How to Test for Nicotine in Blood & Urine

Even one draw of your old addiction can now be easily detected with nicotine blood and urine testing kits. The alkaloid poison of tobacco can remain in your body longer in conditions like kidney stones or kidney and liver failures. The slightest discovery of nicotine in any tests at your doctor's office might sometimes result in new medication or treatment recommendations.

Things You'll Need

• Nicotine blood test kit
• Nicotine urine test kit

Instructions

1. Prick your middle finger with the sterile needle supplied in the test kit.

2. Place the blood sample in the nicotine test zone on the test strip and wait at least 30 seconds.

3. Read the test: The result is positive, indicating nicotine in the blood, if no color band forms in the test zone. A negative result is indicated with a pink band in the test zone.

4. Urinate into the clear plastic cup provided with the urine test kit. Catch only the middle of the urine stream.

5. Dip the test strip into the urine until it is thoroughly soaked. Wait 30 seconds to a minute for the strip to change color.

6. Interpret the test results based on the chart included in the test kit. Generally, if the strip does not change color, there was not a detectable amount of nicotine in the urine. But if it turns dark orange, there was nicotine.

Tips & Warnings

• Compared to the urine test, the blood test gives more precise details of the body's nicotine content. A positive result requires a concentration in the urine or blood of at least 200 ng/ml of the metabolite cotinine, which is what the test strips analyze for.

References

• Informative resource for nicotine tests

Resources

• Informative article on detecting nicotine in blood and urine tests