Does anyone know how long the coca would remain in your system as far as showing up in a drug test at work? My workplace has super strict drug testing - its random but I'd hate to test positive - don't know if the fact that it was tea for altitude sickness would be a valid excuse.

Hopefully I won't feel too much from the altitude and I do have some Diamox I'll take with me but hope not to need...sounds like the side-effects of that could be as bad as the alt. sickness.

Just wondering if I should avoid the tea or if that would leave only a minimal, short-term residue in your system.

All the studies I've read say that you'll test positive for cocaine after drinking the tea, but the information doesn't seem conclusive on how long after ingestion. Some studies say 24-48 hours. Other studies say two weeks. If you want to be technical, any drug can be detected no matter how long ago it was ingested, but that requires more expensive testing that the typical employer doesn't do. If it were me, and I worked somewhere that was strict about such things, I'd avoid the tea to be on the safe side.

Leslie_S:

Would running it past your employer in advance be of value?

Woodie

The widely accepted time period for benzoylecgonine(Coca metabolite that is tested)to be cleared from the urine is three to five days.There is also a minimal level which you would not be
likely to exceed unless you drank a large quantity of tea.

So I would not think it would be a significant problem just do not drink
the tea within 5 days of your next possible test date.

Diamox which helps your tissues hang
on to oxygen is a ton better than the tea which is basically a stimulant so do the Diamox.

Thanks to all for the replies.
Sounds like a little bit when I'm first there would not show by the time I got home & back to work more than a week later.

We're starting in the Sacred Valley and going to Cusco at the end of the trip so maybe that will help us not have too much of a problem, if any.

Woodie - I think playing stupid after the fact (who knew what was in that tea??) would be a better tactic than asking ahead of time which would probably prompt a test the day I get back. But obviously the best answer is if I'm worried than only take Diamox.

Thanks again.

We were told that Diamox must be taken before you get to altitude to avoid altitude sickness - check with your prescribing doctor.

Our family was in Peru in March. Actually Cuzco has a higher altitude than the Sacred Valley so if you were thinking you were winding up at a lower altitude, that is not the case. Diamox is an issue. I took it for a few days but it made my hands tingly which unnerved me, so I stopped. (I had already gotten sick at the top of an Incan ruin so I felt it wasn't working that well anyway.) My husband did not take the Diamox and wound up with altitude sickness and dehydration. After the doctor attended to him, I showed him Diamox and asked if he advised taking that. He said that's not very good since it makes you dehydrated!! So my only advice is, whatever you do, drink as many fluids as you can. The trip, by the way was awesome, so I don't want to discourage you.

Acetazolamide

Acetazolamide 125 mg po q 12 hours, no further ascent until well. It has been shown to accelerate acclimatization; as the patient acclimatizes symptoms will resolve. It does not cover up any symptoms: if a patient feels well on acetazolamide s/he is well; it does not protect against worsening illness if ascending with symptoms.

Acetazolamide is a respiratory stimulant at altitude, and improves oxygenation. It is useful against Periodic Breathing.

Acetazolamide is a sulfonamide derivative, and should not be used in Sulfa-allergic patients.

Intermittent paresthesias in lips, hands, feet are common and irritating, and are dose-related. They are benign and resolve when the medication is stopped. Taste alterations and tinnitus may also occur.

Have found it very beneficial started carefully several days
prior to gradual ascent.

Thanks for all of the help.

My husband has mild sleep apnea - I'm hoping that periodic breathing does not occur in his sleep. Have read of people starting awake feeling they were not breathing. He'll freak!

I think starting at the slightly lower altitude for a few days might make things easier than if we were in Cusco from day one.

Leslie - many hotels have portable oxygen tanks for those who have extreme reactions - you might want to check that with your hotels/tour operators - might even have a slight placebo affect knowing it's available!

Good thought, Elizabeth.

I was talking to someone last night who had a bad case of alt. sickness in Cusco. I asked if he had tried the tea and he looked at me like I was demented - said, when you feel that bad the last thing you want is a stimulant. He seemed skeptical that there was any benefit at all to the tea and it was only tolerated there by the "natives" since they had grown up drinking it for generations.
Ye of little faith!

My company adopted the Hair Folicle test about 5 years ago to drug test employees at pre-employment. Anyway- You may want to do some research on your corporations testing methods. A urinealysis will detect amphetamines for about 5 days after ingestion. The hair folicle test can detect narcotics consumed from months ago.

If your companies testing policies are to take a urine sample, you can purchase an over the counter home testing kit at a drug store. If you have doubts regarding your ability to pass a test administered by your employer, maybe taking a "practice test" at home would provide some piece of mind...

Good Luck.
Pablo

The interesting thing about altitude sickness (as I understand it) is it's quite unpredictable who it will affect. Long distance runners might be laid low by it, yet the chain smoking asthmatic doesn't even notice it!

One tip I had read (and our guide reinforced several times) was not to drink alcohol for the first 24-36 (or even 48) hours - apparently it can really exacerbate the altitude reaction......our guide David also thought alot of bad hangovers got passed off as "altitude sickness"

Yes, will avoid alcohol for a few days at least.

Our drug tests are via urine. 5 days should be plenty of time to flush out, no pun intended.

The coca tea tasted so bad, it was a non issue. I took a couple of sips and couldn`t finish it.

Too funny Pat - I was thinking that exact thing. I hate regular tea anyway, I probably won't even be able to swallow coca tea after all this debating!