Torsemide<\/td> Demadex<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\nDiuretics work against hypertension by lowering the blood volume. The majority of them provide results by helping the kidneys get rid of more sodium in the body through the urine. The elimination of sodium also eliminates water in the blood, which causes the blood volume and thus the blood pressure to drop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s due to this why it’s a complete no-no for people with hypertension to have a sodium-rich diet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since diuretics can cause a drop in the blood pressure level, it can affect a polygraph exam \u2014 it’s very much likely for the result to be either inconclusive or a false negative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because certain minerals are flushed out of the body together with water, some of the common side effects of diuretics are headaches, dizziness and muscle cramps. The presence of these side effects may leave you feeling uncomfortable during your lie detector test, which may be easily mistaken by the examiner for signs of deception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. Benzodiazepines<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Referred to at times as benzos, benzodiazepines are psychoactive drugs. This means that, in layman’s terms, they are substances that affect an individual’s mental perception such as consciousness, mood and emotion. Some other examples of psychoactive substances include alcohol and nicotine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Commonly, benzodiazepines are used to treat anxiety and panic attacks. In some instances, they are commonly prescribed in order to deal with things such as severe stress and insomnia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some benzos that you may have already probably heard of include:<\/p>\n\n\n\nGENERIC NAME<\/strong><\/td>BRAND NAME<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>Alprazolam<\/td> Xanax<\/td><\/tr> Clonazepam<\/td> Klonopin<\/td><\/tr> Diazepam<\/td> Valium<\/td><\/tr> Lorazepam<\/td> Ativan<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe fact that benzodiazepines are also known as tranquilizers or sedatives makes it clear why these drugs can have an effect on the result of a polygraph machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Popping a benzo in your mouth just before you are strapped to a lie detector machine \u2014 benzodiazepines are fast-acting drugs known to take full effect in as short as 30 minutes only \u2014 is very much likely to cause an inconclusive result or false negative because your various physiologic functions will be depressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By making you feel calm and relaxed, chances are that your blood pressure and heart rate will not rise that much even when asked questions that can leave you stressed or drive you to lie during a polygraph test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, during the pre-test phase, a trained and experienced examiner will probably detect that you have taken a benzodiazepine or something similar to it before showing up at the testing center. This will prompt him or her to cancel the examination and schedule you for a later date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
6. SSRIs and SNRIs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Benzodiazepines \u2014 as discussed earlier, these are commonly prescribed medications for anxiety and panic attacks. It was mentioned, too, that they take effect quickly, thus allowing anyone who takes them to attain relief in no time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But then there are also other drugs for anxiety and panic attacks that can take a while to provide therapeutic benefits as they need some time for them to build up in the system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They are, by the way, primarily intended for treating depression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A couple of the most prescribed antidepressants are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). Not only do they sound practically the same but they also work practically the same, although with a minor difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SSRIs work by increasing the available amount of serotonin in the brain. Simply put, serotonin is a chemical messenger that possesses mood-regulating properties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s also a key role player in the following bodily functions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hunger<\/li> Sexual desire<\/li> Sleep<\/li> Temperature<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\nBy the way, serotonin is also sometimes referred to as the feel-good hormone because it does exactly that \u2014 it makes you feel good. Are you one of those who feel happy and nice when eating dark chocolates? Well, the reason for it is that dark chocolates can help increase the levels of serotonin in the brain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the other hand, SNRIs work by increasing the amount of available serotonin and norepinephrine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also called noradrenaline or noradrenalin, norepinephrine is similar to serotonin in that it’s also a chemical messenger in the brain. However, it helps improve the mood by increasing focus, alertness and memory, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just like most other prescription drugs, whether for mental illnesses or others, both SSRIs and SNRIs are known to cause side effects, some of which can contaminate lie detector test results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Antidepressants are known to increase the blood pressure. And since the blood pressure is one of the things that a polygraph machine measures and records, there is a possibility for the result to be affected. This is especially true if the examiner is not aware of the examinee’s intake of SSRIs or SNRIs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s also not uncommon for some of those who are taking antidepressants to be agitated and anxious, which can cause various physiologic readings to be elevated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
7. Insomnia Medications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Many OTC drugs taken by people who can’t sleep are not really treatments for insomnia, although they can indeed promote sleep. Some very popular examples are antihistamines, which are a class of drugs used to deal with the symptoms of allergies. And drowsiness is a common side effect of antihistamines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As soon as the polygraph examiner notices that the examinee seems drowsy, he or she will cancel the test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Earlier, we mentioned the fact that benzodiazepines are commonly prescribed not only for anxiety and panic attacks but also for insomnia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the problem with using benzodiazepines for managing insomnia is that these fast-acting drugs are known to cause nasty withdrawal symptoms. So, in other words, when the person who suffers from insomnia stops taking them at bedtime after a while, he or she may experience dizziness, blurred vision, concentration problems, tinnitus, anxiety and even nightmares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s a good thing that there are a few other drugs for insomnia besides benzodiazepines, and each one of them can affect the results of a lie detector test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let’s take a look at some of those that doctors usually prescribe to insomniacs:<\/p>\n\n\n\nGENERIC NAME<\/strong><\/strong><\/td>BRAND NAME<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>Doxepin<\/td> Silenor<\/td><\/tr> Eszopiclone<\/td> Lunesta<\/td><\/tr> Lemborexant<\/td> Dayvigo<\/td><\/tr> Ramelteon<\/td> Rozerem<\/td><\/tr> Suvorexant<\/td> Belsomra<\/td><\/tr> Zolpidem<\/td> Ambien<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\nDifferent prescription drugs for insomnia work differently. Some work by depressing the central nervous system (CNS), while others deliver results by blocking histamine receptors, which can cause drowsiness. Others are designed to target the sleep-wake cycle itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No matter the case, one thing remains true: these drugs can affect a polygraph exam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
8. Cough and Cold Medicines<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Some cough and cold medicines are available only with a doctor’s prescription. That’s because they can be very addictive \u2014 making them available OTC can make some people abuse them without any trouble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The majority of prescription drugs for cough and cold can be quite sedating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Needless to say, taking them on the day of your lie detector test can lead to an inconclusive result or a false negative since you will feel too sleepy to feel guilty, in case you have any reason to feel guilty. As a matter of fact, it’s not uncommon for some individuals who are planning on beating a polygraph exam to take sleeping pills beforehand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But it’s certain that a good polygraph examiner will be able to tell that you have taken something with a drowsy effect by the way you talk and move during the test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other than sedation, cough and cold medicines can also increase the blood pressure as a result of the constriction of the blood vessels. As a result of this, the heart rate follows suit \u2014 your heart beats faster than normal. All of these unusual physiologic processes will be noticed by the polygraph examiner during the pre-test phase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just Before You Take a Drug on the Day of Your Polygraph Test<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nA polygraph exam can sometimes yield an inconclusive result, which means that the examiner is unable to determine whether the individual is being truthful or being deceitful. In some instances, the test can also lead to either a false positive or a false negative, both of which are considered errors in the world of polygraphy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are many things that can cause an inconclusive result or an error, and some of them are prescription medications taken by the examinee before the test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In many instances, a prescription drug has to be taken on a daily basis. Some of them include those that are intended for managing high blood pressure or arrhythmias and putting anxiety disorder or panic attacks under control. Due to this, discontinuing them because you have a scheduled lie detector test is not a good idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Make sure that you inform the polygraph examiner about any prescription drugs you are taking so that the necessary actions may be taken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For instance, if you are taking medications for a serious medical condition, the examiner may ask you to secure a medical clearance from your doctor beforehand. Or you may be completely prohibited from undergoing the test if the drugs you are taking can keep a conclusive result at bay or your life can be put at risk because of your health issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read Next: How Does a Polygraph Work<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A lie detector machine comes with all kinds of sensors integrated into it. As a matter of fact, the instrument can have anywhere between 4 and 6 sensors, depending on the model preferred by the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2459,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/truthorlie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2447"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/truthorlie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/truthorlie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/truthorlie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/truthorlie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2447"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/truthorlie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2447\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2472,"href":"https:\/\/truthorlie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2447\/revisions\/2472"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/truthorlie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2459"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/truthorlie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2447"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/truthorlie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2447"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/truthorlie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2447"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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