# How Do These Drug Test-Beating Potions Work? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 25, 2005, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-these-drug-test-beating-potions-work/305466 "2005-05-25T18:52:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-these-drug-test-beating-potions-work/305466/41 "2005-05-27T14:50:11Z")
It’s worth noting in the above that we’re talking about government-specified recourse against false positives in government-mandated testing for certain jobs. In the private sector, applicants have no recourse against supposed false positives. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-these-drug-test-beating-potions-work/305466/42 "2005-05-27T15:02:41Z")
> [@Anne Neville](#): > > Some other totally unrelated (AFAIK) prescription drugs can cause false positives, too. I’m taking Protonix for acid reflux, and the info sheet I got with it says it can cause false positives for marijuana use in urine tests. > > Are these potions something you drink, or something you try to pass off as urine? I’ve never been quite clear on that. It’s something you drink. My son did it when he was thinking of joining the military, and he peed clean. I’m mystified. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-these-drug-test-beating-potions-work/305466/43 "2005-05-27T15:30:14Z")
> [@Brain Wreck](#): > > It’s worth noting in the above that we’re talking about government-specified recourse against false positives in government-mandated testing for certain jobs. In the private sector, applicants have no recourse against supposed false positives. Not necessarily. At least one state incorporates the DOT regs by statute. _E.g._, [http://said.dol.gov/StateLaw.asp?id=727&TreeState=6|5Y#htree5](http://said.dol.gov/StateLaw.asp?id=727&TreeState=6%7C5Y#htree5) I suspect there are other states that have notice and/or appeal requirements. And unionized employers sometimes have similar deals. But in general, an applicant probably has little ability to dispute a false positive. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-these-drug-test-beating-potions-work/305466/44 "2005-05-27T16:03:42Z")
If you’re worried about colouring, simply eat beetroot. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![mks57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@mks57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mks57)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-these-drug-test-beating-potions-work/305466/45 "2005-05-27T16:50:54Z")
> [@ratatoskK](#): > > You mean part of the surgery involves the doctor putting coke up your nose??? It’s a local anesthetic. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-these-drug-test-beating-potions-work/305466/46 "2005-05-27T20:26:02Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > That’s a good point - sometimes the issue isn’t legality, it’s use and safety. > > As an example - it’s perfectly legal for, say, an airline pilot to drink alcohol on his own time, however, it is illegal for him to do so within 8 hours of taking the controls. Alcohol is legal - flying under the influence is not. Likewise, NyQuil is legal, but again, a pilot would have to wait a considerable period of hours between using it and flying. Those are strictly over-the-counter items. If a pilot develops a health problem that requires him/her to take ANY substance incompatible with flight then they can’t legally fly until they no longer need it and no longer take it, and may be subjected to drug tests to prove this item is no longer in their system. They won’t go to jail for a legal prescription, or even for over-the-counter cold and flu medicine… but they could still be suspended from work or lose thier job over it. > > . I absolutely agree with drug testing for inherently hazardous occupations, or where the lives and safety of others are involved. I have problems though, where the goal is, evidently, to set a certain moral tone. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-these-drug-test-beating-potions-work/305466/47 "2005-05-27T22:06:04Z")
> [@KGS](#): > > Oh, and the downside to a lot of these test-busting products is they involve specific chemicals that are also tested for in the drug screen. Gold Seal used to be a popular potion, until the drug screeners got wise and failed anyone testing positive for Gold Seal, since there’s no reason that would show up in your urine UNLESS you were trying to beat the test. (That’s the glory of the “homemade formula” I mentioned earlier – all the ingredients are food products so common, they won’t raise eyebrows.) KGS: Cite? Golden Seal is used by people trying to beat the system, granted. Golden Seal also seems to be prescribed as an herbal remedy for sore throats. In fact, it kills my sore throat every time. ---
**Author:** ![Acetylsalicylic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Acetylsalicylic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acetylsalicylic)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-these-drug-test-beating-potions-work/305466/48 "2005-05-27T23:25:42Z")
The OP seems to have been answered, so just a couple of asides: I have heard that goldenseal is tested for in urine tests, but I also know that it is used by diabetics and those suffering from infections. I take it on a physician’s suggestion as an aid for sinusitis. There are quite a few companies who do their own drug testing. Some even let you watch them do it. They normally just use strips of chemical-coated paper which tests for weed, coke, and herion. White passes, pink fails, and you’re out the door with the results in 20 minutes. False positives and false negatives have _got_ to be common. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-these-drug-test-beating-potions-work/305466/49 "2005-05-28T00:02:19Z")
> [@Brain Wreck](#): > > It’s worth noting in the above that we’re talking about government-specified recourse against false positives in government-mandated testing for certain jobs. In the private sector, applicants have no recourse against supposed false positives. On the flip side, a private employer not bound by Federal or other regulations is not compelled to fire you, either. I used to work at a facility that did a brisk business in testing, both for governmental purposes and for anyone who would pay our fee. There were numerous instances where a private employer tested either applicants oremployees and yet chose not to fire, or deny jobs to, those who tested positive. Sometimes it was a matter of an employer not caring if someone, say, tested positive for pot as long as they didn’t do heroin or PCP. In other cases, they knew the person had a problem and were making testing/treatment a requirement of having or holding a job. I’m not saying everyone was like that - you are correct, there are many employers who don’t give a darn and will happily fire someone for a false positive. But it’s not universal. I will say that being clean and sober always improves one’s chances for advancement in one’s career. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-these-drug-test-beating-potions-work/305466/50 "2005-05-28T00:19:18Z")
> [@Acetylsalicylic](#): > > I have heard that goldenseal is tested for in urine tests, but I also know that it is used by diabetics and those suffering from infections. I take it on a physician’s suggestion as an aid for sinusitis. Sure. This is like the poppy seed buns - a perfectly legal and legit thing to consume, but it can generate a false positive on a opiate screen. So if you know you’re going to be tested in the near future opt for the seedless buns and bagels, m’okay? If your doc suggests golden seal for you, have him write a note to this effect so if you’re ever drug tested you can be above board about it. Likewise, if you take ANYTHING over the counter, even asprin or Tylenol, and you’re being drug tested declare it - best to err on the side of caution. Ditto for “I had two beers with dinner last night”. Sometimes it’s hard to know what’s being tested for. Also, if you _did_ have two beers the night before and the test detected that and nothing else it’s an indication of the tests accuracy and your honesty. > [@](#): > > There are quite a few companies who do their own drug testing. Some even let you watch them do it. They normally just use strips of chemical-coated paper which tests for weed, coke, and herion. White passes, pink fails, and you’re out the door with the results in 20 minutes. False positives and false negatives have _got_ to be common. Mostly, false _negatives_. We used to use those, too, back at the clinic. With a test like that you’re going to have a high cut-off for detectable amounts. A certain number of offenders will not have enough concentration in their urine to trip the test. Also, the strips have to be handled properly - excessive heat, moisture, and other things can affect or destroy their reactivity. In many instances where I worked, a positive on that test lead to further testing to confirm the results - it was a means of reducing the money spent to just those most likely to be “problem children”. They are also the tests most likely to be cross-reactive with common over the counter drugs or certain foods. We used to tell folks from outside who were buying the testing service that if they chose this option, and the person walked in the door and declared they had used certain legal and legit items we just wouldn’t do the test - no point, when you know it’s going to be positive due to the cross-reactivity. Probably the sort of test where urine dilution is going to work - but like I said, our observers would watch for that. We’re talking about people who had seen hundreds, if not thousands, of urine samples. They know what normal urine looks like, and what it doesn’t look like. Too clear, too yellow, strange colors, odd smells — all of those could result in more sophisticated and sensitive testing. Back in my day, gas chromatography was the gold standard - they didn’t need you to declare any OTC stuff you’d had. After the test was run not only did they know what you’d taken, they could tell you the brand name you’d used. To the best of my knowledge that’s one test you can’t cheat. ---
**Author:** ![Acetylsalicylic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Acetylsalicylic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acetylsalicylic)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-these-drug-test-beating-potions-work/305466/51 "2005-05-28T00:54:16Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > They are also the tests most likely to be cross-reactive with common over the counter drugs or certain foods. We used to tell folks from outside who were buying the testing service that if they chose this option, and the person walked in the door and declared they had used certain legal and legit items we just wouldn’t do the test - no point, when you know it’s going to be positive due to the cross-reactivity. Hmmm. I hadn’t thought of that being a problem with the little strips. So far, I’ve neither altered my lifestyle nor failed a drugtest. OTOH, neither has my pal, who may or may not be named Bob, which leads me to believe that many of the urine samples aren’t ever really tested. ---
**Author:** ![Acetylsalicylic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Acetylsalicylic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acetylsalicylic)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-these-drug-test-beating-potions-work/305466/52 "2005-05-28T00:58:45Z")
“altered my lifestyle” Heh. Sounds like I have a needle in one arm and a kilobag in the other. What I actually meant, though, was that I haven’t stopped eating bagles. And I still take my goldenseal tabets, sometimes. Bagles. Goldenseal. I need to get out more. ---
**Author:** ![ambushed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@ambushed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ambushed)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-these-drug-test-beating-potions-work/305466/53 "2005-05-28T04:23:39Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Apparently some lawmakers are interested in banning these potions, so there must be some validity to them. 😉 – Milk through the nose time! ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-these-drug-test-beating-potions-work/305466/54 "2005-05-28T10:34:43Z")
Lawmakers have also been known to try to legislate the value of pi to be exactly 3, but that doesn’t make it so. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-these-drug-test-beating-potions-work/305466.md?page=2)