Does Zyprexa show up on a drug test?

Does Zyprexa show up on a drug test?

Zyprexa (Olanzapine) may or may not show up on a drug test. The incidence of false positives caused by this medication is not that high, but it is a possibility. 

Zyprexa is an antipsychotic medication which is not a drug of abuse and it does not cause any type of addiction. This is exactly why this drug is not on the panel of drugs that are tested. False positives with this medication are common with urine drug immunoassays (1). 

However, modern drug testing procedures like Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) are not associated with false positives caused by Zyprexa, or any other medication for that matter.

How long does Zyprexa stay in your system?

Zyprexa has a long half-life of about 20-54 hours, which is the time taken by this medication to reduce to half of its initial plasma concentration. The overall elimination process can take up to 4-11 days. 

This time duration can vary in some people as it can depend on certain factors, like your age, weight, dose, frequency, duration of treatment, and overall health status. 

How to avoid Zyprexa showing up on a drug test?

You can avoid a false positive caused by Zyprexa by going for modern drug testing techniques like GC-MS, which provide accurate results (2). 

It is not recommended to skip taking Zyprexa a few days before your drug test because Zyprexa is an antipsychotic medication, which should never be stopped abruptly. 

If you have a test coming up, just make sure you have your prescription to present to the drug testing authority in case of a false positive. 

It is always recommended to come clean with your prescription meds before the test as there is nothing wrong with taking medications that benefit your health condition. It’s the illegal use of controlled drugs that these tests look for, not the legal use of prescription medications. 

Olanzapine is an antipsychotic medication which can be taken properly to make the most out of it and it should never be stopped abruptly. It may cause some side effects, like restlessness, depression, anxiety, weight changes, etc.

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References

1.-

Alyson Schwebach, Jennifer Ball. Urine Drug Screening: Minimizing False Positives and False Negatives to Optimize Patient Care. US Pharm. 2013;38(12):1-6. Available from: https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/urine-drug-screening-minimizing-false-positives-and-false-negatives-to-optimize-patient-care

2.-

Ramoo B, Funke M, Frazee C, Garg U. Comprehensive Urine Drug Screen by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS). Methods Mol Biol. 2016;1383:125-31. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-3252-8_15. PMID: 26660182. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26660182/