Does Lunesta show up on a drug test?
By
Dr Natalia Marceli Stephanes (PhD)
Author bio
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes PhD is a Pharmacist with expertise in Drugs Administration and Toxicity; Discovery of New Drugs; Cancer Treatment; Biochemical Analyzes and Hematological Analyzes. She writes and reviews content on these topics.
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes’ Highlights:
- Pharmacist at the Department of Health of Santa Catarina State, Brazil
- PhD with a focus on oncology treatment
- Years of experience in commercial pharmacy
- Bachelor, Master and PhD degrees in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina
Professional Experience:
From her undergraduate studies to her Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Pharmacy, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes has participated in numerous scientific studies in the field of oncology and onco-hematology at the University Hospital of the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Her research has focused on understanding the molecular and biochemical bases of malignant neoplasms and investigating safer and more effective therapeutic alternatives.
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes has also served as an assistant professor of haematology for undergraduate students at the Federal University of Santa Catarina. Additionally, she held the position of professor of Hospital Pharmacy at the Qualificar Technical School in Brazil, where she developed instructional materials for use in the Pharmacy Postgraduate Program at the Leonardo Da Vinci University Center.
In addition to her academic experiences, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes possesses a strong expertise in commercial pharmacy, with in-depth knowledge of medications, their routes of administration, desired effects, adverse effects, and toxicity.
Currently, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes works as a Pharmacist at the Health Department of Santa Catarina State, where her role entails providing pharmaceutical scientific consulting services to judges.
Education:
- 2016 Bachelor in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
- 2018 Master in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
- 2023 PhD in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
The main publications of Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes are:
Falchetti M ; Delgobo M, Zancanaro H, Almeida K, Das Neves RN, Dos Santos B, Stefanes NM, et al. Bishop Omics-based identification of an NRF2-related auranofin resistance signature in cancer: Insights into drug repurposing. Comput. Biol. Med [Internet]. 2023; 152:106347.
Feuser PM, Matos dos Santos PC, Cordeiro AP, Stefanes NM, Walter LO, Maioral MF, Santos-Silva MC, et al. Antineoplastic activity of free 4-nitrochalcone and encapsulated in poly(thioether-ester) nanoparticles obtained by thiol-ene polymerization in two human leukemia cell lines (Jurkat and K562). J Drug Deliv Sci Technol [Internet]. 2022; 67:102924.
Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Walter LO, Perondi DM, Efe FL, Souza LFS, Sens L, et al. Synthesis of chalcones derived from 1-naphthylacetophenone and evaluation of their cytotoxic and apoptotic effects in acute leukemia cell lines. Bioorg. Chem [Internet]. 2021; 116:105315.
Duarte BF, Vieira DSC, Lisboa ML, Stefanes NM, Grando LJ, Santos-Silva MC. Características clínico-epidemiológicas de pacientes portadores de carcinoma de células escamosas de boca. Arquivos Catarinenses de Medicina. 2021; 50(2): 232–245.
Machado V, Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Santos-Silva MC, Biavatti MW. Anti-leukemic activity of semisynthetic derivatives of Lupeol. Nat. Prod. Res. 2021; 35(22):4494-4501.
Bigolin A, Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Mascarello A, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Nunes RJ, Yunes RA, et al. A novel sulfonamide derivative as a strong and selective apoptotic agent against hematological malignancies. Chem. Pap. 2020; 74:2965–2976.
Bigolin A, Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Zatelli GA, Philippus AC, Falkenberg MB, Santos-Silva MC. Cytotoxic mechanisms of primin, a natural quinone isolated from Eugenia hiemalis, on hematological cancer cell lines. Anticancer Drugs. 2020; 31(7):709-717.
Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Neufeldt PD, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Nunes RJ, Santos-Silva MC. Aldehyde biphenyl chalcones induce immunogenic apoptotic-like cell death and are promising new safe compounds against a wide range of hematologic cancers. Future Med. Chem. 2020; 12(8):673–688.
Perondi DM, Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Maioral MF, Sens L, Pacheco LA, Cury NM, et al. A novel thiosemicarbazone as a promising effective and selective compound for acute leukemia. Anticancer Drugs. 2019; 30(8):p 828-837.
Rengifo AFC, Stefanes NM, Toigo J, Mendes C, Argenta DF, Dotto MER, Santos-Silva MC, et al. PEO-chitosan nanofibers containing carboxymethyl-hexanoyl chitosan/dodecyl sulfate nanoparticles loaded with pyrazoline for skin cancer treatment. Eur. Polym. J. 2019; 119:335-343.
Rengifo AFC, Stefanes NM, Toigo J, Mendes C, Santos-Silva MC, Nunes RJ, Parize AL, et al. A new and efficient carboxymethyl-hexanoyl chitosan/dodecyl sulfate nanocarrier for a pyrazoline with antileukemic activity. Mater. Sci. Eng. C [Internet]. 2019; 105:110051.
Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Bigolin A, Zatelli GA, Philippus AC, Falkenberg MB, Santos-Silva MC. Miconidine acetate, a new selective and cytotoxic compound with synergic potential, induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in leukemia cells. Invest. New Drugs. 2019; 37:912–922.
Srefanes NM, Toigo J, Maioral MF, Jacques AV, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Perondi DM, Ribeiro AAB, et al. Synthesis of novel pyrazoline derivatives and the evaluation of death mechanisms involved in their antileukemic activity. Bioorg. Med. Chem. 2019; 27(2):375-382.
Maioral MF, Bodack CN, Stefanes NM, Bigolin A, Mascarello A, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Yunes RA, et al. Cytotoxic effect of a novel naphthylchalcone against multiple cancer cells focusing on hematologic malignancies. Biochim. 2017; 140:48-57.
You can view some of Dr Natália’s work below and links to her professional profile below.
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Natalia-Stephanes
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliamarceli/
Does Lunesta show up on a drug test?
No, Lunesta does not show up on a standard 12-panel urine drug analysis, unless the test specifically looks for this prescription medication.
Lunesta (Eszopiclone) is a sleeping pill which is used for the management and treatment of insomnia and related sleep disturbances (1,2). Although Lunesta is not a controlled substance, it can be used as a drug of abuse and it can cause an addiction.
However, it’s not as dangerous as usual control substances are and this is why most drug tests are not focused on this medication. Lunesta and other hypnotics like Ambien (Zolpidem) are not generally known to cause a false positive if you’re taking standard therapeutic doses.
However, if the test does include sleeping pills in the panel of drugs to be tested, then Lunesta can definitely show up.
How long does Lunesta stay in your system?
Lunesta has a half-life of about 6 hours, which is the time taken by this medication to reduce its concentration to half. This process continues every 6 hours until the drug is completely washed out from your body. Lunesta usually takes 2-3 days of time to get eliminated. (3)
However, some people may take longer as a lot of different factors can affect the stay time of medications in your body, especially the presence of an underlying liver or kidney disease. A healthy individual can get rid of the drug in 2 days.
How to avoid getting a false positive on a drug test while taking Lunesta?
Although Lunesta does not show up on a drug test, there are still some things you can do to avoid getting a false positive while properly taking your prescription Lunesta (4). These include:
Provide accurate information
Inform the tester or the person administering the drug test about the medications you are currently taking, including Lunesta. It is important to disclose this information beforehand to prevent any confusion or misinterpretation of the test results.
Prescription proof
If you have a valid prescription for Lunesta, keep a copy of it with you. In case of a false positive result, you can present the prescription as evidence to support your use of the medication.
Communicate with your employer
If you are taking Lunesta under the supervision of a healthcare professional, it might be beneficial to discuss your medication use with your employer or the relevant authority conducting the drug test. This can help ensure transparency and avoid any unnecessary concerns or misunderstandings.
Follow proper dosing
Take Lunesta as prescribed by your healthcare provider and follow the recommended dosage instructions. Taking the medication as directed reduces the risk of any unexpected reactions that could potentially interfere with the drug test.
Consult with a healthcare professional
If you have concerns about potential false positives on a drug test while taking Lunesta, it is advisable to consult your prescribing physician or a healthcare professional familiar with your medical history. They can guide you accordingly.
Was this helpful?
References
1.-
Rösner S, Englbrecht C, Wehrle R, Hajak G, Soyka M. Eszopiclone for insomnia. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018 Oct 10;10(10):CD010703. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD010703.pub2. PMID: 30303519; PMCID: PMC6492503. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6492503/
2.-
Brielmaier BD. Eszopiclone (Lunesta): a new nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic agent. Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent). 2006 Jan;19(1):54-9. doi: 10.1080/08998280.2006.11928127. PMID: 16424933; PMCID: PMC1325284. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1325284/
3.-
PubChem [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US), National Center for Biotechnology Information; 2004-. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 969472, Eszopiclone; [cited 2023 July 4]. Available from: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Eszopiclone
4.-
Saitman A, Park HD, Fitzgerald RL. False-positive interferences of common urine drug screen immunoassays: a review. J Anal Toxicol. 2014 Sep;38(7):387-96. doi: 10.1093/jat/bku075. Epub 2014 Jul 1. PMID: 24986836. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24986836/
