Using Varenicline To Quit Smoking. Can It Be Detected In A Drug Test?

Posted on Tue, 29 Jan 2013

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

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 Answered on

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : Hello, about to starting taking Champix, the stop smoking pill also knows as Chantix and Varenicline. I am randomly drugged screened and want to know if it would show up on a drug screen.

Answered by Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (6 minutes later)

Hello......
Thanks for your query. I would like to complement you for your effort to quit smoking. Varenicline- an alpha4 beta2 nicotine receptor blocker is indeed a great choice to quit smoking. As for drug screen, as if you have taken a drug whose half life falls within the test date, you will show positive. For eg 1 week for nicotine/heroin and 1 month for cannabis/marijuana products. Hope you found the information useful.
Regards
Dr Sundar
Specialist-Addiction medicine

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