Can Hair Follicle Analysis Detect Valium?

Posted on Wed, 6 Mar 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Wed, 6 Mar 2013 Answered on

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : itook 30mg of valium last wednesday and haft to take a hair follicle drug test tommorrow. will it show up?

Answered by Dr. Shoaib Khan (57 minutes later)

Hello and welcome to XXXXXXX

Thank you for writing to us.

Unfortunately hair follicle analysis can detect Valium. It can stay in the hair follicle for up to 70-90 days.

I hope this information helps. Do write back to me for any further clarifications.

Best wishes.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Shoaib Khan (4 hours later)

well i knew that but i have read that it takes around 10 days after the drug has been ingested for the hair to grow out of the scalp enough for something you only took a week ago to show up. is this true? also would such a light amount be detectable? i only took it one nite to help me sleep and never took it again.

Answered by Dr. Shoaib Khan (1 hour later)

Hello once again.

Yes sir, it does take about 10 days for the hair to grow with the detectable amount of valium, but it can still be detected much earlier. There have been a number of reported cases during research to support this data. Thus, there could still be traces of either valium (diazepam) directly or its metabolites in the hair follicle.

Unfortunately there have been reported cases of even a one time dose of 15 mg of valium (half of how much you have taken) being detected. Once valium is in the system, it takes a certain amount of time to get excreted.

At this stage, it unfortunately all depends on luck sir.

Lots of luck and my best wishes.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar