Does Ambien Show Up On A Drug Test? Measures To Avoid A Positive Test Result

It should be a known fact that Ambien is used for sleeping issues like insomnia. But people have been using this drug for other motives. They use Ambien without medical guidance to take advantage of its sedative and hypnotic properties. This can definitely cause some side effects and dependence, but the habit can fire back in one instance. People using Ambien need to be careful as it might show up in many drug tests. Healthcare professionals are well-versed about the dangers of this sleeping pill. This blog will help us understand how does Ambien show up on a drug test. 

How To Use Ambien Safely To Avoid Detection In Drug Tests?

Understanding Ambien And Mechanism

Ambien is a sedative-hypnotic drug used for relief from insomnia. It is also sold by its generic name Zolpidem which is much more common among people. The immediate-release version of Ambien can help you fall asleep quickly, while its extended-release tablet Ambien CR provides long-lasting sleep. Ambien medication works in our brain as a modulator for GABA receptors. It enhances the inhibitory effects of GABAergic neurotransmitters. It also binds with GABA subunits and in this whole mechanism leads to the calming sensation of the sedative drug. This helps the drug to give you a sound sleep for as long as 6-8 hours.

How Long Does Ambien Stay In Your System? 

The understanding of Ambien’s duration becomes crucial to know when you don’t want to test positive for it. In normal conditions, Ambien must stay in your system for a whole day. It stays in our urine for 24-48 hours. Zolpidem remains in our blood for as short as 6 hours or at its maximum for 20 hours. It stays for almost 5 weeks in our hair but only for 8 hours in the saliva. That is one way to determine how long does Ambien show up on a drug test. But it can be traced for up to three days in our system.

Does Ambien Show Up On A Standard Drug Test?

It is not usual for Ambien to be on a standard drug test screening. Unlike specialized drug tests focusing only on Ambien, a 5-panel or 12-panel drug test would not show the sleeping pill. These drug tests determine Benzodiazepines, Opioids and Amphetamine. The medications mentioned here are commonly abused by individuals, especially opiates as they are extremely addictive. Hypnotic drugs like Ambien are not as addictive as these medications. Specialized Ambien drug test take place in workplaces for safety concerns, forensic labs and medical settings to detect the drug. It is considered an overdose if the sleeping pill is detected to be there for more than three days in your system.

False Positives For Z-drugs

Many people wonder can Ambien cause a positive drug test. Ambien does not cause a false positive as it does not show up on standard drug tests. An article on PubMed Central says there is a potential of detecting Ambien on a drug testif you are overdosing on the drug. It is not a physical detection but an intuitive recognition of a medical staff which includes symptoms like seizures or hallucination. To turn this intuition into a solid confirmation, certain lab tests like GC-MS and LC-MS/MS are conducted to physically determine the presence of Ambien in your system.

Why Detection Of Ambien Is A Bad Sign?

The reason specialised, forensic-based lab tests are conducted after standard drug tests to determine Ambien is a suspicion of misuse. It is done when they suspect the signs of hypnotic drug use after a test designed to find out amphetamines in our system. And after the specialized drug tests prove individuals have Ambien in their system, it means either one of the two things. First is that they are genuinely on an Ambien dosage for sleeping issues. One can show the prescription to officials to clear the suspicion. But not having a prescription confirms a case of addiction.

Signs That Medical Professionals Suspect For Misuse

Officials can detect these signs if these side effects of Ambien remains in one’s body. Later on they will also find out how long the drug has been in the system. 

• Unusual sleep behaviors
• Impaired memory
• Parasomnia
• Hallucinations
• Dependence 

Dealing With The Dependence After Detection

It is very easy to get dependent on sedative-hypnotics. This is because the brain starts tolerating the effects of the drug. People keep wondering why is Ambien addictive while they misuse it. And when the signs start showing up, people try to avoid the consequences of a bad drug test. This is a major issue that misusers of drugs deal with when it comes to drug tests. They never try to understand how drug abuse affects their lives. Positive drug tests can mentally weaken many drug users which kills their inner will to seek help. It is important for them to understand that it is a bodily disorder and not an unforgivable mistake. 

Therapies That Can Treat Drug Addiction

People with dependence can take up numerous treatments for Ambien addiction. These treatments aim at therapeutic recovery of individuals which is long and gradual. The first thing that patients have to do is detox the drug medically under the supervision of doctors. A study in Front Psychiatry suggests that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is the first line treatment for this problem. As per the same study, Medical practitioners believe that any kind of mental disorder linked to insomnia needs further supervision. Relapse Prevention is a very important therapy for sleeping drug addiction. This involves using means and methods to avoid taking the drug again.

Alternate Sleeping Pills To Avoid Drug Tests

Few alternate medications, both prescribed and non-prescribed ones can replace Ambien. You can take these medications with care and avoid the pressure to take a drug test. Out of these, only Trazodone can show a false positive for amphetamine but will not directly show up in a drug test.

Prescribed Alternatives

• Trazodone
• Rozerem
• Doxepin
• Quviviq

Non-Prescribed Alternatives

• Melatonin
• Benadryl
• Magnesium
• Valerian roots

Conclusion

Ambien is a very effective sleeping medication recommended by doctors worldwide. But misusing it makes it a very dangerous drug. Ambien may not show on a standard drug test but a professional can already read the signs that signal drug abuse. Use Ambien safely and never let it show up on your drug tests.