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Can NyQuil show up in a drug (UA) test? I've been sober for six months and tested positive the other day.
Anonymous2 views4 answers
I had a UA (urine analysis) and tested positive even though I honestly haven't had a drink. I know you probably hear that a lot, but I can't think of anything other than NyQuil that might have caused the positive result. I just need to know if this is possible before I go insane!
Hello. Your question is incomplete. Many items that may be ingested do contain alcohol and will cause a positive urinalysis / u.a. result. Online resources state that nyquil is 25% alcohol by volume. Many products contain alcohol, including but not limited to nyquil and other cough and cold remedies, liquids and syrups, liquid coffee flavorings, vanilla and almond and other extracts and liquid flavorings, herbal extracts, hand sanitizers, mouthwashes. If you need attorney assistance, some attorneys, myself included, will confer with you initially free, at no charge. If you need further legal assistance, some attorneys, myself included, will provide you with a reduced fee for need. All the best.
I agree with counsel that many products like NyQuil contain alcohol. Whether they would show up on a UA depends on when you took the product as well as the type of test used. For example, an Etg test for alcohol does not distinguish between ethyl alcohol (the type you drink) and compounds found in hand sanitizer for example, and for that reason can cause false positives.
I suggest that if you took a UA that revealed a false positive that you have an attorney dig in to see if the sample can be retested, or if the results can be analyzed more closely. Good luck.
Thomas C GallagherCriminal Defense AttorneyMinneapolis, MN ·
Regular NyQuil has 25 percent alcohol content, but some variations of NyQuil have zero alcohol content. In order for regular NyQuil with 25 percent alcohol content to affect a urine analysis for alcohol significantly, the driver would have had to drink a large amount of regular NyQuil with 25 percent alcohol content; well above the recommended amount. If you think that a urine analysis for alcohol is showing a false positive, you could ask that the sample be retested via gas chromatography, and you might consider a second independent chemical test for alcohol that can go back further in time such as a hair test. You will likely have to pay for these.
Absolutely, NyQuil can result in a positive reading on a BA/UA. NyQuil contains a large percentage of alcohol. If taking UA, I would also avoid any cough syrups, exposure to paint thinners and industrial cleaning solutions, and even cigarettes within 10-15 minutes of submitting the UA.
