False Positives on Drug Tests, page 144

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 a Benzo?
Date: 7/30/2011
I have a client taking these medications (seroquel, gabapentin, and hydrocodone) will she test positive for a Benzo called oxazepam? She claims she is not using, but it seems unlikely to me.

Rick

AskDocWeb: It seems unlikely to us also. None of those drugs have shown up as a false positive for benzodiazepine.

Subj: Pre-employment drug test
Date: 8/1/2011
Had premployment drug test Thursday, on tylenol 3 but they didnt take med list when I submitted urine. How long to get call to confirm my meds?

Marlene

AskDocWeb: Unfortunately that varies from state to state because there are no set procedures or standard practices for the whole country. In some states they don’t call. They just send you the results in the mail and you may or may not have 7 days to contest the results.

Subj: Positive for marijuana
Date: 8/1/2011
I see a neurologist for migraine pain management. I take Voltaren 75mg, Phenergan/Promethazine 25mg tabs & Phenergan/Promethazine 50mg suppositories. I took a random drug test at work and it came back positive for marijuana. I informed the Medical Review Officer (MRO) of these prescription drugs. She told me that none of these drugs could cause a false positive and the only drug on the market today that will show as marijuana is Marinol/Dronabinol which is for Cancer/HIV patients only. Is MRO statement correct or incorrect pertaining to me? PS. I had taken all three medication for three days straight including the morning/day of the test. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Jackque

AskDocWeb: Your MRO is correct about Marinol showing up as marijuana since it is made from cannabis. However, there are other possible causes. Voltaren is one and Promethazine is another. These false positives can be ruled out with a GC/MS confirmation test.

Subj: Tested positive for THC
Date: 8/1/2011
I just recently got injured at work so I went to the nurses station. They gave me a urine drug test which they said tested positive for THC or pot. I have never done drugs and cant figure out why when the lab test came back with a small amount in it as well. I am taking hydroxychloroquine 200 mgs. twice daily for my discoid lupus and celebrex 200 mgs. once daily and 1,000 mgs. of vitamin d daily. Could any of these medicines be showing up as THC? If not what could it be? It is pretty bad when someone who has never done drugs in their life get accused of doing drugs after being with this company for 13 years. Please help. What if it happens again?

Susan

AskDocWeb: None of what you are taking is on the list of possible causes for a false positive however, if it happened once it could happen again. Other than going through the list and eliminating anything that might cause a problem, about the only thing you can do is to be ready to request a GC/MS confirmation test if it happens again.

Subj: I’m afraid this is going to happen again
Date: 8/2/2011
Recently I was hospitalized in the ICU heart unit and almost died. They told me that I tested positive for amphetamines but I don’t do drugs. I take wellbutrin and lexapro for depression trilafon for schizophrenia and vicodin for the pain for my dislocated shoulder.

When I was in the hospital it was like I was high off of something. I was tripping for 48 hours straight. I also had really bad hallucinations and several grandmal seizures but I didn’t take anything to cause this but my family and doctors insisted that I took amphetamines. Could the mix of my medications cause this? Also can any of my medications that I’m on cause me to test positive for amphetamines? Or did the hospital make a mistake?

I did do some research and found out that wellbutrin can cause false positive urine tests for amphetamines is this true? Also could it cause it with false positive drug tests for amphetamines in blood? I do know that wellbutrin can cause seizures and have effects like your high on somthing but I’m not sure that it can cause you to test positive for amphetamines.

I’m afraid this is going to happen again and I’m going to end up back in the hospital in the same condition that I was in and if it does and I test positive I’m going to be sent away and not let back into school.

Ryan

AskDocWeb: There are several sources that say Wellbutrin (Bupropion) might show up as a false positive for amphetamines (References 12, 31, 32, and 36) including the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services. Keep in mind that urine tests have to be confirmed before they can be used as proof of drug abuse.

Subj: Positive for cocaine
Date: 8/4/2011
I recently took a drug test and passed, then 2 weeks later took a hair test and showed positive for cocaine. I have never used cocaine, only thing i have take were the prescriptions from the dentist Hydrocodone which is a vikidin. How could this be possible? I know all you doctors dont believe it, but I am living proof this has happened.

Eddie

AskDocWeb: Although it is a rare event, the testing kit they used may have been bad. Were the results confirmed by GC/MS or not?

Subj: Antibiotics
Date: 8/5/2011
Is there any antibiotics that come up with a false positive for Adderall?

Julie

AskDocWeb: Antibiotics have shown up as heroin, cocaine, and opiates but not for Adderall, which contain amphetamine.

Subj: Can energy drinks cause a false positive?
Date: 8/5/2011
Is it true that energy drink ingredients can make u fail a UA? I’ve done some researching but have found mixex answers.

Kylara

AskDocWeb: The mixed answers are likely the result of so many different energy drinks being on the market. All those different drinks have different ingredients in them so check the label. If it has opium poppy seed extract, Methylhexanamine or ephedrine/ephedra in it then there may be a problem.

Subj: Topiramate XR or Bactrim DS?
Date: 8/7/2011
I am seeking answers to a drug test where I tested positive for benzodiazapine. I did not eat for 20 hours. I am guessing my glucose and Ph were out of wack. Does the antibiotic bactrim ds cause this? I was given a single does of 200mg of Topiramate. Will this cause the positive test for benzodiazapine?

Wes

AskDocWeb: Not eating for 20 hours (fasting) will change your pH level but we do not believe it would cause you to have a positive test for benzodiazapine. According to the MEDTOX Journal reference 60 Bactrim may test positive for benzodiazepines but a confirmation test would clear that up. There are no reports of Topiramate XR showing up as benzodiazapine on urine drug tests.

Subj: Positive for methamphetamines
Date: 8/9/2011
I have had numerous urine testing for drugs. Each time the results came back positive for methamphetamines from the lab. I do not use drugs of any kind except for what is prescribed to me by my doctor. Two of my current meds are adderall and nuvigil. Could these meds cause false positive results? (Even after sent and tested at a lab)

Diane

AskDocWeb: A lot depends on what kind of test is conducted at “the lab”. Is that the original urine test or does the lab do a GC/MS confirmation test? Adderall has produced false positive results on urine tests but the GC/MS confirmation test rules out those results.

Subj: What can cause a borderline positive pregnancy test?
Date: 8/9/2011
I had a blood test done for an allergy clinical trial but it showed that I was borderline for pregnancy! I am 54 and NOT pregnant…do you know what may cause a borderline positive showing like this? I don’t take anything but a few vitamin supplement like C, D3, Omega 3,6,9, and Vit B12. Thank you.

Lisa

AskDocWeb: There are several reasons for a borderline/positive result in women who are NOT pregnant:

  • There may be interfering substances present such as micro organisms, endogenous proteins, drugs, leucocytes or erythrocytes.
  • Following delivery, miscarriage or hCG injections (IVF) hCG levels may remain detectable for up to several weeks.
  • Low levels of hCG in women of childbearing age are sometimes observed due to a recent pregnancy that has spontaneously aborted (about 22% of pregnancies abort spontaneously, without being detected).
  • hCG may be passively acquired from a blood transfusion
  • Some fertility drugs
  • Ectopic pregnancy
  • The presence of heterophile antibodies or non specific protein binding
  • Trophoblastic diseases (hydatidiform mole or ovarian tumor)

Of course not all of these apply in your situation. If test results are inconsistent with clinical evidence, the results are typically confirmed by alternative testing methods.

Subj: Kidney disease
Date: 8/9/2011
Can having kidney disease.. passing a stone at the time of a drug test cause a false positive. i will go to jail if i cant figure out why this keeps happinging.. please help me.

Kelley

AskDocWeb: There are several sources that say kidney disease and infection are possible causes of false positives. You can check the list but it sounds like you need a GC/MS confirmation test to eliminate any false positives.

Subj: Tested positive for cocaine
Date: 8/10/2011
My client recently tested positive for cocaine. She claims that she has never used cocaine. She is taking Xanax for anxiety, and used an over the counter cold cough and sinus medication. Could these cause a false positive cocaine result?

Tom

AskDocWeb: The Xanax might cause a positive for benzodiazepines but not for cocaine. The cough and cold medications need to be identified by name in order to check for cross reactants. Remember the urine tests are presumptive and positive results always need to be confirmed before any action is taken.

Subj: Urine analysis and ETG
Date: 8/10/2011
A month ago I took a urine analysis and an ETG for probation. My probation officer said there was a red flag that I need to be immediately retested. I don’t drink or do drugs. I did have a Celcius energy drink the day of the test and I am taking Fungi Cure anti fungal liquid that had %25 undecylenic acid and I may have had some Mortin a few days before. Could this created the problem or was the uring test too diluted?

Jane11

AskDocWeb: Are they testing for drugs of abuse in addition to alcohol or just for alcohol usage? The EtG (Ethyl Glucuronide) test is to detect the metabolite of alcohol. According to Sterling Reference Laboratories, the EtG (Ethylglucuronide) is a sensitive biomarker of ethyl alcohol exposure and that a low-level positive EtG could result from sources other than beverage alcohol. Here are some of the possibilities:

  • balsamic vinegar
  • beauty product that contains SD Alcohol 40
  • breath drops
  • cooking Vanilla (30% alcohol by volume)
  • extra sour dough bread
  • fake alcohol such as O’doull’s, Near beer, and Fre’ wine products
  • hair dye
  • mouthwash
  • soy sauce
  • teriaki sauce
  • waterless hand soap. (Proven by recent clinical study)

Motrin sometimes shows up on urine drug tests as a false positive for THC but that can be eliminated by a confirmation test.

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