Does Modafinil Show Up On Drug Tests?

Modafinil is a nootropic substance that can be used to promote wakefulness and alertness. It is incredibly popular with students or business workers for this. However, these uses of Modafinil are off-label, meaning they have not been approved or verified by official boards. As Modafinil can improve alertness and may even increase motivation, many athletes are also using it to get more out of their workouts. Most athletes that rely on Modafinil during training have claimed that it boosts their performance, making them better on the track or field.

However, as the regulations of drug-use and performance enhancers within the sporting world become tighter, many athletes who use Modafinil are worried. University bodies, sports authorities, and training companies are using drug tests to find out who uses performance-enhancing substances.

If caught using unapproved substances, many athletes may lose their careers and any achievements they have been awarded thus far. This is, of course, a frightening thing for those in training and so many athletes are worried about losing everything for something as unavoidable as a failed drugs test. Drug tests can also be performed in certain workplaces, which is why so many people are concerned about Modafinil and whether it shows up or not.

 

What Is Modafinil Used For?

You may be thinking that the risk of being caught using performance-enhancers is too great and nothing can be worth it. For many people, Modafinil can drastically improve their work, performance or general mood which is why it is becoming increasingly popular in certain circles.

Modafinil is officially a prescription drug that is typically used in the treatment of serious sleep conditions and ADHD. Depending on where you are in the world, you may be prescribed Modafinil to treat conditions such as sleep apnea or even a mental health condition such as depression. It is the off-label uses of Modafinil that make it so popular.

Off-label is a term that refers to any other use of Modafinil aside from what it is officially prescribed for. These uses are much more varied and can be incredibly beneficial to a variety of lifestyles. Modafinil is a form of eugenics, which is a kind of drug. Eugenics are substances that promote neurological activity. It is this promotion that causes wakefulness and alertness, as it stimulates the part of the body where these feelings are controlled.

This neurological stimulation is essentially the same operation that occurs with caffeine. When you drink a cup of coffee, the same receptors in the brain are stimulated as when you take Modafinil. These receptors make us feel awake, which is how caffeine and Modafinil can promote alertness. Despite this, caffeine is significantly less effective than Modafinil as it doesn’t directly stimulate the brain in the same way. Unlike Modafinil, caffeine doesn’t actually promote wakefulness but rather works to keep us awake by inhibiting sleep.

Caffeine may make you feel more awake when consumed, but this is only because it inhibits an internal compound called adenosine. Adenosine is a compound that builds up during the day as we use energy and makes us feel tired. Caffeine, by inhibiting this compound, merely blocks sleep which is why we may feel more awake.

Although this is beneficial for the short-term, those who drink a lot of caffeine know that eventually your sleep cycle will be impacted and you will always feel tired. In this regard, it is a nasty cycle. Modafinil, on the other hand, has a slightly different operation that is altogether more effective and beneficial. Modafinil does also inhibit sleepiness, like caffeine, but the reason it works better is that it also works to actively stimulate the parts of our brain that control the wakefulness state.

It is this operation that makes Modafinil a great treatment for those with sleep conditions, such as narcolepsy or shift work sleep disorder, as it helps keep you awake when you need it most. This wakefulness is also why Modafinil is popular for off-label uses, such as among students who need to revise for an upcoming exam or athletes who are in the middle of training.

 

Who Uses Modafinil?

Modafinil has many different uses and benefits, which is why so many people are seeking to use it for their lifestyle. Although Modafinil can only be prescribed for severe sleep conditions, there is a great variety of other uses for it, including:

• Those who need an extra boost to remain productive during the day, either at work or school
• Those who need to be able to stay up late, such as students studying for a final exam
• Those who may be in overnight or physically exhausting operations, such as people serving in the military
• Those who are in constant training for an athletic or physically demanding event
• Those who travel around the world, either for work or leisure, to beat jet lag symptoms
• Those who work in shifts and need to be able to alternate between day and night work efficiently

Modafinil has a variety of off-label benefits that have made it an incredibly popular substance in so many different areas.

As Modafinil has many uses, the risk of being seen on a drugs test is preventing many people from benefitting from the eugenic substance. Being caught using an unverified substance during a drugs test can massively impact your career, whether you are an athlete, military personnel or work in certain businesses.

 

Why Are Drug Tests Used?

Drug testing is a popular occurrence in various different fields in order to ensure that staff, athletes or other persons within an industry are operating in a legal and ethical manner.

The first official drugs test was invented in 1966 by Manfred Donike and relied on gas chromatography to identify anabolic steroids in the urine of athletes. This would determine whether an athlete was using performance-enhancing drugs or other illegal substances. Before this invention, there were other crude ways to test for drugs and other substances.

One of the most famous tracking systems was utilized by Henry Ford in his workforce. Ford was famous for his “sober and moral” philosophy and wanted to make sure that his workers were not consuming any substances that may hinder their performance at work. Without technical equipment to test for drugs, Ford actually hired specific staff members to track the habits of his employees when they left the factory or office.

Nowadays, it is no longer acceptable or ethical to follow your employees home to determine whether they consume drugs or alcohol after work. Luckily, this is no longer needed as we have verified drugs tests and other technology to give us the essential information. Chemical testing is now used to determine the levels of alcohol or certain substances in workers, athletes or employees urine.

Drug testing is a popular process across various industries. Here are the top three organizations that use drug testing the most:

Athletic Organizations

In professional athletic organizations, drug testing is a standard procedure. It is used to ensure that participants do not have an unfair advantage over their competition, which can impact tournaments and races.

There are a variety of different ways that drugs testing is performed in this industry. Methods such as gas chromatography, immunoassays, mass spectrum, and reagent testing are used to identify the most common use of illicit or problematic drugs in this field.

The type of compounds that drug testers look for and the method they use will differ depending on the agency that does the testing and what they deem important.

Essentially every country in the world has its own anti-doping organization that regulates drug testing among athletes. These organizations set the standard for their own country, which can differ depending on where you are and what is deemed most important.

Corporation Workplaces

Drug testing in the workplace has changed a lot over the years and was first introduced in the way we know now through President Reagan’s “Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988”.

This act created the framework used to determine whether employees and those in corporate roles where consuming drugs or other illegal substances. This was introduced to lower drug use in the workplace to increase performance.

Drug testing is now standard in various other countries alongside America for corporate roles.

The Government

Drug testing is standard for various levels of the government. Perhaps one you may recognize the most is police using drugs test to determine whether illegal substances have been used during crimes or car accidents. In government roles, drug testing can be performed forcefully through blood tests or saliva. These are the types of drug tests that are likely to be used in prisons or other police circumstances. Samples can also be given voluntarily through urine.

The most common form of drug testing in the government is breath testing. Breathalyzers can be used to find traces of alcohol or marijuana. Hand testing can also be used to determine whether someone has been handling drugs. Drug testing is also used in hospitals to determine whether a patient is under the influence of an illicit substance, as well as being useful in determining whether an overdose has taken place.

Certain government agencies require regular drug testing of their employees as a mandatory part of their employment. This ensures that all workers are abiding by the law and can perform at their best. This is commonly seen in the military and public transportation services.

 

How Do Drug Tests Find Drugs?

There are a variety of different drug tests that can be employed, depending on what is being looked for and where they are being performed. The different drug test operations work to find drugs in numerous ways, as they rely on varying technology or chemicals.

Reagent Drug Testing

Reagent drug testing relies on either samples of blood or urine to determine if there are illicit substances in a person’s system and, if so, which ones.

Reagent drug testing combine blood or urine with a certain compound that will change color when it comes into contact with certain chemicals or substances. This kind of drug testing comes as special drops or test-strip paper.

This kind of drug testing is one of the most cost-effective available and can provide instant results, which is why it is seen commonly in police or security work.  Other forms of reagent testing can also be used to determine chlorine levels in swimming pools and pH testing.

Reagent drug testing cannot determine a full breakdown of everything that may be present in a blood or urine sample. It is effective at finding drugs, but only if you are looking for something specific.

Immuno-Assay Drug Testing

This is another common form of drug testing that looks for specific antigens produced in the body by particular drugs. Immuno-Assay drug testing doesn’t look for the drugs themselves, but can rather be used to determine what may have been taken based on how the body reacts.

Everything that enters our body in some way requires an action from the immune system. The immune system needs to determine whether it should attack or not after inspection. For the most part, drugs and other illicit substances will cause a mild immune system response as it attacks. This response causes the body to produce antibodies.

Antibodies are used to mark and determine substances that aren’t naturally produced by the body, so the immune system can keep track and work to keep us safe. It is this process that immuno-assay drug testing can be used to discover. As antibodies are present in the body for a long time, immuno-assay drug testing can be used to determine past drug use. Immuno-Assay drug testing can be used when reagent testing, mass spectronomy or gas chromatography comes up negative.

Immuno-Assay drug testing can work quicker than other forms of drug testing but isn’t always accurate. Any positive results that have appeared through immuno-assay drug testing need to be confirmed through further blood tests. A common form of immuno-assay testing is pregnancy tests, which works by reacting when in the presence of special proteins. These proteins are only found in those who are pregnant.

Just like reagent drug testing, immuno-assay will only find specific compounds that are being looked for specifically rather than offering the wider picture.

Gas Chromatography Drug Testing

Gas chromatography is the original method of drug testing that was used by Manfred Donike in 1966. It relies on vaporizing urine or blood samples and sending them through a long tube.

The compounds will separate in the tube depending on their molecular weight, meaning they can come out of the tube separately so they can be further examined. These individual compounds will then be seen through a UV light to determine exactly what chemicals are present.

These results are then compared to standard examples of various drug tests to see if anything matches up, thus determining what is present in a person’s system.

Results found through gas chromatography are often combined with mass spectronomy to confirm positive results.

Mass Spectronomy Drug Testing

In this kind of drug testing, blood or urine samples are blown apart by an electron laser and sent through a magnetic tube detector to determine what substances are present. Substances measured through this form of drug testing have their own unique fingerprint, which is how different drugs can be determined.

Mass spectronomy testing is often used in research for chemical composition mapping of various plants, insect and animal testing. In mass spectronomy, specific compounds do not need to be looked for to be found.

Four, Five, Ten, And Twelve Panel Drug Testing

Most companies will use either four or five-panel drug tests to search for illicit substances, which combines immuno-assay and reagent testing.

This specific testing is unlikely to find prescription medications which are why it is popular among companies for employee testing. By focusing on illicit substances only, four or five-panel testing is cost effective and will only determine whether an employee’s performance will be impacted.

Panel drug testing can also find commonly abused prescription drugs such as opioids. This kind of drug testing can vary greatly depending on where the test is being used, such as in government or athletic organizations, and what substances are deemed most important to find.

 

Is Modafinil Looked For In Drug Testing?

In most cases, Modafinil is not looked for in drug tests, but of course, there are also exceptions.

Most corporations that require drug testing will have large lists of different substances to look for, but it is incredibly unlikely that Modafinil will make it to this list. Modafinil is generally not considered to be an issue for workforces, which is why it is not listed as a substance to look out for in testing.

Some athletic commissions may test for Modafinil as they will typically employ high-tech drug testing. This kind of drug testing can reveal compounds that aren’t being specifically looked for, including Modafinil. Modafinil is legal to use in certain locations as it is a prescription-grade drug. This legality may differ depending on who orders the test and what they deem acceptable.

For example, a cooperative drug test may not even find Modafinil but if they do it is unlikely that it will cause issues. As Modafinil is a substance that promotes wakefulness and alertness, this is actually beneficial for certain employees to use. However, some athletic organizations may not be as accepting of Modafinil as it is a performance-enhancing drug. In most cases, Modafinil is not listed as an illicit substance in athletics, but these organizations do look for anything that may be prohibited.