What Drugs Will Make You Test Positive for Barbiturates?

Evidence-based answer reviewed against SAMHSA cutoffs and FDA assay documentation · Updated August 2026

Quick answer: No — not on any standard panel. Barbs is absent from routine 5-, 10-, and 12-panel employment drug tests. Expanded urine: 200–300 ng/mL (long-acting equivalents).

Which panels screen for it

PanelBarbs status
5-Panel❌ Not included
10-Panel✅ Included
12-Panel✅ Included
DOT 5-panel (safety-sensitive)❌ Not included

The details that matter

Barbiturates ride along on 10/12-panel cups as the legacy 'BAR' strip. Prescriptions are uncommon today (butalbital migraine combos like butalbital migraine tablets persist).

Phenobarbital's 4-day half-life makes it the outlier — weeks-long urine detection versus days for shorter agents.

butalbital migraine tablets/Butalbital prescriptions verify through the MRO.

If it IS detected, how long does it last?

Ranges reflect occasional-to-heavy use patterns from FDA device inserts and SAMHSA-certified lab conventions.
Test typeTypical Barbs detection window
Urineshort_acting: 1–3 days (secobarbital); long_acting: phenobarbital: up to 3 weeks
Saliva (Mouth Swab)any: ~1–3 days
Hair Folliclesup to 90 days
Bloodany: 1–4 days (phenobarbital longer)

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Medical disclaimer: DrugPanels provides educational information about laboratory drug testing and does not offer medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Detection windows are population ranges — individual results vary with metabolism, dose, frequency and health status. Never stop prescribed medication to pass a test without talking to your prescriber. Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links; if you order through them we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

People also ask

Do Barbiturates Show up on a Drug Test?

No — Barbs is absent from standard drug panels. Full guide →

How Long Do Barbiturates Stay in Your Urine?

How long Barbs stays detectable in urine — urine, hair, saliva & blood windows explained with cutoffs. Full guide →

How to Pass a Drug Test for Barbiturates?

Evidence-based ways to pass a drug test for Barbs — realistic timelines, what works, what backfires, and dilution flags to avoid. Full guide →

Barbiturates Drug Test Guide: Panels, Detection Windows & More?

Complete Barbs drug test guide: which panels detect it, urine/hair/saliva/blood detection windows, cutoff levels and prescription verification. Full guide →

Do prescriptions count against me?

No — verified prescriptions report as negative through the Medical Review Officer. Declare medications at collection and answer the follow-up call.

Related guides

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10 Panel Drug Test

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12 Panel Drug Test

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Sources & further reading

  • SAMHSA — Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs (cutoffs, MRO process)
  • DOT — 49 CFR Part 40 procedures for transportation workplace testing
  • Brahm NC et al., Mayo Clinic Proceedings 2008;83(1):66–76 — false-positive cross-reactivity reference
  • FDA — drug-of-abuse test device labeling (detection window conventions)