# Cold Medicine cleans out your system for drugtest? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 3, 2003, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-medicine-cleans-out-your-system-for-drugtest/192654 "2003-08-03T02:21:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Paraphanelia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e79b87/32.png) [@Paraphanelia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paraphanelia)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-medicine-cleans-out-your-system-for-drugtest/192654/1 "2003-08-03T02:21:19Z")
I’ve heard that if you take 8 CCC cordiciden, a cold medicine, it cleans out your system because it eats at your stomach and shit. Is it true that it cleans your system so that you can pass a piss test? ---
**Author:** ![Keith\_Berry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/22d042/32.png) [@Keith\_Berry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keith_Berry)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-medicine-cleans-out-your-system-for-drugtest/192654/2 "2003-08-03T02:28:01Z")
Never heard of it, but if you’re that interested, GNC and several other vitamin/health product stores sell several items that are marketed just for that purpose. Then there’s always cranberry juice. Of course, then there’s abstinence from drugs, which works pretty good for passing piss tests. ---
**Author:** ![Keith\_Berry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/22d042/32.png) [@Keith\_Berry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keith_Berry)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-medicine-cleans-out-your-system-for-drugtest/192654/3 "2003-08-03T02:34:03Z")
Never heard of it, but if you’re that interested, GNC and several other vitamin/health product stores sell several items that are marketed just for that purpose. Then there’s always cranberry juice. Of course, then there’s abstinence from drugs, which works pretty good for passing piss tests. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-medicine-cleans-out-your-system-for-drugtest/192654/4 "2003-08-03T02:38:15Z")
The best thing to pass a drug test with: time. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-medicine-cleans-out-your-system-for-drugtest/192654/5 "2003-08-03T02:44:25Z")
Of course, the stuff for sale at GNC doesn’t actually work to “clean the system” or pass a drug test. Neither do the other so-called “cleansing agents” which are marketed to the gullible and unwary. QtM, MD Certified Medical Review Officer (Whiz quiz authority) ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-medicine-cleans-out-your-system-for-drugtest/192654/6 "2003-08-03T02:49:17Z")
Or is that Wizz quiz authority? ---
**Author:** ![county](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@county](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/county)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-medicine-cleans-out-your-system-for-drugtest/192654/7 "2003-08-03T02:51:33Z")
Some of that OTC stuff will actually generate a positive ---
**Author:** ![TheBrahmanator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de0a6/32.png) [@TheBrahmanator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBrahmanator)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-medicine-cleans-out-your-system-for-drugtest/192654/8 "2003-08-03T04:11:08Z")
Whoever told you that wants you to unknowingly trip on DXM, a powerful dissociative, and possibly fail your test–it could come up as PCP, an even more powerful dissociative. You should kick whoever gave you that bright idea as hard as you can where the sun doesn’t shine. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-medicine-cleans-out-your-system-for-drugtest/192654/9 "2003-08-03T04:17:09Z")
The correct way to pass a drug test is to, wait for it, not take drugs.