Do the regular blood tests given by a physician in a regular exam detect the presense of nicotine in the body?
Nicotine can be tested for in blood, generally by testing for its metabolite, cotinine.
It is NOT a standard blood test that a doctor orders for health screening or monitoring, or for much of anything. I’ve been practicing over 3 decades and have never ordered a nicotine test.
But life insurance companies will often test for it before insuring a person.
Nearly everyone will test positive for nicotine since plants like tomatoes and potatoes contain nicotine. A “useful” test would need to determine the amount, not just the presence.
Which is why there’s a standard threshold level that must be reached for a test to be considered positive. Tobacco users will have much higher levels of cotinine than potato/eggplant/tomato consumers, etc.
How about Nicorette users? Nicotine gum, patches, lozenges, or any other delivery systems.
I quit smoking years ago, but I’d hate to get turned down for life insurance because I’m still a (sporadic) Nicorette addict.
I don’t see why it wouldn’t show up. If you’re planning to get life insurance, I’d suggest not using any nicotine products for at least a month, two if you can.
Yes, standard blood assays for nicotine and its metabolites would detect the use of nicotine by other, non-tobacco means. If you consume enough nicotine gum/patch/spray/vapor to satisfy cravings, you’re achieving blood levels which would be considered positive on a test.
While patches avoid some of the health problems with smoking (most of the lung conditions, for starters), they don’t avoid all of them, since nicotine itself is a toxin. It’d be reasonable for an insurance company to raise your rates just for using nicotine patches.
One’s man “toxin” is another man’s…something.
Nicotine can be toxic in relatively small doses (relative to, say water, or salt). But doesn’t it have any salubrious effects?
/8 months cigarette free
I don’t think your regular doctor an a regular check up would test for nicotine.
And, if he or she did, they should tell you about it.
If your doc sent you for your annual blood work, the doc would most likely tell you “K- here’s your lab slip for a CBC, cholesterol, liver and thyroid function. And here is your order for your chest X-ray and EKG” or whatever. If they don’t tell you exactly what they are testing for, you could read it on the lab slip on your way to the lab, or even ask the lab when you get there, but you doc should tell you first.
My employer does check for nicotine annually and those that test positive pay about $600 a year more for their health insurance.
Also many employers do check for nicotine on their pre employment exams, along with the drug screen. They will tell you about this before hand. It should not be a surprise. They are paying for the test and don’t really want to pay for failed tests. It’s cheaper and easier to let folks know what they will be tested for in advance and let them decide if they want to undergo the test in a pre employment situation.
You should never be tested for anything you don’t know about. It is unethical to test people without their knowledge. Even people who are required to test for some reason (psych, rehab, legal) will know that they are being tested and for what they are being tested.
You know those long forms that you are asked to read at the doctor’s office that you never actually read? Try reading them. There could be disclosures there.
From my recollection, most life insurances ask for any nicotine use, whether smoking, chewing, nicotine patch or gum. It may vary by company, though.
And you won’t get turned down (unless maybe there are some other factors involved), you’ll just have to pay the smoker rate.
I’ve never been tested for cotinine, and I’ve gotten life insurance where I’ve simply stated I was a nonsmoker. I assume that this is just dumb luck or something (I did have to get tested for HIV once) though of course it would come back negative especially since I haven’t shared a house with a smoker in 35 years.
My workplace has a wellness-enhancing program where we earn points for things like exercise and having some preventive screenings. We could get points for being a nonsmoker, the proof being a cotinine test - but there’s zero medical reason for me to be tested, so I haven’t bothered.
It’s not something my doctor’s office does routinely anyway - I can’t imagine why they would. I mean, either you smoke or you don’t; a blood test isn’t going to tell you anything you don’t already know.