Originally Posted by
grandpa
I would look into which drugs are approved and take those. Taking a drug like nyquil may be a mistake as dextromethorphan (DXM) can be tested for in urine, however it depends on the type of testing they do. Their are also "rumors" that DXM can produce a positive result for phencyclidine (PCP), which is commonly tested for in urinalysis. I am assuming that may be why it's not approved. In a case like this i am not sure what the law says for you guys. You should contact the proper authority who is in change of testing or regulations and find out wat they say.
Not a rumor at all, its true. If the test is done via dipstick, it will test positive. When the HPGC confirmation assay is run, they will see that it was not PCP BUT if requested can continue the test to see what produced a positive test result. The sample is split into 3 parts and sent to 2 other labs for confirmation. If it is a DOT drug test, like all pilots take, it goes to a total of 5 labs for confirmation when a positive test result is aquired. And I believe the test results are then reported to the FAA in most cases. "Nyquil, the coughing, sneezing, stuffy nose, get better so you can lose your job medicine!" Keep in mind though if you have been off it for at least 8 hours, it "shouldn't" show up at all, unless they do HPGC right off the bat... but I wouldn't risk it
Dextromethorphan is metabolized similer to codeine. Peak plasma levels are at 2 hours with a half life of 3 to 4 hours. So at 8 hours off, it shouldn't be an issue. But again, don't press your luck!
I work in a hospital lab and got an A in clinical pharmacology... but in no way am I giving you advice!!!