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Depression Community
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zoloft in system
by den14, Jul 23, 2008 09:44PM
I am in the process of applying for a new job as a police woman. I have taking zoloft for past two years for PMT. I am currently in the process of reducing my dose and taking 50 mg daily. I need to be med free and asymptomatic for three months. How will this be determined? Can they detect Zoloft in Urine test, Blood Test or similar?
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Most substances can be detected in the blood stream of an individual if they are looking for that particular substance.
That said, I would find it highly unlikely that they would be screening for Zoloft in a candidates' bloodstream.
If you are discontinuing your medication under the supervision of a doctor, will you be drug free for the three month period you mentioned. If so, you have nothing to worry about.
Even though you may not meet the three (3) month time frame, be aware that Zoloft has a half-life of about one day. That means that for every day that passes without taking the medication the level in the blood falls by 50%. After one day the level is reduced to 50% of the original level, after two days to 25%, after three days to 12.5%, and so on.
So, after discontinuing the medication for about a week, it would not show up in a blood creen, even if they were testing for it.
Good luck on you new job!
Michael(Jikan)
That's not to say that for a job with the Police that the test is the same.
If they are specifically testing for antidepressant medications then, yes they can find them. Very few labs test for AD usage. I doubt they will be testing for that.
If you have spent time under the care of a Psychiatrist for depression, then they will probably find that out. My brothers a cop and when he applied and was in back ground check they put his whole life inder a microscope. They found out stuff he didn't even remember. Luckily none of it was bad and he was accepted.
Maybe they won't look that deep, but you would be shocked to see how deep they dig when trying to get a job as a police officer. They will even go as far as to call people that you haven't talked to for 20 years.
Either way they shouldn't hold it against you that you take an AD med. Truth is that half of the world takes them so it shouldn't be a big deal.