Cocaine test

The following are the reasons to perform a cocaine test:

• As part of employment screening: Many employers now check for drug abuse before hiring a person to make sure good work culture and profile
• Legal proceedings: Many legal proceedings require a person to undergo a drug abuse screen test
• Sports screening: A drug screening is performed before sports competitions to ensure that none of the participants is using any performance-enhancing drugs. This test may be a part of the sports screening as well
• If someone has been pulled over by the cops for driving under the influence of drugs
• Some insurance agencies may also require you to undergo a drug screen to test for cocaine abuse
• To know the progress of a person who is undergoing treatment for drug abuse

Symptoms of cocaine abuse include:

• Track marks on the skin, showing cocaine intake via injection
• Restlessness, unable to stand still or sit
• Nosebleeds or runny nose due to snorting cocaine
• Dilated pupils
• Licking of lips frequently
• Burnt lips or fingers due to smoking cocaine
• Irritable and talking endlessly on unrelated topics
• Overconfident and argumentative

A doctor may order for either blood, urine, saliva, sweat or hair test to check for cocaine abuse or toxicity. No special preparations are required before the collection of any of the above-mentioned samples. Only in the case of the saliva test, one should wash their mouth thoroughly before giving the sample. You must tell the doctor about all the supplements and medications you may be consuming since certain medications tend to interfere with the results of this test.

Different forms of the cocaine test are suggested for different people. Most commonly a urine test is ordered. Though a saliva test is also ordered at many places. The following list briefly explains the procedures for each test:

• Urine test: A clean-catch urine sample is obtained by first cleaning the genitals and then depositing the sample in a clean, sterile container provided by the collecting facility. At some places, you may be assigned a supervisor to ensure that the sample is not meddled with 
• Saliva test: A special instrument may be used to take a saliva sample. Once the sample is taken, it is deposited into a tube. In case you are unable to produce enough saliva, the technician may give you candy - to increase saliva production - before collecting the sample. Since this is a non-invasive test, it is preferred in certain instances
• Blood test: A lab technician or nurse will use a sterile needle to withdraw a small amount of blood from your arm. You may experience slight pain during the process due to the needle. Though it will subside eventually
• Sweat Test: A special kind of patch may be stuck on your skin to take a sample of sweat
• Hair Test: Hair samples may also be taken to detect cocaine abuse

Normal results:

Normal results for a cocaine test are usually negative, which means that the sample does not contain cocaine metabolites. It is indicative of the person not using the drug. 

False negatives are possible if the urine sample contains sediments or appears to be cloudy. Some people may also tamper with their urine samples by adding certain substances to avoid the detection of cocaine metabolites.

Abnormal results:

Abnormal results in the case of cocaine test are reported as positive. It means that cocaine metabolites have been detected in the sample, which could be indicative of drug usage. 

Sometimes, false negatives are also possible due to cough and cold medications, antibiotics or ibuprofen usage.

Disclaimer: All results must be clinically correlated with the patient’s complaints to make a complete and accurate diagnosis. The above information is provided from a purely educational point of view and is in no way a substitute for medical advice by a qualified doctor.