All About Kratom and Drug Tests

Obviously, if you are searching to find whether the all-natural kratom shows up on a drug test, you likely know a little about kratom. Kratom is a traditional medicine that is derived from the Mitragyna speciosa tree that is native to Southeast Asia, particularly the countries of Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. Kratom has been used by the people of this region for over a century.

Kratom has been used for both recreational and medicinal purposes. When used recreationally, kratom is a euphoriant that lifts the mood of the user. In this form, one can either chew the leaves for the euphoric effect, or one can steep the leaves and make a tea that offers much the same effect. However, this is also considered one of the medicinal uses for the drug as well.

Kratom can be used to treat anxiety and depression, which is one reason so many seek this euphoric drug. However, kratom treats other physical ailments as well, such as cough, diarrhea, pain, diabetes, and high blood pressure. There are those who cite kratom as a medication to improve sexual performance, and those who have been fighting an addiction to opiates often seek the use of kratom to assist with the withdrawal experience. In fact, the active ingredient in kratom is mitragynine, which is said to work basically the same as opioids such as morphine and codeine in regards to pain relief.

All of these purposes are anecdotal (meaning there is very little research-driven data behind these claims), and none of them have been certified by the Food and Drug Administration. However, those who do take kratom on a regular basis adamantly claim their dosage of kratom is not only completely natural but also provides relief that many prescription medications do not.

With that said, there are still those who advise against the use of Kratom, and, because mitragynine can act similar to an opiate or opioid, there are concerns that Kratom can show up on a drug test. Thus, it is pertinent to investigate whether or not Kratom will appear on the panel of a drug test as a positive. Certainly, when one is taking an all-natural pain reliever for a physical ailment, especially if the individual is doing so to avoid taking addictive painkillers, then it would be self-defeating to take Kratom only to lose employment or to otherwise see the negative outcome of a false positive on a drug test.

Will Kratom Show Up On Tests?

To be honest, this is a question with multiple answers. First, the answer depends on what type of drug test is being administered. Second, there are some questions about the half-life of Kratom. This could affect test results as well.

However, if an individual takes kratom on a regular basis regardless of the amount, the typical five-panel drug test such as is promoted by SAMHSA-5 and NIDA-5 will not show the presence of kratom in one's system. Therefore, the typical drug test such as the one you'd take for employment or even as a part of a probation program will not show one's use of kratom.

In addition, more complicated drug tests, such as a twenty-panel drug test does not include markers for the use of Kratom. So, you won't be concerned about kratom being detected even if the more encompassing tests are administered.

This might seem a little concerning as kratom often acts in the same way as an opiate. However, let's look at these two different types of drug tests in order to foster your understanding.

What does a regular five-panel drug test cover?

The SAMHSA-5 or NIDA-5 drug tests are the most common ones administered for one who is seeking employment. These two tests are used prior to and during employment screenings, and addiction recovery centers also use these tests quite often. These drug tests typically screen one's urine for the presence of opiates, cocaine, PCP, marijuana, and amphetamines. Some of these five-panel tests will also detect the presence of alcohol in one's system as well; however, this is usually a rare occurrence.

It is important to know that even a four-panel or a seven-panel drug test can be customized by the employer to detect the presence of specific drugs; therefore, if you are scheduled to take any kind of drug test, it is important to understand exactly what is a part of the screening panel.

How sensitive is the seven-panel drug test, and is it possible Kratom can be detected with the use of this test?

The seven-panel test is important because it is typically utilized by only certain types of enterprises when screening for drug use. Many transportation-type businesses, such as those who hire people to operate heavy machinery, use seven-panel drug tests to screen employees prior to an offer of a job. In addition, many states use this type of drug test to screen applicants before offering jobs with the Department of Transportation.

The seven-panel drug test is usually geared to measuring whether or not a person is using prescription drugs. This is important because even when a person is using certain prescription medications in a lawful manner, these same drugs can have a depressing effect on the system of the user. Therefore, one who is applying for a job that requires the employee to be alert may have to pass the seven-panel drug test.

The seven-panel urine drug test most often measures for the following drugs (both legal and illegal):

• opiates

• benzodiazepines

• barbituates

• PCP

• marijuana

• cocaine

Again, the employer can customize the seven-panel drug test to screen for other types of drugs, both recreational and illegal.

What is a ten-panel drug test and what is its purpose?

The ten-panel drug screen simply measures a few more markers than the seven-panel drug screen. Keep in mind that the real difference in any of these tests is the fact that the screening organization can add more markers when compared to the SAMSHA-5 or the NIDA-5 panel drug tests.

The ten-panel drug test is typically administered to those who work in either occupational medicine (such as a nurse) or to those who are working in law enforcement. There are some civil servants who are also required to undergo the ten-panel drug test. (Note that this is for civil servants who might be performing duties that might be dangerous or for those who might be responsible for the safety of others.)

The ten-panel drug screen examines the potential employee for the presence of cocaine, marijuana, methadone, Quaaludes, benzodiazepines, opiates, amphetamines, PCP, and propoxyphene.

There are other panels of drugs such as the twelve-panel and the twenty-panel. However, unless the individual or organization specifically adds kratom to the list of drugs being screened, the presence of kratom in the average drug test is not something you should be concerned about-face.

So, basically, can I simply conclude that I will not fail a drug test due to kratom use?

Well, sort of. Just as five, seven, and ten-panel tests can be somewhat customized to screen for particular drugs, the employer (or other organization requiring the screening) can add kratom to the list of drugs to be screened.

In addition, some states are now requiring the use of samples to screen for Kratom metabolites. This is particularly true if the screening entity is looking for evidence of an individual Driving Under the Influence (DUI). New Jersey is one state that has begun this type of testing, and others may soon follow suit.

Can Kratom be mistaken for another type of drug on one of the typical five, seven, or ten-panel tests?

Yes! On the ten-panel tests, many employers or other organizations will test for the presence of methadone in the potential employee's system. At times - and there is no set pattern for this - kratom can provide a false positive for methadone. Therefore, it is important to understand the half-life of kratom, particularly if you know you will be undergoing a drug screen within a short amount of time.

What can you tell me about the half-life of kratom?

For those who take kratom daily, the half-life of Mitragynine is approximately twenty-four hours. It can take up to two days for a user to completely rid his or her system of any traces of kratom.

It should also be understood that different dosages of kratom can affect the amount of time before the drug leaves one's body. Those who take a low dose will see it leave the body more quickly, while those who take a higher dose on a daily basis may take longer than the aforementioned two days to rid the body of any traces of kratom.

Could Kratom be detected via the use of a blood test?

Simply put, yes. In fact, blood tests can not only determine IF a user has ingested Kratom but the tests can also determine just how much Kratom the user has taken.

The good news is that blood tests administered more than two days after ingestion rarely show the user has ever taken Mitragynine, much less the amount taken. Furthermore, due to privacy issues, most testing organizations, even those associated with addiction and recovery, will not administer a blood test to determine whether or not someone uses Kratom.

Is there any other way to test for Kratom, and what are those methods of testing?

Yes. Just as it is with other drug panels, one can test urine and hair for the presence of Kratom usage.

Urine tests typically do not detect the presence of Kratom unless the individual being tested is a heavy Kratom user. Even then, if the individual has not used Kratom for seven or more days, the test will not detect the presence of Kratom in one's system.

At this time, there are no drug tests involving hair follicles that can determine the presence of Kratom in one's body. However, science is always evolving, and individuals should learn that never doesn't always mean never when it comes to the development of a hair follicle test to determine the presence of Kratom in one's system.

There are also no saliva tests that can determine the presence of Kratom in one's body.

It is recommended that in order to pass a drug test - regardless of whether or not the presence of Kratom will be screened - one should stop the use of Kratom for at least one week prior to any drug screenings.

With all the controversy surrounding Kratom at the moment, it is always a good practice to make sure if you are seeking employment that you change the dosage of your Kratom.