Alright, so a while back, I had to take a drug test for this new job I was applying for. I’ve been taking clonidine for my blood pressure, and I got a little freaked out, thinking, “Oh crap, is this going to mess up my test results?” So, like any normal person would do, I hit up Google to see what the deal was with clonidine and drug tests.
Turns out, I wasn’t the only one who’s ever wondered about this. A bunch of forums and medical sites popped up, all talking about whether clonidine shows up on those tests. Some folks were saying it doesn’t, some were saying it might, and I was just sitting there, more confused than ever.
After digging through a ton of info, I finally figured out what’s what. Here’s the gist of it:
- Clonidine is mainly for blood pressure. It’s not something you’d typically find on a regular drug test. Those are usually looking for illegal stuff or drugs that are often abused.
- It’s not a controlled substance. This means it’s not in the same category as things like opioids or other meds that are super regulated. So, it’s not high on the list of things they look for in a standard test.
But here’s where it gets a bit tricky. Technically, clonidine can be detected if they really look for it. There are special tests that can spot it, but they’re not the ones they use for routine screenings. It’s like, if they’re using a metal detector to find keys, they won’t find your coins unless they really adjust the settings, get it?
So, what did I do? I decided to be upfront about it. When I went in for the test, I told them I was taking clonidine for my blood pressure. Better safe than sorry, right?
Long story short, everything turned out fine. I got the job, and the drug test didn’t cause any problems. But man, it was a good reminder of how stressful these things can be, especially when you’re not sure what to expect.
My Conclusion
If you’re taking clonidine and you’ve got a drug test coming up, don’t panic. Chances are, it won’t show up. But to be on the safe side, it doesn’t hurt to mention it to the folks doing the test. Honesty is the best policy, as they say!
