Posted by Larry Hoover on June 9, 2003, at 11:47:14
In reply to Can a urinalysis determine the difference, posted by bernie3 on June 9, 2003, at 10:51:34
> I have a question my wife is on klonopin for severe anxietyand I think she has been taking valium also but I have no proof of my suspicion other than she done it in the past.
> Can a urinalysis determine the difference between klonopin and valium or are all benzos converted to valium in the bloodstream anyway?So, you'd like to have proof of what's really going on, e.g. abuse of her meds?
The short answer is that a routine urinalysis for benzos does not tell you which benzo was found. It's non-specific. That's not to say that a thorough testing of urine couldn't differentiate between some benzos, but the molecules appearing in the urine are identical in many cases. So they just screen for that one common molecule.
If you're looking for clear evidence, you need to get a blood sample analyzed. Valium has a very long half-life (around eight days). Klonopin undergoes a number of fairly rapid metabolic conversions that are unique.
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:232614
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030609/msgs/232618.html