False Positives on Drug Tests, page 156

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.

Diabetic
Date: 10/26/2011
I read that if your a Diabeteic taking Metformin 500/ and Tramadol/apap 37.5 and IBuprofen 800, and drink beer and tonic water mix drinks, and don’t do drugs at all you could test positive for cociane. Could this combonation of medication cause the positive result?

Rodriguez

AskDocWeb: There is a possibility that it could but only on the urine drug screen. The confirmation test would eliminate that false positive.

This is sad
Date: 10/27/2011
My nightmare started last yr 3-17-10 i took a pre-employment test and was told I tested positive for cocaine on hairtest but urine test was fine. I refused to let them retest me cuase of lady at company came to me in a very suspicious way. I wouldn’t pay for them to retest me cause I told them I don’t smoke drink or do drugs. Your lab made grave error. I got retested the next month at another lab and results were negative like it supposed.

Plz note diabetes didn’t cause falsepositve cause there was an excessive amount of BZE present other than cocaine amount found. So I feel you pain and I’ve lost so much but the bad thing about it I live in Texas and I haven’t found lawyer willing to take case yet. That is the sad part of this whole ordeal the lab was wrong. I got retested to prove it and see how sad this world has come too. I never smoked in my life prior to becoming diabetic and it gets sader. The head of the FMCSA refused to do what’s right by trying to force me to SAP program in defense of lab. He’s a federal official, ACLU they wouldn’t assist me and I couldn’t even get channel 8 and channel 4 here in Dallas to assist me. They wouldn’t return my call. I never dreamed in 23yrs of driving trucks out go in clean and come out dirty. People it’s a sad day when lawyers are more concerned with the amount of money instead of being willing to help someone when done unjusticely wrong.

Johnny

Weight loss and positive drug test for THC
Date: 10/27/2011
I have read your article on the various medications that can cause a false positive on drug tests and had a question. I used to be an avid pot smoker. I gained a lot of weight when I was. Since I have quit smoking I have lost 45 pounds, 15 in the last 2 weeks. Could that be a reason for testing positive for THC recently?

Luray

AskDocWeb: There is a theory that since THC is readily absorbed by fat cells, losing weight might release enough of it to show up on a drug test. As far as we know that is still just a theory for which there is no research to prove that it is true or false.

Fluticasone?
Date: 10/27/2011
I started taking fluticasone a few months ago. I went in for a urine test today and the tech said it showed pos for meth. She is sending it in. please tell me this is the problem. Thanks.

Dar

AskDocWeb: Hello Dar, unfortunately we can’t tell you that. Fluticasone is not one of the drugs that have been documented to cause false positives on urine drug tests.

Augumentin?
Date: 10/27/2011
My daughter tested positive on a drug test, she was taking Augumentin. Can this affect the test?

Regina

AskDocWeb: Augumentin is not on the list of substances that have been identified for causing a false positive on urine drug tests.

False positive for phenobarbital?
Date: 10/27/2011
My drug test for the RN program came back positive for barbituates on the 1st screeening & phenobarbital on the confirmation screening. I’ve never taking any type of barbituate before. The meds I do take are: tramadol, gabapentin, ibuprofen, sumatripton, and a few days before the drug test I had a shot of toradol. Can you give me some websites that will show me which one of those meds can make a drug test show positive for phenobarbital. Thanks!!!

Candace

AskDocWeb: Sorry Candace, the only drug that we know of that would show up as phenobarbital is Fiorinal but not on a confirmation screening. However, we did find a new reference for the list showing that Phenobarbital may cause a false positive for phentolamine on test results. Thanks!

Tested positive for cocaine
Date: 10/27/2011
Can a person that does not use cocaine, and is diabetic, taking tramadol, apap metformin ibuprofen 800, drinks very little, drinks tonic water mix drinks and tested positive on both split urine sample, I don’t know what test was used. I was told nothing medical or diabetes, would cause this positive result.

Rodrigue

AskDocWeb: Well, people have been told that there was no such thing as a false positive drug test result but that didn’t make it true. We found 4 reference that say those with diabetes might test false positives for cocaine on urine drug tests. However, the only way to show that it IS a false positive is to get a confirmation test.

Secondhand Suboxen?
Date: 10/27/2011
If my girlfriend is using suboxen and I kiss her or have any type of sexual activity is it possible for me to test positive for suboxen on a UA? Please give me any information as soon as possible the next three years of my life could depend on it.

MR.C

AskDocWeb: We were unable to find any case where an exchange of body fluids resulted in a positive drug test result for Suboxen or Suboxone.

Flexerol
Date: 10/29/2011
Flexerol… I Am on probation and am afraid to take my script for fear it may show up as something I havent done, Can this Happen?

Candace

AskDocWeb: False positives are rare however, they can happen no matter what you are taking or not taking. If the people doing the testing use a test kit that has passed its expiration date, it might produce a false positive. Human error is also possible. There is nothing you can do to prevent those kinds of false positives. What you can do is be prepared to reject any test result that you believe is a false positive and get a GC/MS confirmation test to prove it.

Note that Flexerol is NOT on the list of substances that might cause a false positive.

False positive for marijuana?
Date: 10/29/2011
My 16 year old was taking 100mg microbid for a UTI, after enduring too many side effects the doctor changed her rx to bactrim. Taking batrim 2x a day and pyridium 3x a day, I am wondering if the combo of the two could give a false positive for marijuanna? As a parent of two teenagers, I find it my right to test them on a “surprise notice”….keep in mind I have yet to have a problem with a positive. I tested one daughter today, and surprise…positive. Of course she is swearing that she hasn’t and even agreed to have a test done in a clinic. Thought on this, please!

Patty

AskDocWeb: We know that false positives DO happen but it is not likely from that combination. The Bactrim alone may test positive for benzodiazepines. That is according to the MEDTOX Journal reference 60. The only way to remove doubt is to have professional testing conducted at a clinic. If they get a positive, we would have that confirmed with a GC/MS test.

4 way nose spray
Date: 10/29/2011
i took an in office swab test and the test said i was positive for methamphetamines and i have never done this drug. when i was in the office my nose was very congested so my mouth was too dry for the swab test so i used my 4 way nose spray that contains phenylephrine hydrochloride 1% right before the test. i few minutes later it came back with a positive for the drug. i wanted to laugh cause i know that there is no way but its very serious cause i could loss my kids, this was a cps case. please help.

Kristina

AskDocWeb: As far as we know the only way to clear yourself is to get additional testing. You might tell them that you believe the presumptive result is a false positive and that you want a laboratory confirmation by GC/MS chromatography.

False positive for PCP
Date: 10/30/2011
I take effexor 150 mg generic name :(venlafaxine hcl er cp 150mg), zoloft generic name: (sertraline tab 25 mg (added to help with anxiety) & vistral 25 mg. I just got out of rehab. Three days later, I go to check in at the halfway house. I was given an urinalist. I tested positive Twice for PCP. I asked for a blood test, however they do not give them. I am a recovering addict. I’ve lost everything that was dear to me, now I show positive for a drug that I have never seen, nor taken. I looked online for false positives, effexor was listed for showing positive on Pcp. How could I prove, that I did not take PCP? (Also, I’m in drug court. There cups never showed positive for PCP. I have been on effexor for many years. Thank you.

Leah

AskDocWeb: Hello Leah. It sounds like the halfway house may use a different test than the ones used in drug court. Cheaper tests are known to produce more false positives. It is impossible to prove a negative statement. However it is possible to prove that a positive assertion is false, if it is false. In other words you can’t prove that you did NOT take PCP but you might be able to prove that the drug test result was a false positive. That is one of the reasons for getting a confirmation test, to eliminate false positives.

Positive for alcohol
Date: 10/30/2011
My daughter in law who is 8 months pregnant came up positive for alcohol in her drug test. She didn’t drink and now has to prove herself…she did use a inhaler, and now we are trying to see if that could be the cause..she was told it could be yeast in her body also. Does anyone know how she could have a false positive at 8 mos pregnant when she is CLEAN?

Pam

AskDocWeb: According to Sterling Reference Laboratories, the EtG (Ethylglucuronide) test may show a positive result from sources other than beverage alcohol. Here are some of the possibilities:

  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Beauty products 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)

It should be relatively easy to check the inhaler to see if alcohol is listed as one of the ingredients.

Hair analysis
Date: 10/31/2011
I HAVE A EXPIRED SCRIPT FOR PHENTERMINE. I TOOK 2 WHEN ANOTHER PERSON WHO TAKES IT SUGGESTED I STOP BECAUSE IT WAS EXPIRED. I CALLED MY DOCTOR AND HE SAID HE DIDN’T KNOW IF THERE WAS ANY HARM IN IT. I NEVER TOOK IT AGAIN BUT I DID TAKE SUDAFED 1 TIME AND NYQUIL 1 TIME FOR A COLD. WILL ANY OF THEM MAKE ME TEST POSITIVE ON A HAIR ANALYSIS? I DO NOT TAKE ANY ILLEGAL MEDS AT ALL.

CINDY

AskDocWeb: Sorry Cindy, the information here applies only to urine testing. We haven’t had time to research the hair tests.

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