Feedback on False Positives from Drug Testing, page 108
False Positives Forum
This forum is intended to help those who Do NOT Abuse Drugs. We do NOT support the illegal use of any substance. If you have experience with false positives, share your experience. What would you tell someone about drug testing and false positives? Please remember that we do not give medical or legal advice.
Subj: Lexapro?
Date: 11/20/2010
I have been submitting drug test for the methadone program I am on. However, I keep coming back positive for benzos. The only thing I take is Lexapro 20 mg. Can that be what is causing this FALSE positive?
Michelle
AskDocWeb: Lexapro (Escitalopram: other trade names Cipralex, Seroplex, Lexamil, Lexam) is an antidepressant of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class. It has not been reported to cause any false positives on urine drug tests.
Subj: Positive for marijuana
Date: 11/23/2010
I was givin lamictal, klonopin and i have ankle arthritis so i take ibuprofen. when drug tested i showed positive for marijuanna and dont smoke.
Audra
AskDocWeb: That has happened to others while using Ibuprofen. There are several references that report false positives for Marijuana (THC) (1, 3, 16, 18, and 29).
Subj: Tested positive for cocaine
Date: 11/23/2010
A male took a urine test, tested positive for cocaine. Is prescribed to hydrocodone, ativan, flexeril, and ambien. As some of these can cause a false positive, they are sending it to a lab. can the lab distinguish what metabolites are what. Can they pinpoint if it is actual cocaine? Can the lab, break it all down and be able to actually tell if it was cocaine or does his prescription use throw the whole test? Should and can he ask for another test due to this?
Melissa
AskDocWeb: If they send the sample to an outside lab for a GC/MS confirmation test, that will identify exactly what is there and eliminate any false positives. The sample is vaporized and a spectroscopic examination of that vapor pinpoints what specific metabolites are present. Of course if the result is shown to be a false positive then there is no need to retest.
Subj: Positive for marijuana
Date: 11/24/2010
I have never done any other drug in my whole life, nor touched any other drug besides marijuanna…i was recently put on probation for other reason not related to drugs…now they had me take a ua test my first day and i was positive for marijuanna but no other drugs. Now a month and a half latter they have me take another one and im positive for marijuanna still, cocaine and opiets! Once again ive never done nor been around any other drugs…i need help to know is there something i ate or touched or used that would make the ua say that? also its been 2 weeks since that ua and ive recently took another one and it still says positive for those drugs!
Erin
AskDocWeb: All of the substances that have been reported to cause a false positive are listed here. The only way to know for sure if your result was a false positive or not is to get a confirmation test from a certified laboratory.
Subj: Gabapentin (Neurontin)
Date: 11/25/2010
Can you tell me what the false positives are for the drugs {Gabapentin and neurontin}? My Dr has put me on for my head stroke i had.
Dale
AskDocWeb: There are no reports of any false positives with Gabapentin (brand name Neurontin).
Subj: False positive and false negative
Date: 11/25/2010
I take Loratab 10/500, Soma 350mg, Celexa 20mg, Enjuvia 0.9mg, Motrin, and Asprin. I recently had a urin drug screen that my doctor orders every month. This time it showed positive for benzodiazepines and it didn’t show that my soma even showed up at all on the test. I don’t take anything whatsoever but my prescribed medicines, and I take them the way I’m suppose to, and I take ALL of them. What could be causing this false positive for the benzodiazepines and a false negative for the soma? This is really important because I take this medicine because I am disabled and now my doctor is cutting off any treatment whatsoever now. Please let me know, I sure would appreciate it. Thank you,
Melanie
AskDocWeb: If you drank a lot of water, your urine sample may have been too diluted by the volume of liquid to show the use of Soma. That is, your sample may have been so diluted that the result was below the detection level of the test. None of what you list has been reported to cause a false positive for benzodiazepines but there are quite a few other possibilities listed here.
Subj: Sulfameth/tmp
Date: 11/26/2010
I was tested positive for amphetamines by Clinical Reference Laboratory. I take no amphetamines. I am taking sulfameth/tmp for a bladder infection. Can this cause me to test positive for amphetamine?
Randal
AskDocWeb: Sulfameth/tmp is a combination of two antibiotics, sulfamethoxazole and Trimethoprim, which is sold under the brand names Bactrim, Bethaprim, Cotrim, and Septra. It is not known to cause any false positives on drug tests.
Subj: Positive for methadone
Date: 11/29/2010
I am in pain management and my last urine showed a positive for methadone, which I have never taken. the week I took the urine test I didnt know if I had allergies or a cold so I bought some Zicam gel swabs, benadryl, and nyquil cold medicine and alka seltzer plus. would or have any of these show a positive for methadone. Please help me with this. thanking you in advance. Sicerely
Craig
AskDocWeb: Nyquil has shown up as a false positive for several things, including Methadone. The good news is that a GC/MS confirmation test can tell the difference between Nyquil and methadone.
Subj: Positive for cocaine
Date: 11/29/2010
Hello, a family member tested positive for cocaine recently. He drinks 5 hour energy drinks as well as others almost everyday. He has also been taken herbal medicines for leg cramps and nerve tonic. He had a couple of beers two days before the test. Can any of these things cause him to test positive? He is facing jail time. I need an answer quickly please. Thank you so much.
CB
AskDocWeb: That depends on what ingredients are in his herbal medicines. We know that several Chinese herbal pills contain benzodiazepines but there are a lot of herbal medicines out there. The two beers would not show up as cocaine. The only energy drink ingredient that has shown up in the research on false positives (so far) is 2-Amino 4-Methyl Hexane, also known as Methylhexanamine. However, its chemical structure is very close to that of amphetamines, not cocaine.
Subj: Positive for morphine
Date: 11/29/2010
My daughter is in methadone treatment (90 per day, weight 135, 5’6″). She is pregnant (7mo). She takes a very light dose of zanax as needed and is almost weened off of it (x abusive husband). She also has vaginal yeast problems and has to take periodically use a medical suppository. PROBLEM is her weekly UA tests for the clinic show about once a month or two Methadone PLUS a just above the detection threshold MORPHINE. Many at that clinic complain saying they periodically get false positives. This has been a real antagonizing delema for her. She swears that she is not taking morphine. Could her pregnancy or zanax or yeast infection or higher methadone dose (used to be 60 p day) cause the false positive? Should we have a hair test done to disprove the false positive? Hmmmmmm. I have heard of this happening because of pregnancy BUT? Help please.
Jeff
AskDocWeb: It might be more convincing if the same sample that tested positive for morphine were to be subjected to a GC/MS confirmation test. That could prove that the original urine test is producing false positive results, if that is what is happening.
Subj: Benzocaine
Date: 11/30/2010
I’ve been up all night with a horrible tooth ache and have to take a drug screen (urine) tomorrow. I was out of Ibuprophen & have been gargling salt water all night, the only thing I could think of was to use some of my sons Anbisol Jr & realized it has benzocaine in it! Can this cause a positive drug screen for anything???
Heidi
AskDocWeb: Dispite the name, benzocaine has not been reported to cause problems on urine drug tests so you will probably be okay.
Subj: Tested positive for cocaine
Date: 11/30/2010
I have an ongoing case w/ dcs and they have my children. I am tested quite often and am not using any drugs at all, though on my last test I tested pos. for cocaine. I have been reading on your site and have read that amoxicillin can cause a false pos. I have been taking Amox-Clav 875/125 is this why I tested positive?
Shae
AskDocWeb: It looks like that may be possible but you would need to get a confirmation test to verify that it is a false positive.
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