DrugTestStrips Articles

One important aspect of drug testing is the detection period. Whenever you proceed to detect any drug in the body, you need to know few mandatory things. First of all, you must know the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile of the drug.

The major route of administration, the mode of ingestion whether in the form of tablets, or smoked or sniffed, the major excretory pathway and finally the average period of time when the drug can be detected in the body without any hindrance are the other things that need special mention. The amount of drug that is consumed plays a major part in maintaining the optimum concentration in the body for its detection.

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The most important way for drugs out of our body is through the renal excretory mechanism. The drugs that are taken orally for systemic absorption and action undergo metabolism in liver or kidney and excreted mainly via urine. This forms the basis of urine drug testing methods in most of the 10 drug test panel, nida 12 panel drug test, drug test 5 panel nondot and several other drug multi panel screen test that are available in online drug testing companies.
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Amphetamine is a psychotomimetic drug that stimulates the central nervous system. It is commonly used to treat Attention-deficit hyperactive disorder and narcolepsy. The drug has the effects of psycho dependence and cause addiction with long-term use. Some of the street names of the drug are ups, wake-ups, bennies, pep pills, etc. amphetamine urine drug screen is commonly used as a primary testing method for amphetamines.

Abusive properties of amphetamine:

Amphetamine is a strong CNS stimulant that blocks the uptake of dopamine, stimulates the release of monoamines and produces effects of euphoria, accelerated respiration, feelings of pleasure, strength, motivation, decrease appetite, and increased wakefulness.

The effects of amphetamine is similar to that of cocaine, but the effect of amphetamine can last for longer hours when compared to cocaine effects which lasts only for less than an hour. The drug can be taken orally, intra-nasally when it is in powder form, intravenously when dissolved in water, and also can be smoked.

Short-term effects of amphetamine include dry mouth, dilated pupils, suppressed appetite, irregular or increased heart rate, increased respiration, increased talkativeness, enhanced power and strength, paranoia, cardiovascular failures, nausea, palpitations, etc.

When the drug is taken in its high doses than prescribed and the usage of it for a long term will have effects such as difficulty breathing, arrhythmias, ulcers, severe psychosis such as schizophrenia, behavioral disorders, skin disorders, seizures, coma, and even death.

Symptoms of withdrawal of amphetamine are excessive sleeping, anxiety, depression, agitation, and tiredness. The withdrawal symptoms are usually treated with placebo agents. The drugs amineptine and mirtazapine are also used to control the withdrawal symptoms, but they have their own limitations.

Drug testing for amphetamine can be done as a single panel test or it can be done as a part of four panel drug test, 10 panel drug screen or as one of the multiple panel tests.

Medical properties of amphetamine:

Initial use of the amphetamine was as inhalers to relieve nasal congestions, asthma, etc. A research has also showed that the drug can be used to treat migraine, muscular rigidity and spasm, dysmenorrhea, and hypotension. The most common use of the drug is to treat Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), narcolepsy, obesity, and Parkinson’s disease.

Benzodiazepines are a class of drugs that are used as sedative for treating insomnia, anxiety, and seizures. Benzodiazepine drug testing is used to identify benzodiazepine.

They are psychoactive drugs which act as a muscle relaxant. Some of the commonly used benzodiazepine drugs are lorazepam, Diazepam, etc.The drug enha7nces the activities of GABA (Gamma-amino butyric acid) neurotransmitter in the brain which helps in slowing down the neuronal activities thereby producing sedative effects.

There are 2 categories of benzodiazepines.They are short-acting and long-acting. The short-acting benzodiazepines are excreted out from the body in a short period. The long-acting benzodiazepines get accumulated in the blood stream and are cleared out after a long time.

Abusive properties of Benzodiazepine: Benzodiazepine when used for a longer term causes psychological dependence and one is bound to become addicted to the drug.The drug is usually taken orally either in capsule form or tablet form.Short-term effects of Benzodiazepine when used at moderate doses are dizziness, confusion, motor coordination impairment, slurred speech, changed vision, respiratory distress, depression, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea, etc.

Pre employment drug testing companies do check for most of the drugs via ten panel drug screen test, 12 panel drug test, 5 panel drug screen, etc.

High doses of Benzodiazepines can cause euphoric effects, decreased level of reflexes, erratic behavior.

Long-term use of the drug will causes accumulation in the blood stream and results in disorientation, lack of coordination, muscle weakness, slurred speech, etc.In this case, the over dosage effects may not at all be evident for some days.

This is also characterized by severe withdrawal symptoms.They include insomnia, tremors, delusion, perspiration, etc.However, the onset of withdrawal symptoms takes some time for long-term users.

Medical properties:
The medical properties of benzodiazepines helps in the treatment of anxiety disorders, sleep disorders including insomnia, and status epilepticus.It is also used as an effective antispasmodic agent to provide muscle relaxation.The drug is also used to produce preoperative sedation and amnesia.

Cocaine: Cocaine is an alkaloid which is extracted from the coca leaves.It stimulates the central nervous system and creates psychological dependence with its prolonged usage.

Abusive properties of cocaine:
When it is in powder form, it is inhaled.It is dissolved in water and injected. It is also available in forms which can be smoked when combined with other drugs. It is not commonly taken per oral as this has resulted in very adverse effects including death. Cocaine when smoked, known as crack, has more quick and powerful effect.

It has the potential of affecting both the physical and mental health of a person. The users report periods of euphoria, increased physical and mental strength, less hunger, etc. This might also develop to restlessness, emotional instability, fear, tremor, twitching of certain muscles, hallucinations, and cocaine psychosis which might result in paranoia and maniac disorders.

The other effects may be in the form of dilated pupils, nausea, headache, vomiting, vertigo, etc. The serious effects of cocaine abuse are headaches and vertigo due to hypothermia, stroke, coma, decreased blood pressure, etc.

As mostly cocaine is snorted through nostrils, there are increased complaints of nasal bleed, nasal irritation, etc.The use of it damages the mucous membrane on the nasal septum which results in perforation in nasal septum.

Cocaine when smoked affects the lungs directly and increases the possibilities of chronic bronchitis and chronic coughing which might lead to shortness of breath and chest pain.

Medical properties of Cocaine:
Though cocaine is termed as a psychoactive drug, it was originally known for its medicinal value and as an effective drug for alcohol addiction, depression, tiredness.Its use as a local anesthetic in dentistry and throat surgeries were really tremendous.In the 1880s, a drink containing cocaine from the coca leaf and caffeine from kola nut was introduced.It was considered to be a great remedy for headaches, abdominal pain, and menstrual cramps.

Cocaine drug test can be easily used to identify cocaine abuse cocaine drug test kit is available exclusively to test just cocaine or you can try those drug screening kits that permit you to test for several other drugs of abuse and you might be able to Benzo drug screening, drug testing for amphetamine and lot more for up to 12 drugs in one single test strip!

Definition: Marijuana is a drug extracted from the dried flowers, stems, and leaves of hemp plant, biologically known as Cannabis sativa. The psychoactive or the mind-changing ingredient in this drug is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol(THC). It is also called as weed, pot, reefer, or grass in United States.

Abusive properties of Marijuana:
The effects of Marijuana use is severe and several. They result in lot of physical and mental problems. The adverse effects of marijuana are:

Short-term effects and immediate physiecal effects of Marijuana:
The short term effects include increased heart beat and pulse, dry mouth, dry throat, loss of coordination, blood shot eyes, decreased blood pressure.

The long-term users of marijuana develop psychological dependence on it. They face problems in controlling the use of marijuana. They will start wanting for more of the drug to get the same effect.

Effects on brain: The THC in the marijuana acts on the cannabinoid receptors on the nerve cells of the brain which is in charge of the coordination, memory, pleasure, concentration, and perception movements.

Effect on heart: The effect of marijuana use is quicker than the effect of tobacco use. It increases the heart beat and also causes chest pain in persons with problem in blood supply to the heart.

Effect on lungs: Marijuana is most of the time is inhaled. The smoke affects the lung tissues and damages them which may result in many disease conditions like lung cancer and emphysema.

Medical properties of Marijuana
Contrary to the above, Marijuana is known to have medical properties. It is reported to be an effective analgesic and anticonvulsant. Marijuana is also used as medicine to many disease conditions. Some of them are anorexia, asthma, hypertension, insomnia, depression, glaucoma, and migraine. A recent study has also shown that marijuana is effective in controlling the nausea when one is exposed to chemotherapy treatment for cancer.

Those who are guilty of THC abuse might try to pass THC drug test. There are several home drug tests for marijuana and THC drug screen is not as complicated after the coming of the marijuana drug testing which you can do on your own.

There are primarily five types of drug testing methods. They are:

1. Urine Drug Testing: The main advantage of this test is that it is less expensive. This urine drug testing kit can be used even at home. This is a very effective method in case of longer and regular usage of drugs. The disadvantage of this method is that it cannot be used to check the current use of drugs and that there are lot of possibilities that the samples may be substituted or altered. Care should be taken while collecting the sample. In other words, it should be done under supervision.

2. Saliva drug testing: The saliva drug testing kit can be used easily to collect the sample and is also non-intrusive. These are less costly than blood tests. This is considered to be the best method to detect the current drug usage. This can be used to detect about 8 different drugs.

3. Hair test: The main advantage is that this test has a longer-detection window (up to 90 days). These are mostly preferred for their less chances of adulteration. Around 6 varieties of drugs can be detected using this test. This, of course, is not a suitable method of detecting current usage of drug.

4. Sweat drug test: Sweat drug test kit is very user friendly and can be collected easily. This is a bit costlier than other tests, but the results are more accurate. The drug detection window is approximately 2 weeks. The main drawback in this test is that only limited types of drugs can be detected.

Most of the panel tests are preliminary tests and are meant to test for just one or more types of drugs. In cases where the preliminary tests show positive, then the samples are sent across for advanced testing.

Drug dependency can be of two types; either physical or psychological. Physical dependence is mainly seen when the drug is withdrawn. It produces a spectrum of symptoms opposite to the effects of the drug itself which are called as withdrawal symptoms. Psychological dependence is the compulsion to take the drug in order to maintain a state of well being. It can also occur in the absence of physical dependence. Cocaine, cannabis, LSD, amphetamines, anti depressants and anti psychotics does not produce any physical dependence. Alcohol, cocaine, morphine and LSD produce psychosis.

A varied range of drug testing methods are available to check drug dependency including multiple drug testing kits like 10 drug panel screen, 12 panel drug screen, 5 panel urine drug test, and even single panel drug testing kits.

Drug dependency is characterized by loss of appetite and weight, clumsy movements, unsteady gait, tremors, reddening and puffiness of the eyes, unclear vision, slurring of speech, loss of interest, sleeplessness, lethargy and passivity, acute anxiety, depression, profuse sweating, mood changes, temper tantrums, depersonalization, emotional detachment, impaired memory and concentration, preference for solitude, especially spending long hours in the toilet.

Withdrawal symptoms appear usually 6 to 8 hours after the stoppage of the drug or may be delayed to 24 to 48 hours which mainly depends on the type of drug abused and the duration of addiction. Other factors that determine addiction are dose of drug and the suddenness of the withdrawal of the drug.

Early symptoms are chillness, uneasiness, yawning, rhinorrhea and sensation of cold. This is followed by the difficulty in the respiration, goose skin, lacrimation, gross tremors and dilated pupil. Loss of appetite is invariably present in all the stages. In the third stage, the addict goes into sleep lasting from 8 to 16 hours. When they wake up, they find increased intensity in the symptoms. There would also be cramps in the legs and abdomen, perspiration, fever, increased blood pressure, vomiting and diarrhea.

Cocaine urine drug test identifies cocaine abuse or intake. Cocaine is a capable CNS stimulant and it is widely used as an anesthetic. The metabolic cycle of cocaine is hydrolysis of the drug to ecgonine methyl ester and benzoylecgonine. Benzoylecgonine, which is the primary metabolite, is readily detected for 3 days with a basic piss test for cocaine. Chronic use of cocaine has benzoylecgonine detected by piss testing for cocaine for quite a long time.

Benzoylecgonine is the target analyte for drug testing cocaine. Interestingly in cases where other combination anesthetics have been used like benzocaine, procaine or lidocaine does cause cross reactivity but does not cause false positives. In cases of primary positives it is possible that some beverages are likely to contain cocaine and even trace amounts will show positive cocaine in preliminary immunoassay; however, it will be better if the labs that do the final quantitative analysis have a reliable analytical procedure that can give a good data and can help differentiate between unknown consumption of cocaine rather than illegal or over-dosages of the same. However, the FDA will not support the fact that the test positive is due to unknown ingestion of the compound.

Many people have reported to be confused about how they can test positive when they have not abused at all. Sometimes, this might be the case when they are after an anesthetic procedure, but in many cases there are people that report to have tested positive even if they had not taken even therapeutic drugs. Since such arguments are one-sided and there are not enough test protocols to differentiate between unknown ingestion and knowing ingestion the consequence of a positive is stringent for everyone.

Apart from being able to detect the parent cocaine in coc test for piss most of the metabolites of cocaine have been reported to be present even in the meconium, which might be a consequence of maternal crack use when the mother was pregnant with the baby. Even in cases where there has been abstinence after the mother has been pregnant there have been reported data where the meconium of 17 week old fetus has cocaine.

Before showing up for cocaine drug testing it will be wise if you be sure to indicate any therapeutic drugs you are on or perhaps report any cocaine anesthetic treatments you might have had. In medical ingestions you might always have the transcript for proof, but otherwise, they might not listen if you tell you took them unknowingly.

For any kind of help regarding choosing the right kind of cocaine drug test feel free to contact the help desk of www.drugteststrips.com at info@drugteststrips.com or at toll free: 1 (866) 937-8483, and the consultations are absolutely free.

Drug test for hydrocodone, Drug test for lortab, drug test for morphine, drug test for vicodin and drug test for heroin do turn positive for opiates. Any opiate positive drug test in qualitative analysis should be further sent for GC/MS analysis to determine the roots of opiate positive. It can be any one of the drugs or it can be a combination of all such drugs or any other pure form of opiate abuse. By all means preliminary panel tests will give a clue to possible addiction or over dosage. And, an expert lab technician will know to arrive at the exact drug abused by performing advanced testing like GC/MS. Chemically hydrocodone, lortab, morphine, vicodin and heroin yield opioid positive.

Hydrocodone is a kind of opioid and it is mostly habit forming. This medication is used as a narcotic; however, there are a lot of possibilities for someone to become dependent on this medication. Patients tend to take more dosage of this medication or they tend to take it for a longer duration than what they are actually prescribed. It is not easy to stop hydrocodone all of a sudden. It should be weaned gradually. Therefore it is very important to take this preparation only under medical guidance.

Lortab is a combination of acetaminophen and hydrocodone. This is a pain relief formula meant for moderate to a bit high pain; however, the combination of acetaminophen and hydrocodone works better than individual hydrocodone. Lortab might cause drowsiness, slight dizziness, blurry vision, or lightheadedness in some people. These kinds of effects might go worse if you take it with alcohol or certain medicines. It is normally advised that one should not do any kind of heavy lifting, driving or security sensitive jobs 6 hours from the intake of Lortab.

Morphine is a narcotic pain reliever that is used to treat severe to moderate pain. It functions by suppressing the pain perception centers in the brain. Morphine is available as instant release and extended release formulas.

Vicodin is also a combination of acetaminophen and vicodin. Over dosage can cause liver damage. Using extra dosages on missed dosage of vicodin can lead to side effects of overdose. If you miss on a dosage, better take the next dosage on the correct time than taking a compensation dosage plus a regular dosage.

Heroin is obtained from morphine. The usage of heroin gives a high feeling quickly after ingestion by inhalation or snorting. The CNS function is depressed, which gives a combined feeling of euphoria, drowsiness combined with a bit of wakefulness and sorts.

For any kind of help regarding choosing drug test for hydrocodone, lortab, morphine, vicodin or heroin feel free to contact the help desk of www.drugteststrips.com at info@drugteststrips.com or at toll free: 1 (866) 937-8483 and the consultations are absolutely free.

THC urine test is done to detect Tetrahydrocannabinol also known as THC. Tetrahydrocannabinol is a psychoactive compound found in the marijuana plant (cannabis). Most teens and employees on high risk jobs are found to abuse marijuana in a bit, which with the passing of time becomes chronic addiction and thereby leads to decreased performance in school and in the work place. THC drug testing with test strips is the most effective, easiest and inexpensive testing method. (more…)

Many people are against school drug testing, while others feel that it is necessary to provide regulation and to protect the welfare of the students.  At the heart of the debate for drug testing in schools is the right to privacy and the problems of drug abuse among students.

The US Supreme Court ruled in that schools could test student athletes for drug use.  In 1998, the US 7^th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that all students participating in extracurricular activities could be tested for drug use.  However, since then some courts have banned the testing of students.

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While purchasing a home drug test kit, it is important to analyze your specific needs in order to find the best value and to cover all bases. It might be a good idea to sit down with a pen and paper and think through your objectives for an at home drug test. Once you sort through all of the possible reasons for testing, you may have a clearer idea of what drug screen best suits your needs.

When you buy drug testing kits, you can choose very inexpensive tests that detect only one or two drugs. For more money you can test for more drugs. If you plan to perform tests on a regular basis, you can purchase in bulk. Either way, there are many types of screening cards, cups, and devices that target different drugs and provide different levels of convenience.

For example, if you are dealing with a teenager who is only supplied with marijuana, you may want to use the Marijuana(THC) Test Card #DTH-114. This test card sells for only $1.95. This affordable price makes it a reasonable solution for long term planning for an at home drug test. The one step marijuana test strip is a rapid chromatographic immune assay that detects 11-nor-∆9 -THC-9 COOH (THC metabolite) in human urine at a cut-off concentration of 50 ng/mL by using a monoclonal antibody to. What this means to the average user is that the test detects elevated levels of marijuana in urine quickly and in one step without expensive instruments or sending a sample to a laboratory. The test card is 95% to 98% accurate and FDA approved.

A one panel test card may be too specific as an at home drug test kit for someone who is using a variety of drugs or who may move from abusing one drug to another. For example, someone addicted to stimulants often builds a tolerance to the drug they started with and it is common for users to progress to stronger stimulants in order to maintain the same results. In this case, an at home drug test should cover the drugs that are suspected and others in the same family. An 8-Drug Test Card (COC/AMP/mAMP/THC/OPI/PCP/BAR/BZO) detects cocaine, amphetamines, methamphetamines, marijuana, opiates, phencyclidine, barbiturates, and benzodiazepine. If an individual uses amphetamines, they are at higher risk of using cocaine. This test covers both drugs and others. It is convenient and portable so that it can be used at home, in the work place, in school, in institutions, or in law enforcement agencies.

Shipping for all of the at home drug test kits is discreet. They provide accurate results that can be verified with further analytical methods if they need to be confirmed.

Drug abuse can begin in many subtle ways and grow into an addiction that includes more than one drug.  Even people who have been to an alcohol and drug abuse treatment center must work every day to maintain sobriety.  Even when people abuse drug prescription, rehabilitation may not be enough.  Street drugs and prescription drugs can cause physical or psychological addictions that require support and monitoring.  Drug tests can hold individuals accountable for maintaining sobriety over time.

6-Drug Test Card (COC/AMP/mAMP/THC/OPI/PCP) #DOA-164

six drug test card is an inexpensive way to test for cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, marijuana (THC), opiates, and phencyclidine.  The test card is FDA approved and is very easy to use.  This test has a dip and read design for detecting the drugs indicated.  The results are 95% to 98% accurate and ready in a few minutes.  They are set to the SAMSHA cut off levels.  This test is designed to be a preliminary test that must be verified by gas chromatography or mass spectrometry if confirmed results are necessary.  However, the card itself is very accurate and can be used with the judgment of the clinician.  These common drugs can be easily detected for a low price of $6.15.

AlcoMate Prestige (AL6000)

The AlcoMate Prestige is ideal for alcohol testing.  This new, portable breathalyzer has the latest alcohol sensory technology and great new features. It is great for testing at home, in the workplace, in institutions, in schools, and for law enforcement agencies.  Instead of dealing with messy sample specimens or waiting for results over a period of time, this breathalyzer is accurate, ‘510’ cleared, and easy to use with privacy.  Even the shipping is discreet.

Adulterant Test

For people with an abuse attitude, substance testing must be monitored carefully.  Because of this, an adulterant test may be needed to verify the purity of a urine sample.  The Specimen Validity Test (Adulteration Test Strips) allows you to detect adulterants in the urine.  The prices range from $1.25 to $1.05 each depending on the number of tests purchased.  The following adulterant indicators may be detected:
•    Oxidant/PCC
•    Specific Gravity
•    pH
•    Glutaraldehyde
•    Nitrites
•    Creatinine
Color coding allows the user to read the results of the adulterant test.  The test is easy to use and allows one to detect when pills or some other foreign substance has been added to the urine sample.
Drug testing does not have to be done in a facility.  It is not necessary to consult a professional for a preliminary drug test.  By choosing the tests that best fit the situation, individuals and organizations can gain more regulation regarding drug abuse.  When an alcohol and drug abuse treatment center is not enough, consider testing with privacy and dignity.