Does cordyceps show up on a drug test?

In short: No. Cordyceps contains nothing that a standard workplace drug test looks for, and we couldn’t find a single published report of it causing a false positive. Two things are worth knowing, though: cordyceps drops are made with alcohol, which matters if you’re on an alcohol-monitoring programme, and athletes should only take supplements that have been batch-tested for banned substances.

Will cordyceps cause a positive drug test?

A standard urine drug test screens for a short list of drug groups. The usual ones are:

amphetamines
cannabis (THC)
cocaine
opiates
benzodiazepines
methadone and other opioids, depending on the panel

Cordyceps is a fungus. Its best-known compounds, cordycepin and adenosine, aren’t related to any of these, and they aren’t on any standard panel. We searched the medical literature and found no published case of cordyceps causing a false positive on a drug screen.

If a test does come back positive, the cause is far more likely to be a medicine or something else you’ve taken. Tell the tester what you take, supplements included, before the test.

What about alcohol tests?

This is the part most articles miss. Most cordyceps drops, ours included, are tinctures: the mushroom is extracted in water and food-grade alcohol. A daily dose of 1 to 2 ml holds roughly 0.2 to 0.35 g of alcohol, a small fraction of a standard drink. (We’ve worked it out in detail in cordyceps and alcohol.)

That’s too little to matter for most people. It can matter if you’re tested with EtG (ethyl glucuronide), a urine test used in alcohol-monitoring programmes. EtG tests are very sensitive:

In a study of adults who used an alcohol hand sanitiser repeatedly, EtG was found at low levels in their urine even though they hadn’t been drinking.
In another, people who gargled with a high-alcohol mouthwash four times a day mostly stayed well under the usual 500 ng/ml cut-off.

Nobody has tested tinctures specifically. But if you’re on a programme that uses EtG, especially one with a low cut-off, the simple answer is to avoid alcohol-based drops and use a powder or capsule instead, and to tell whoever runs the testing.

Breath tests: alcohol left in your mouth can affect a reading for a short time after taking drops. If you’re breath-tested at work, take your drops after the test.

Can athletes take cordyceps?

Cordyceps isn’t named on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited list. The risk for athletes isn’t the mushroom: it’s contamination. When Sport Integrity Australia had 200 sports supplements tested, 35% contained at least one WADA-prohibited substance, and most of those didn’t list it on the label. Pre-workouts, fat burners and muscle builders were the worst.

If you’re tested in sport, only use supplements that are batch-tested for banned substances by a scheme like Informed Sport, and check with your governing body or Sport Ireland if you’re unsure.

What should I tell the person testing me?

Everything you take: prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines and supplements, with the product names. Bring the packaging if you can. It takes a minute and it’s the quickest way to sort out a surprise result.

Questions people ask

Does cordyceps show up on a urine test?

Not on a drug screen. Standard panels don’t test for anything in cordyceps.

Can cordyceps cause a false positive for THC?

We found no report of it doing so, and it isn’t chemically related to THC.

Is cordyceps a stimulant like amphetamine?

No. It isn’t related to amphetamines and won’t register as one. If you’re curious how it’s been studied in relation to brain chemistry, see cordyceps and dopamine.

Is cordyceps legal in Ireland?

Yes. It’s sold here as a food supplement, in drops, capsules and powders.

See what’s in our cordyceps drops, including the full lab report.

Sources

Rosano TG, Lin J. Ethyl glucuronide excretion in humans following oral administration of and dermal exposure to ethanol. J Anal Toxicol 2008. PubMed 19007508
Reisfield GM, et al. Ethyl glucuronide, ethyl sulfate, and ethanol in urine after intensive exposure to high ethanol content mouthwash. J Anal Toxicol 2011. PubMed 21619720
Sport Integrity Australia. Sport supplements survey (2025). sportintegrity.gov.au
World Anti-Doping Agency. The Prohibited List. wada-ama.org

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you take any medication, talk to your GP or pharmacist before taking any supplement.