False Positives on Drug Tests, page 146

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: Test uncontested tested?
Date: 8/20/2011
Hiring employer 1: false positive urine test amphedamine 2 days later hiring employer 2: hair folical all test ok hiring employer 1: test uncontested tested person not a drug or substance abuser/user is it possible to find out if data of false positive is on some record not available to me.

Rich

AskDocWeb: Are you the employer, the employee, or a third party? Typically the results are available only to the parties involved.

Subj: Gastroparesis and constant vomiting
Date: 8/21/2011
I have Gastroperesis and recently been having alot of problems with digesting my meds. I was recently released from my pain management clinic due to a negative result for percocet, which I am prescribed. Is it possible for the Gastroperesis and constant vomiting to cause a false negative on my drug screen?

Suzanne

AskDocWeb: Obviously if you vomited the percocet before it passed through the stomach then it is not likely to show up on the drug test. In that case the test result would not be a false negative because the drug really wasn’t in your system. However, it does complicate your situation. Do you have one physician that coordinates all your care and is aware of all your prescriptions? That might help.

Gastroparesis is a condition in which the muscles in the stomach don’t function normally, which prevents the stomach from moving food through the digestive tract properly. As a result it can interfere with digestion, cause nausea, vomiting, and can play havoc with blood sugar levels and nutrition. Unfortunately there is no cure for gastroparesis. Making changes to your diet may help you cope with the symptoms but that’s not always enough. There are medications that may offer some relief but some of them can also cause serious side effects.

Subj: Neosporin
Date: 8/22/2011
Will neosporin with pain relief (pramoxine) cause a false-positive on a drug screen? Thank you,

Leah

AskDocWeb: Neosporin has not been identified as a cause of false positives on urine tests for drugs of abuse.

Subj: Tested positive for Valium
Date: 8/22/2011
Hi, I just got the results from a Urine test from my pain management doctor. She told me that I had tested positive for Valium, I have not taken any Valium in about 2 months. The drugs I am taking are Opana, Norco, Celebrex, Lyrica and Flexeril. Please let me know if you know any reason why this would come up. I am very worried about being dropped from treatment. Thank you,

James

AskDocWeb: None of the drugs you list have been documented to cause a false positive for any drugs of abuse. However, the half-life of Valium is quite long. It ranges from 50 to 200 hours, which means that it takes somewhere between 10 and 42 days to completely clear your system.

Subj: Drug screen for a management position
Date: 8/22/2011
I have to take a drug screen for a management position. I do not take any illegal or prescription drugs of any kind. I do use Afrin sinus nasal spray, sennoside laxative, bronkaid and mega green tea fat burner. Is there a possibility of me failing this drug screen from any of these meds?

Amanda

AskDocWeb: There are several sources that say Afrin may test false positive for Ecstasy (MDMA) or Meth (References: 3, 11, 16, and 18). There is also a possibility that Bronkaid may show up as a false positive for Amphetamines, Heroin, Opiates, Ecstasy, or Meth (References: 1, 3, 16, and 18).

Subj: CPS nightmare
Date: 8/24/2011
I currently take 20mg of fluoxetine daily. And about 3mos ago child protective services received a report that I was on meth so they came out and asked me to take a drug test which I was willing to do bc I knew I hadn’t done any drugs so I was shocked when my test came back positive for meth!!

After talkin this over with my pharmacist and doing online research I discovered that my medication could cause this, I’ve taken 3 more drug test since that all have been positive so now even with all my info and statement from my pharmacist saying my medication can cause me to test positive CPS has gave me the option of stopping my medication (which I desperately need due to my severe depression) and pass 3 random drug test or lose my children.

This is truly been a living nightmare bc not only am I dealing with this now but since I tested positive to begin with it is now on my record and will be for the rest of my life and will cause me to never be able to work in a daycare and etc which is takin my job bc I was a assistant director of a daycare for the last 6yrs. I pray that this doesn’t happen to any other innocent person.

Terrilynn

AskDocWeb: The only way to contradict the results of a urine drug test is to get a confirmation test (GC-MS or LC/MS/MS) on the same sample at an independent outside lab. The results of either the GC-MS or the LC/MS/MS confirmation test may be used as evidence in court. However, these test are expensive.

GC/MS stands for Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry. A portion of the sample is vaporized and a spectroscopic analysis is done on the components of that gas. The spectrum of the substances present is somewhat like fingerprints for each substance. Each substance has a unique spectrum. The results of the GC/MS test specifically list exactly what is found in the sample.

LC/MS/MS stands for Liquid Chromatography with tandem Mass Spectrometry. This is an analytical technique where the sample is vaporized and ions in the spray are analyzed by the mass spectrometer. Typically, LC/MS methods are sensitive enough to detect and identify concentrations of 10 parts per billion. According to Acculabs Special Analytical Services (SAS), specificity of the LC/MS/MS method results in data with no false positive results.

Subj: Tested positive for the presence of PCP, Methamphetamine, and Oxycodone
Date: 8/24/2011
I am especially concerned about the PCP. Can the mixture of my medication cause these “false positives”? I take Lamictal, Adderall, Klonopin, Methadone, Ambien, Vistoril and a new anti depressant called VIIBRYD. I have been in recovery for almost 5years and I am on Probation so I am very afraid. These tests were taken in a hospital E.R. after being admitted for possible poisoning, a panic attack and hives. They assumed I was on drugs because of my history of addiction. I am so confused and would be grateful for any insight. Thank you…

Angela

AskDocWeb: Of the drugs you list, the only one that has been documented to sometimes show up as PCP one a urine drug test is Lamictal. (See reference 53) Since this is a known problem you may want to discuss this issue with your doctor and see about an alternative for Lamictal.

Subj: My doctor is ruining my reputation!
Date: 8/25/2011
Why do doctors disagree with y’all findings? I have identified 6 meds that I’m on that y’all say show positive for THC. My test from pain mang.came back positive,even though I have not Ben around pot? But with that test result my doctor fired me and sent letters to ALL my doctors rurning my reputation! She will not even research it? Basically called me a lyre . I have contacted my attorney and the local TV stations to try and get someone to help me fight this. Please can y’all help me?

Matt

AskDocWeb: Before anything else, were your test results confirmed with a GC/MS test? If not, make sure your attorney knows that fact because that is a strong point in your favor. Doctors are human and are subject to making mistakes like everyone else. You might also write a letter to the editor of your local or even national newspapers. And don’t overlook the radio stations. Talk radio hosts are always looking for interesting guests to interview and that’s something you could do over the phone. Good luck Matt. Let us know how you come out because this is happening to other people too.

Subj: Positive for cocaine
Date: 8/25/2011
I was tested positive for cocaine. I have not done cocaine since I over a year. CM I explain to my work & still get hires.

Maria

Subj: Concerta
Date: 8/25/2011
Concerta will give a false drug reading of methamphetamine use.

Michael

AskDocWeb: There are antidotal reports of Concerta showing up as meth but no documentation to back that up.

Subj: Imitrex or Sumatriptan
Date: 8/26/2011
Hello. I am wondering if Imitrex, or Sumatriptan, can be flagged as a false positive on a drug test? And my main question is: How long does Imitrex or Sumatriptan stay in the blood stream? Thanks.

James

AskDocWeb: There are two sources that say Imitrex Hydergine® may cross-react on a urine drug screen (See references 3, 18). Sumatriptan is not on the list of possible causes for false positives.

Subj: Test confirmed for cocaine
Date: 8/28/2011
My husband tested positive twice using a split sample with a gas spectrometer for cocaine. The day before the test, our family went to the beach after getting over the flu. My husband had alot of congestion in his sinuses and ears. He took 2 amoxicillin (prescribed to him by his doctor) for his ear ache and had been using afrin throughout the week (even on day of testing) to help with his sinus. He waxed his entire chest and back the night before using the skin relief lotion included in the home waxing product. This lotion contains benzocaine 5%. Is it possible that the combination of these products could cause this result? We are devasated by these accusations. Neither of us have ever used cocaine nor even seen it in real life. Please help us.

Jill

AskDocWeb: That sounds like a really tough situation. The accuracy of the gas spectrometer is so high that it can be used as evidence in court and that makes it difficult to dispute. Once the test result is confirmed the question then becomes, how did the cocaine get into his system? Amoxicillin sometimes shows up as a false positive for cocaine but that is typically ruled out when they do the confirmation test.

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