Hi gentl2355,
One short answer is ?YES?: There ARE methods of testing for Viagra
in body fluids such as blood, urine, and saliva, detectable as soon as
30 minutes after taking the drug. Three methods are HPLC-MS, GC-NPD
and GC-MS. The threshold for detecting sildenafil is 50 ng/ml ,
meaning levels lower than 50ng/ml can?t be accurately detected.
Viagra is not routinely tested, and tested usually only in toxicology
screens should Viagra be suspected as a possible cause of death.
https://www.jatox.com/abstracts/2003/mar/88-tracqui.html
http://www.onr.com/user/ghh/sanangelo.html
The better short answer is ?NO?: Routine employment drug screens do
not test for Viagra, nor do Viagra?s metabolites cause false
positives.
Most employers are searching for drugs of abuse, and not medicines
prescribed for legitimate medical conditions, For example, many people
take medications for controlling blood pressure, infection, asthma,
urinary incontinence, anti-coagulation, high cholesterol, ED, glucose
control and many others. Your employer is not interested in these. An
employer is trying to discern if someone is consuming drugs of
abuse, such as cocaine, marijuana, PCP, opiates, barbiturates, etc.
You are correct in thinking that some legally prescribed
medications, as well as some over-the-counter (OTC) drugs can cause
false positives on a urine drug screen. Generally speaking, when a
positive result is obtained from a urine drug screen, a confirmatory
test, such as GC-MS or HPLC will be run. This will confirm if the
result was a false positive, or an actual drug of abuse. As you will
read further down, most of any consumed Viagra is metabolized by the
liver (cytochrome P450 3A4 ) and excreted in a bowel movement, with
only a very small amount being excreted in the urine, and an even
tinier amount is secreted into the semen.
According to one study, performed at Faculté de Médecine de
Strasbourg, France, after 5.5 hours, no Viagra (sildenafil) was able
to be detected by the HPLC-MS method.
http://www.ingenta.com/isis/searching/Expand/ingenta?pub=infobike://pres/jat/2003/00000027/00000002/art00006
If, in the future, drug screens would happen to detect Viagra, you
would simply need to show your employer a prescription bottle or a
letter from your doctor saying it is a prescribed medication. Since
Viagra, if used as intended, does not impair one?s ability to perform
on the job, there would be no need for an employer to test for Viagra.
Since Viagra does not cause aggression, cancer, increased libido,
sleepiness, or altered levels of consciousness, it is unlikely
employers will need to know if an employee utilizes Viagra at home.
(You may experience a mild headache, facial flushing, runny nose, and
see a blue haze however. This temporary blue haze is caused by the
inhibition of PDE6, an enzyme found in the retina)
http://www.urologyinstitute.com/html/viagra_-_viagra_q___a.html
These sites illustrate the drugs commonly tested in a urine drug
screen. You will see that none test for Viagra (Sildenafil) or its
metabolites N-desmethyl and UK-103,320:
http://www.testsymptomsathome.com/fs_dru0.asp?portalid=FIN
http://www.drugtestsuccess.com/
Here are two sites that list substances that can cause a false
positive drug screen. Keep in mind that these sites are trying to sell
a product that will give you an all negative drug screen, and are
trying to be comprehensive in their approach. By the way, a
confirmatory testing method will still find drugs of abuse!:
http://www.passyourdrugtest.com/false-positives.htm
http://www.alwaystestclean.com/false_positive_causes.htm
From a drug testing FAQ by the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene:
?Q. What drugs can the WSLH not detect?
A. Inhalants, GHB, LSD, Mushrooms, Viagra, certain prescription
medications and most antimicrobial drugs. Private laboratories outside
of the WSLH are sometimes able to test for these drugs. Please contact
the Toxicology section to determine if sending the specimen to a
private laboratory for further testing is appropriate.?
http://www.slh.wisc.edu/ehd/toxicology/dre_faq.php
About Viagra:
Is there anyone today who has NOT heard of Viagra? Viagra?s name is
heard often on late night talk shows, the topic of many jokes. An
enormous amount of SPAM e-mails are sent out daily, trying to entice
consumers into purchasing the drug. I certainly can?t understand the
propensity of athletes and race car drivers for wearing the name
?Viagra? on jackets and painting it on cars, but it happens, putting
the name out for all to see. The name ?Viagra? is everywhere!
If it weren?t for the keen eye of nurses involved in the study of
Viagra as a heart medication, race car drivers would still be
decorating their cars with beer and motor oil logos! During a Pfizer
Pharmaceutical study of Viagra, observant nurses noticed the ?side
effects? of Viagra on a prominent part of the heart patient?s male
anatomy! (Actually, I too have noticed, from years of working in
health care, that simply being in the hospital environment seems to
act as an aphrodisiac for many men!) From Pfizer?s knowledge
management studies, this trend was noticed, and a treatment for male
impotence was discovered!
http://www.standards.org.au/NEWSROOM/NEWS%20RELEASE/2001-05-31/2001-05-31.HTM
Viagra (sildenafil citrate) are blue, film coated tablets, for oral
use, available in 25mg, 50mg and 100mg strengths. They should be
stored in a cool, dry place, and never left in the car, as they have a
fairly low melting point! Sildenafil, and its N-desmethyl metabolite
is 80% excreted in the feces, and only roughly 13% excreted in the
urine.
Viagra is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream, with absorption
moderately slowed when taken with a large, fatty meal, reducing the
effectiveness. The maximum effect is usually observed about an hour
after taking the tablet, lasting up to four hours, however, the effect
gradually diminishes after two hours. Viagra does NOT work without
stimulation. A common misconception is that Viagra itself causes the
penis to become rigid. Viagra would actually have NO effect in the
absence of arousal, and the success rate holds at about 75% with
stimulation.
After Viagra enters the bloodstream, it works by inhibiting an enzyme,
phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5), that is found almost expressly in the
penis. During sexual arousal, cyclic guanosine monophosphate ( cGMP)
is produced, which causes a penile erection. PDE5 inactivates cGMP,
which is a normal function of time. For men with no erectile
dysfunction, this is a good thing! With men who have ED, PDE5 is a
substance that prevents an erection. With PDE5 out of the way, cGMP
is allowed to remain, doing it?s job of allowing greater blood flow
into the penis, to sustain an erection. Viagra Use of Viagra does NOT
protect against sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis
B, gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, or herpes. etc.
RxList describes this mechanism as thus:
?The physiologic mechanism of erection of the penis involves release
of nitric oxide (NO) in the corpus cavernosum during sexual
stimulation. NO then activates the enzyme guanylate cyclase, which
results in increased levels of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP),
producing smooth muscle relaxation in the corpus cavernosum and
allowing inflow of blood. Sildenafil has no direct relaxant effect on
isolated human corpus cavernosum, but enhances the effect of nitric
oxide (NO) by inhibiting phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5), which is
responsible for degradation of cGMP in the corpus cavernosum. When
sexual stimulation causes local release of NO, inhibition of PDE5 by
sildenafil causes increased levels of cGMP in the corpus cavernosum,
resulting in smooth muscle relaxation and inflow of blood to the
corpus cavernosum. Sildenafil at recommended doses has no effect in
the absence of sexual stimulation.?
http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/viagra_cp.htm
http://www.drugs.com/PDR/Viagra_Tablets.html
http://www.a1b2c3.com/drugs/viagfaq.htm
http://www.mindconnection.com/library/personal/viagrafaqs.htm
According to the FDA, women and children should not take Viagra (Isn?t
that obvious?), along with men who are already prescribed medications
that contain nitrates. Taking Viagra with certain medications such as
erythromycin, ketoconazole, itraconazole and saquinavir can raise the
blood levels of Viagra.
Following is a list of drugs, legal and otherwise, that contain
nitrates. Never use Viagra with these drugs:
Nitroglycerin
Deponit
Minitran
Nitrek
Nitro-Bid
Nitrocine
Nitro-Derm
Nitro Disc
Nitro-Dur
Nitrogard
Nitroglycerin
Nitroglycerin T/R
Nitroglyn
Nitrol Ointment
Nitrolan
Nitrolingual Spray
Nitrong
Nitropar
Nitropress
Nitroprex
Nitro S.A.
Nitrospan
Nitrostat
Nitro-Trans System
Nitro Transdermal
Nitro-Time
Transderm-Nitro
Tridil
Isosorbide Mononitrate
Imdur
ISMO
Isosorbide Mononitrate
Monoket
Isosorbide Nitrate
Dilatrate-SR
Iso-bid
Isordil
Isordil Tembids
Isosorbide Dinitrate
Isosorbide Dinitrate LA
Sorbitrate
Sorbitrate SA
Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate
Peritrate
Peritrate SA
Erythrityl Tetranitrate
Cardilate
Isosorbide Dinitrate/Phenobarbital
Isordil w/PB
Illicit Substances Containing Organic Nitrates e.g., amyl nitrate or
nitrite (It is known that amyl nitrate or nitrite is sometimes abused.
In abused situations, amyl nitrate or nitrite may be known by various
names, including poppers.)
e.g., butyl nitrate
http://www.a1b2c3.com/drugs/viagfaq.htm
?A word of caution must be given about the use of sildenafil. Because
potentially fatal hypotensive side effects can occur when this agent
is used concurrently with nitrates, it should not be prescribed to
patients who are taking nitrate medications or who may take
nitroglycerin after exertional angina.?
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000615/3657.html
Special Warnings from the FDA:
Viagra was not studied in patients who have a history of the following conditions:
·Heart attack, stroke, or life-threatening irregular heart rhythm
within the last 6 months
·Very low and very high blood pressure
·Heart failure or unstable chest pain
·Certain eye disorders
·Because Viagra lowers blood pressure, your doctor will evaluate your
overall medical condition to determine if Viagra, in combination with
sexual activity, could adversely affect you.
·Viagra can cause a rare but serious condition of prolonged erection
(priapism). It is important to contact your health care provider
immediately if your erection lasts longer than 4 hours.
·Men for whom sexual activity is inadvisable may not be good candidates for Viagra.
·Tell your doctor if you are taking protease inhibitors for the treatment of HIV.
http://www.fda.gov/cder/consumerinfo/druginfo/Viagra.htm
?From the marketing of sildenafil citrate (Viagra) in late March
through July 1998, during which more than 3.6 million outpatient
prescriptions were dispensed, the FDA received reports of 123 patients
who died after having been prescribed this drug. Twelve deaths
concerned foreign patients and 30 concerned patients with unverifiable
information (from hearsay, rumor, the media, or unidentifiable
reporters).
In addition, reporters stated that they did not know if the drug had
been used for 12, leaving 69 U.S. patients who died after having taken
Viagra. Of these, cause of death was unmentioned or unknown for 21,
two patients had strokes, and 46 had cardiovascular events (21 with
definite or suspected myocardial infarction, 17 with cardiac arrest, 4
with cardiac symptoms, 3 with coronary artery disease, and one with
severe hypotension leading to cardiac arrest).?
http://www.a1b2c3.com/drugs/viagfaq.htm
Additional Information:
?Single oral doses of sildenafil (100 mg) administered to healthy
volunteers produced decreases in supine blood pressure (mean maximum
decrease in systolic/diastolic blood pressure of 8.4/5.5 mmHg). The
decrease in blood pressure was most notable approximately 1-2 hours
after dosing, and was not different than placebo at 8 hours?
http://www.healthscout.com/rxdetail/68/91/5/main.html
Mythos Pharmacy
http://www.mythos.com/pharmacy/detail.aspx?I=893949335&BM=893949335&SP=Index_DrugName.aspx&P=1&L=A
A warning that Canadian herbal preparation Hua Fo contains sildenafil.
?Health Canada warns public not to use Hua Fo"
OTTAWA - Health Canada is warning consumers not to use Hua Fo tablets,
an unapproved herbal product that claims to enhance sexual function.
Health Canada analyzed samples of Hua Fo tablets and found that they
contained sildenafil. Sildenafil is a drug approved as prescription
only for male erectile dysfunction, sold under the brand name Viagra.
Use of sildenafil without medical supervision could cause severe
adverse reactions.?
(Note, I don?t often put a lot of stock in listserv messages, but I
worked with Dr. Gary Greenberg, an occupational and environmental
health specialist, and you can take what he says as truth!)
http://list.mc.duke.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0202&L=occ-env-med-l&F=&S=&P=22780
At the bottom of this page, you can see a chart describing the effects
of Viagra, on 9 ?lucky? men in one study. (So the site says!)
http://www.ejhs.org/volume4/Moser/body.htm
Viagra Package Insert
?VIAGRA was administered to over 3700 patients (aged 19-87 years)
during clinical trials worldwide. Over 550 patients were treated for
longer than one year.
In placebo-controlled clinical studies, the discontinuation rate due
to adverse events for VIAGRA (2.5%) was not significantly different
from placebo (2.3%). The adverse events were generally transient and
mild to moderate in nature.
In trials of all designs, adverse events reported by patients
receiving VIAGRA were generally similar. In fixed-dose studies, the
incidence of some adverse events increased with dose. The nature of
the adverse events in flexible-dose studies, which more closely
reflect the recommended dosage regimen, was similar to that for
fixed-dose studies.?
http://www.viagramd.com/pi/proPackInsert.asp
Photo of 50mg. Viagra tablets
http://www.samsloan.com/viagra.jpg
Viagra Molecular Illustration
http://www.accelrys.com/gallery/images/life_sci/lg/viagra.gif
Interesting aside: Hemo-dialysis does not clear Viagra from the
bloodstream in kidney patients:
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/links/doi/10.1111/j.1523-1755.2004.00739.x/abs/
I hope this answers all your questions, gent12355, and I wish you the best!
If any part of my answer is unclear, or if I have duplicated
information you already had, please request an Answer Clarification,
before rating. This will allow me to assist you further, if possible.
Regards,
crabcakes
Search Terms
Viagra + ?false positives?
Sildenafil + false positive drug screens
Sildenafil metabolites + drug screens
Causes false positive drug screens
Viagra
Sildenafil citrate
N-desmethyl + drug screens |
