local anesthesia and drug test

[jojojojojojo]

I am an incoming nursing student and was asked to do a drug test this coming Friday to be admitted to the RN program. however, I am very nervous because I did two dental deep cleaning last week and the week before last week. The dentist applied local anesthesia for both the two teeth cleaning. Will these two local anesthesia affect the drug test this Fri? I googled a lot of terrible stories in which people did not ever touch drugs but failed drug test because they used Benzocaine, Carbocaine or lidocaine and novocaine.

Please, anyone pass a urine drug test within like 10 days or one week after a local gum anesthesia? A simply yes or even a no is welcomed!

Thanks

[klone, MSN, RN]

The drug test is looking for opiates, benzodiazepines, amphetamines, THC, etc. it's not testing you for presence of lidocaine

[galactose]

From personal experience, I did take a urine drug test after getting dental work for my program. It never came up. If you are really worried, I would have your dentist write something up stating what you were treated for in office, and what medications were used on you during treatment--but only IF the test comes out positive for substances. I did some research, and apparently the benzocaine (etc) utilized in these drugs for dental treatment lack structural components of those in illicit drugs. They can tell the difference in lab between the illicit version and the legal version. As long as you are using modern local anesthesia (which you have), you are fine. It is a common misconception I have read!

[PeakRN]

Your 'caine local anesthetics are sodium channel blockers. They are neither tested for nor have any desired psychotropic effect.

If someone failed a drug screen after those it is from using drugs. There is not a structural or functional similarity between 'caine local anesthetics and cocaine.

["nursy", RN]

Generally speaking, when you test positive, you are asked to provide verification that the drug in question was prescribed to you. You don't just flunk a drug test because something shows up positive.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Merged posts

[jojojojojojo]

thanks everyone. I contacted my dentist, he said the drug used is lidocaine and it is safe. well, I am paranoid! I got a expansive drug test kit from wallgreen and will test myself tomorrow morning. Do you guys know whether the at home kit is as good as the labtotaray stuff? I hope so!

Thanks and hugs to everyone!

[murseman24, MSN, CRNA]

They do not test for local anesthetics. These are not psychotropic drugs, they are not tested. The half-life of lidocaine is 2 hours. A drug is essentially 95 - 97% completely eliminated from your body within 5 half-lives. So ten hours and it's gone. Don't waste your money on the drug test.

[Kallie3006, ADN]

If you're going to go through l that I would just have another test completely independently from the schools at a testing facility and tell them you need a send out, it's about the same price anyways. The other the counter test is a screening test which could show false positives due to over the counter influences. If the home test does show positive for something, and you are truly negative, a confirmation will confirm the negative. The drug test looks for and picks up a sub product of the drug itself with flags the result as "positive" thus screening the test. The "positive" is then confirmed with a GC/MS as a real positive or negative. The GC/MS detects the metabolic breakdown that is specific of said drug or drug class.

Congrats on making the program and good luck with your studies!!

[tiffanyB12]

Lidocaine( or similar med) is not going to be a problem. For starters, it is out of your system already. Second of all, drug screens don't test for it. We do drugs screens at my Urgent Care all the time.

[FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN]

Some drugs do cause false positives on initial urine drug screens. But a urine drug screen is not enough to exclude someone from work or school.

If your screen is positive for one of the drugs tested, they will do a more in depth test.

Make sure you report the drugs you have been prescribed..

[AngelKissed857, BSN, RN]

Relax! I take a prescribed medication that would be a huge red flag if reported to a school or my employer. What happens if you don't pass is that the testing company contacts you and asks for an explanation. I send a picture of the label on my prescription. The school or employer never even know it happened. Your reported as having passed. I've had this happen with 3 different testing companies. It's fine. And- as others have pointed out, lidocaine is not tested for.