I don't smoke for the the next 5 weeks". Correct?
The value of 5ug/ml mentioned - is that cut-off measured by XXXXXXX Clinic? I see a weblink for Mayo Clinic which is a different medical facility. My question is - would I be as good as a non-smoker on the test with 4-5 weeks of abstinence?
The value of 5ug/ml mentioned - is that cut-off measured by XXXXXXX Clinic? I see a weblink for Mayo Clinic which is a different medical facility. My question is - would I be as good as a non-smoker on the test with 4-5 weeks of abstinence?
Brief Answer:
5 weeks is a reallly long time.
Detailed Answer:
while your lung functions will not improve much by then, your circulation probably will. Your cotinin is going to be undetectable by 2 weeks let alone 5. 5 weeks is over most of the more debilitating withdrawal. You really should consider never going back to cigarettes nor nicotine if you can stay off by 5 weeks. I am not sure about chantix and its cross reactivity with all cotinin tests
Most laboratories send very tricky tests out to a central lab (often the Mayo commercial lab). would need to know which of the XXXXXXX clinics you are using and then I'd have to call them direct tomorrow.
5 weeks is a reallly long time.
Detailed Answer:
while your lung functions will not improve much by then, your circulation probably will. Your cotinin is going to be undetectable by 2 weeks let alone 5. 5 weeks is over most of the more debilitating withdrawal. You really should consider never going back to cigarettes nor nicotine if you can stay off by 5 weeks. I am not sure about chantix and its cross reactivity with all cotinin tests
Most laboratories send very tricky tests out to a central lab (often the Mayo commercial lab). would need to know which of the XXXXXXX clinics you are using and then I'd have to call them direct tomorrow.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
It is the XXXXXXX Clinic in XXXXXXX Ohio. What is their cut-off? You said, "Your cotinin is going to be undetectable by 2 weeks let alone 5." Would it be undetectable within 2 weeks by the XXXXXXX Clinic's testing method/assay?
Is there a way to self test myself before I go for my screening? The cotinine test kits I found online have a threshold of 200ng/ml. Is there anything available with a lower detection threshold?
Thank you!
Is there a way to self test myself before I go for my screening? The cotinine test kits I found online have a threshold of 200ng/ml. Is there anything available with a lower detection threshold?
Thank you!
Brief Answer:
yes... and cheap
Detailed Answer:
http://www XXXXXXX com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=cotinine+test&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=0000&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=0000&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_31w0pww6oh_b
over the counter cotinin tests are probably also available at most drugstores at under 20 dollars.
remember... 17 hrs half life... oh geez.. they have them for second hand smoke.. (1 10th to 1/100th the level of actual smokers....) that's overly sensitive... if they are going for that low you can't say it's from YOU smoking....
yes... and cheap
Detailed Answer:
http://www XXXXXXX com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=cotinine+test&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=0000&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=0000&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_31w0pww6oh_b
over the counter cotinin tests are probably also available at most drugstores at under 20 dollars.
remember... 17 hrs half life... oh geez.. they have them for second hand smoke.. (1 10th to 1/100th the level of actual smokers....) that's overly sensitive... if they are going for that low you can't say it's from YOU smoking....
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you, but that does not answer any of my questions.
It is the XXXXXXX Clinic in XXXXXXX Ohio. What is their cut-off? Is there a way to find out? You said, "Your cotinin is going to be undetectable by 2 weeks let alone 5." Would it be undetectable within 2 weeks by the XXXXXXX Clinic's testing method/assay?
I will use the over the counter test kits but their detection threshold is 200ng/ml. I asked in my question if there is anything available over the counter or online with a lower detection threshold than that?
Thank you.
Basically, is there anything available online or over the counter that would match the detection threshold of what the XXXXXXX Clinic in Ohio tests for, so I can be sure that I will test negative when they test me.
All I know is that they do the urine cotinine test - they do not mention what their threshold for positive or negative is.
It is the XXXXXXX Clinic in XXXXXXX Ohio. What is their cut-off? Is there a way to find out? You said, "Your cotinin is going to be undetectable by 2 weeks let alone 5." Would it be undetectable within 2 weeks by the XXXXXXX Clinic's testing method/assay?
I will use the over the counter test kits but their detection threshold is 200ng/ml. I asked in my question if there is anything available over the counter or online with a lower detection threshold than that?
Thank you.
Basically, is there anything available online or over the counter that would match the detection threshold of what the XXXXXXX Clinic in Ohio tests for, so I can be sure that I will test negative when they test me.
All I know is that they do the urine cotinine test - they do not mention what their threshold for positive or negative is.
Brief Answer:
I really did answer this.
Detailed Answer:
ok... over the counter cotinin tests that are able to detect exposure to second hand smoke. Let us assume that it shows second hand smoke amounts.....
http://www XXXXXXX com/NicAlert-Nicotine-Cotinine-Multiple-Quantities/dp/B002EDPTTI/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=0000&sr=8-4&keywords=cotinine+test+kit
This is a quantitative test. Besides yes/no it also gives amounts.
If it is sensitive enough to detect second hand smoke, then if you are negative, you are going to be negative on any other test. You are very likely to be totally negative at 2 weeks... then if the job one were positive, then it would be positive EVEN IF YOU WERE NOT A SMOKER... so... the workplace test would be too sensitive to be worthwhile/useful. If it is set to only detect smokers, then the over the counter one will be the more sensitive (and can also say if you are at the overly sensitive level or the more reasonable level).
I really did answer this.
Detailed Answer:
ok... over the counter cotinin tests that are able to detect exposure to second hand smoke. Let us assume that it shows second hand smoke amounts.....
http://www XXXXXXX com/NicAlert-Nicotine-Cotinine-Multiple-Quantities/dp/B002EDPTTI/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=0000&sr=8-4&keywords=cotinine+test+kit
This is a quantitative test. Besides yes/no it also gives amounts.
If it is sensitive enough to detect second hand smoke, then if you are negative, you are going to be negative on any other test. You are very likely to be totally negative at 2 weeks... then if the job one were positive, then it would be positive EVEN IF YOU WERE NOT A SMOKER... so... the workplace test would be too sensitive to be worthwhile/useful. If it is set to only detect smokers, then the over the counter one will be the more sensitive (and can also say if you are at the overly sensitive level or the more reasonable level).
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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