Nicotine is a substance that is addictive. It is found in tobacco and tobacco products. It is a neuro-toxin that is detected by the body as soon as it is taken into the body. It enters the blood stream very quickly and spreads throughout the body including the brain.
How is a nicotine blood test done?
There are both qualitative and quantitative blood tests for nicotine. They detect the presence or absence of as well as the levels of nicotine in blood. Along with nicotine, they also test for cotinine, a biological compound of nicotine, and anabasine, a product contained in tobacco products.
It may be part of a complete series of blood profiling tests or may be done individually. This test may be done for insurance purposes, for treating health disorders or even as part of tobacco cessation programs.
Will nicotine show up in blood tests?
If a person uses tobacco products like cigarettes, smokeless tobacco or snuff, or uses other nicotine products like nicotine patches or gum, he/she will have nicotine in his/her system. This nicotine will show up in a blood test, usually up to 1-3 days after the last usage of nicotine-containing products. This time frame is variable according to the amount of nicotine use/abuse, the individual’s health and age.
Sometimes tests can throw up false positives. Some factors like certain food products, medications and chemicals present in the environment can increase levels of thiocyanate in the body. This can, in turn, throw up false positives for nicotine in blood tests.
Nicotine will show up in blood tests only if the test is being done to check for presence of nicotine or other drugs. In case of general blood tests, the doctors may not even check for the presence of other substances unless specifically asked to do so.
