You’re due for a drug test. Maybe it’s a scheduled drug test for work or a random test in school. Whatever the reason for this test, you have to pass it 100%. So, what happens if you took Xanax bars right before being told that you have to get tested? Is there a risk that you will be tested positive? Will Xanax show up on your drug test results?
The short answer is YES, Xanax will show up on a drug test.
Xanax is the brand name for alprazolam. It is a benzodiazepine that is prescribed to people who have anxiety disorders. It is also prescribed for other conditions like insomnia, restless leg syndrome, and IBS. Millions of prescriptions are written every year, making it one of the most prescribed drugs in America.
While Xanax is considered as an effective anxiety medication, it was designed to be a short-term treatment because taking Xanax is highly addictive. Whether you are taking it legitimately or recreationally, you are still at risk of becoming addicted.
For people with real anxiety problems, using Xanax longer than the period it is prescribed for makes them at risk of being dependent on the drug. This habit can result in addiction. Those who use it recreationally, on the other hand, either fake the symptoms or source Xanax illegally on the streets or buy the drug from social media.
What type of drug test are you taking? Xanax on blood, urine, saliva and hair tests
Alprazolam has a shorter life of around 6 to 27 hours, with an average of around 12 hours in the body. This means that depending on the dose and how long you have been taking the drug, the duration Xanax stays in your system could differ.
However, here is an approximate duration of how long alprazolam or Xanax stays in the system.
Blood test: 1 to 6 days
Urine test: 5 to 7 days
Saliva test: up to 2.5 days
Hair test: 1 to 7 days from the last intake but could last up to 90 days
Blood test
If you are undergoing a blood test, Xanax will show up within one hour of use. Many sources state that Xanax will only show up to 24 hours. While this may be true for some, there have been cases wherein a person can still be tested positive up to six days after taking the drug. Again, this will be dependent on how much Xanax you have taken and how long you have been taking the drug.
Urine Test
Are you required to pass a urine test? Unfortunately, Xanax also shows up in urine tests for about five to seven days, with an average of four days. If you need to pass a urine test, and you have taken Xanax within this period, then a positive drug result is highly likely.
Saliva Test
A saliva test can detect Xanax soon after a dose is taken so if you just took Xanax this morning, it will definitely show up on a saliva test. This type of test only works for two and a half days.
Hair Test
A hair test will not immediately detect Xanax use because it takes much longer for the substance to appear in the hair. There is the possibility that a hair sample may test negative for Xanax if it was taken too soon after the last dose.
However, hair tests can detect traces of Xanax for up to 90 days after the last dose. This means that even if you last took Xanax more than two months before, a hair test may still come back positive.
How to pass a Xanax drug test?
Many people turn to DIY methods or using fake pee out of desperation to pass a drug test. This is because failing a drug test can be life-altering. However, resorting to these methods can create further complications and problems. New drug tests are also more advanced and innovative, which means old methods to trick a drug test may no longer work.
If your goal is to pass a drug test, a safe way to get Xanax out of your system is to go for a medical detoxification treatment. Medical detox that is supervised by a professional treatment provider is considered as a safer way to remove traces of the drug from the body compared to just going cold-turkey. The treatment providers can monitor you, especially while you are experiencing withdrawal symptoms so that your detoxification process will be more comfortable and less painful.
Going to therapy sessions can also help you permanently stop taking the drug and stay clean from then on.
If you or a loved one is struggling with substance abuse, help is available.
Contact Anaheim Lighthouse today.
