Feedback on False Positives from Drug Testing, page 115
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: Positive for THC
Date: 1/8/2011
Sirs: I recently tested positive for THC, I do not smoke marijuana and lost my job, I told the lab that I was taking 3 tabs of ibuprofen 3 times a day for my back and sciatica other than that I was only taking meds for my acid reflux and lipitor with just vitamins also I do take niacin to help my good cholestorol- could any of these meds have caused a false positive? Confused and without a job.
John
AskDocWeb: Ibuprofen has shown up as a false positive for marijuana (THC) (References 1, 3, 16, 18, and 29) on urine drug tests. If your employer did not verify the results of the drug test with a confirmation test then you may have a claim against them for lost wages. Note that we are not attorneys and this is NOT legal advice. You would have to check with an attorney to find out for sure. More than one person has taken an employer to court for that and come away with a nice structured settlement.
Subj: Dyclonine in sucrets
Date: 1/8/2011
Will the dyclonine in sucrets complete cause a false positive?
Tonya
AskDocWeb: None of the Sucrets throat lozenges have been reported to cause false positives on urine drug tests.
Subj: Testing positive for benzos
Date: 1/8/2011
I am in the drug court program. I have been testing positive for benzos for 7 months. I know it has to be my meds or something otc that i have been taking. My freedom is on the line.. I am currently taking prozac 40mgs a day i am also on lisonopril 20/12.5 hctz and 15 mgs of remron at night. I do take pm otc to sleep and sometimes defenhydramine to help me sleep. I have been off of seriquilxr 200 mgs dailey for 6 weeks. I took it for 10 months
Dorain
AskDocWeb: We don’t see any reason for your test coming back positive for benzos. You might check this list to see if something else you are taking might explain it.
Subj: References?
Date: 1/12/2011
I am a physician who is ddeply involved in addiction/recovery. Among other things I run a sober living. I study continuously, but you have here the most extensive list of potential false positives I have seen. It appears to be referenced/foot-noted, but no list of references appear. Could you, by chance, provide such a list. It would certainly elicit a contribution on my part! Thanks,
Stephen
AskDocWeb: The “footnotes” you refer to are actually the source references that document each false positive. These are located on the page titled, References.
Subj: Promethazine tested positive for benzo
Date: 1/12/2011
This site is wonderful. Your false positives list is very useful. I just want to add one thing-PROMETHAZINE can also come up as a benzo positive. It has happened to me 2x. I am letting everyone I know that is on methedone about your site. Labs make mistakes and we pay the price when they (do). Again just want to say thanks alot for this site. P.S. this site has a lot of other useful info.
Diane
AskDocWeb: Thanks for letting others know about Promethazine Diane. There are already three good references that say Promethazine has shown up as a false positive for THC (Ref: 3, 16, 18). Now we need a good reference from a professional source to confirm that it might show up as a benzo and it will be added to the list.
Subj: What cough meds?
Date: 1/12/2011
I tested positive for cocaine I had been taking cough medicines such as dayqiul but what cough meds could cause a false positive?
Robert
AskDocWeb: Cough meds that contain Dextromethorphan (DXM) or codeine may cause problems for those being tested for drugs of abuse.
Subj: Nose spray
Date: 1/12/2011
IF YOU USE NOSE SPRAY EVERY DAY CAN YOU TEST POSITVE FOR A DRUG TEST IF SO HOW CAN YOU PROVE THAT IS WHAT CAUSED THE FALSE POSITIVE READING
STEPHANIE
AskDocWeb: It is possible but it also depends on which nasal spray you use. Is yours on this list? If so then you need to get a confirmation test from an independent lab in order to show that the result of the urine test was a false positive.
Subj: Hair test?
Date: 1/12/2011
Hello I have a question someone who hasn’t done cocaine in 3 years does a few lines (less than half a gram) one night and only this one night, 3 months later they have to do a hair follicle test for a job will the cocaine show? Also will drinking lots of water help?
Somewhere in AK
AskDocWeb: The cocaine is almost certain to show up on a hair test no matter what you drink.
Subj: Wellbutrin
Date: 1/13/2011
Wellbutrin caused me to be accused of taking meth amphetamines. I was kicked out of drug treatment program.
Lola
Subj: Lipo 6 Black?
Date: 1/13/2011
I started to take Lipo 6 Black for about a month and then I stopped taking it because I thought it might give a false positive on a 10 panel drug test, that I’ll have to take when I start my rotations. I was wondering if Lipo 6 Black a popular diet will cause a false positive test? These are the active ingredients: Yohimbine HCl, Yohimbe, Alpha-Yohimbine (as part of Yohimbe), Theobromine Anhydrous, Caffeine Anhydrous, Trans-resveratrol (Polygonium cuspidalum) (root), 13N-Dipropyl-7-Proparhylxanthine, Guggul Extract (Commiphora mikul) (gum resin) [std. to guggulsterones E&Z 95%], 35cAMP (35Cycic Adenosine Monophosphate), 5′ -UMP (Uridine-5′ -Monophosphate), Toothed Clubmoss (Huperzia serrata)(leaves)[std. to 1% huperzine A], Supra-Amine Apple geranium (Pelargonium odorantissiumum (leaves) [standardized to 13-Dimethypentylamine], 13 Dimethylamylamine HCL, Beta-Phenylethylamine HCL, Hordenine HCl, Zingerone, 1-Methyl Caffeine, Evodiamine 99.5%
Bubalie
AskDocWeb: None of those ingredients have been reported to cause a false positive on urine drug tests so it looks like Lipo 6 Black is okay. However, there are some health concerns with using yohimbe if you are on prescription medication.
Update: Please see answer for Gyan about Lipo 6 Black Hers diet pills.
Subj: I was let go
Date: 1/13/2011
I had my neck fused 9 years ago and have since developed a degenerative bone disease in my neck. I see a pain management doctor and am currently taking neurontin 300 mg every 8 hours, robaxin 750 mg every 8 hours, norco 5’s every 4 hours and also take naproxen 500mg twice a day. I had to take a pre-employment drug screen and the results came back positive for opiads and thc. Needless to say I was let go even though i provided them with a list of medications. I was told that they contacted a doctor and pharmacist and was told that none of these would show up positive for thc but I have read that naproxen can cause a false positive. Any help would be appreciated. By the way I do not smoke marijuana.
Lynne
AskDocWeb: Naproxen may show up as a false positive on a urine drug screen (See references 1, 3, and 18) but that should have been ruled out if they performed a confirmation test. What confirmation test did they use, and what business did the testing? You have a right to know those answers but only if you exercise your rights. If they did not perform the confirmation test then you may have a good chance at a million-dollar liability suit. If the employer does not answer your questions then you may want to contact an employment attorney about your legal rights.
Subj: Tested positive for opiates
Date: 1/13/2011
While my son was in a rehab and received periodic drug testing by the facility, he tested positive for opiates. One other occasion he tested positive and he immediately copped to it but this time he was adament that he was still clean and did not relapse. I could not convince the outpatient rehab facility but decided to do my own research.
He had been on Levaquin the week before and I ran a google search “levaquin giving false positive” and sure enough it came up that levaquin can come up as a false positive for opiates. I had to print out this information and pass it along to the rehab director so they could reverse their decision to discharge him from the program. I would think that these kinds of facilities would know these things regarding false positives and ask questions if you’ve been taking over the counter or prescribed prescription meds before passing judgement especially when the person being accused is adament that they had not relapsed. We all know addicts lie and manipulate but sometimes we have to eliminate other possibilities first.
Diana
AskDocWeb: It is more than just that. In the words of US District Judge H. Lee Sarokin: “If we choose to violate the rights of the innocent in order to discover and act against the guilty, then we have transformed our country into a police state and abandoned one of the fundamental tenets of a free society. In order to win the war on drugs, we must not sacrifice the life of the constitution in the battle.”
Subj: False positive on urine drug tests
Date: 1/13/2011
I have heard that taking Motrin & IbuProfen in large doses can cause a false positive on Urine drug tests. My question is why? Is the Chemical chain so simular that the test can’t differentiate between the two?
Shea
AskDocWeb: It is not the chemical chain of the original substances but the metabolites of those substances that are too similar for the urine test to make a distinction. Metabolites are the products produced by the body during metabolism.
Subj: Positive for benzodiazepines
Date: 1/13/2011
In house drug test. I came up immediately positive for benzodiazepines. I am taking Zoloft and Hydroxycut. I do not do drugs. I called my doctor and she says there is no evidence that Zoloft causes it and that it is the Hydroxycut. What do I tell my probation officer (DUI)?
Ronda
AskDocWeb: You might print out a page of Dr. Robert Hsiung’s website (University of Chicago) that talks about Zoloft and show that to your probation officer. You could tell them that based on that information you believe the test result was a false positive and you request a GC/MS confirmation test. Even if you have to pay for the confirmation test it may still be worth it.
Read more feedback about false positives:
Read Previous –
This is page 115 – Next – Last Page 300
If you find this page page useful share it with others. All new questions will be answered by Doctors online.