Feedback on False Positives from Drug Testing, page 74
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 cocaine
Date: 10/13/2009
On august 27 I was injured on the job and submitted to a hair analysis, which came up positive for cocaine. I do not do this stuff, I don’t even drink. I disputed the test and had a follow up test ran by an independent lab which also came up positive. I have lost my job now. The only time I could have possibly come into contact with this drug could have been when 2 to 3 weeks earlier when I found my son’s girlfriend’s paraphernalia along with some bags that had crack cocaine in her room. I flushed what I could and threw her out of my house. Could this type of contact cause my false positive results. She was in my house for 2 months and may have been doing this the whole time. She stayed in her room most of the time.
Graham
AskDocWeb: If you touch a surface that has cocaine dust on it, the cocaine can be absorbed through your skin and could show up on a drug test. You might want to do a thorough house cleaning.
Subj: Positive for meth
Date: 10/13/2009
I am trying to find out something for my daughter. She just had a baby and the baby tested negitive for meth but my daughter tested positive. Before she went into labor the doctor had her on Nisedipine to try to stop the labor. She also got the ok from her doctor to take allergy tablets through the pregnancy. She was taking All D Alergy with Hydrochloride, cetirizine and pseudoebhedrine. Now they are making her take UA’s and waiting for the placenta to come back to see if it test for Meth. Her UA’s have came back as negitive and the baby’s blood work came back negitive. How could this be? Please help concerned grandma and my daughter which is scared out of her mind that they will take the baby from her.
Shelley
AskDocWeb: Of the drugs you list only the pseudoephedrine has been reported to cause false positives on urine drug tests. It is important to note that you don’t have to accept the results unless they have been confirmed by a GC/MS confirmation test.
Subj: False negative?
Date: 10/13/2009
Showing Negative on UA while taking Oxycontin 30mg and Vicodin. As part of my pain contract I take random UA’s. I have now taken 3 random UA’s and the drugs are not showing up in my UA’s. I even had an episode recently where my body reacted to the oxycontin and 3 days later I took UA and it didnt show up in my system. I was also in the middle of a flare up and I was actually taking 2 vicodin every 4 hours, that didnt even show up. I take a wide variety of medications, Paxil CR, Levora, Keppra for Seizures, Oxycontin, Vicodin, an anti Edema medication and occasionally Prilosec. If I have a flare up from being stupid and doing something I shouldnt, I have to occasionally go to the dr and get a shot of Toridol and Dillauded. Also you should know I have had many known issues with my Liver. They did a functionality test on it when I was swelling up with my Edema. Normal processing levels are between 33-45 on the scale they have. Mine were at 1700plus, yes, I meant to type 1700Plus. I was taken to the hospital, given who knows what to get rid of the water weight and some other stuff. So as you know with pain contracts, if everything comes back not looking like it should they suspend the contract. This is NOT good for me. I have 2 compression fractures in my back that are still severely irritated. I also have my shoulder broken in 3 places and ligaments torn which I am supposed to have surgery on next week. I cannot go through this surgery without my medication. I really don’t want to postpone my surgery because I am tired of my shoulder dislocating and hurting. Would any of the above issues cause a false negative or can you think of anything that would. Anything would be wonderful. Thank You,
Jeanette
AskDocWeb: The first possibility that comes to mind is that, if you really are taking your medicine but the cutoff level for positive on the test is unintentionally (or ignorantly) higher than what is intended, that might result in a false negative. If this is the case then you are indeed positive, just not positive enough to register positive on that particular test.
Another possible scenario: The drug screen was inappropriately or incorrectly administered or the specimen was fouled, switched or tampered with (intentionally or not) between collection and processing.
A third possible scenario: The drug screen is being misinterpreted and recorded incorrectly.
There is a history with false results as evidenced by studies conducted by the Veteran’s Administration (VA). For example, the VAGLAHS Outpatient Pain Program (OPMP) utilizes a standard Drug of Abuse (DOA) immunoassay and Biorad High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) Remedi-HS. These tests are used to monitor for medication compliance. In 2004 as many as 44% of patients tested were found negative for opiates despite patient prescribed opioid medication. The VA concluded that the DOA test was not sensitive enough. In other words the cutoff level was too high to detect the presence of opioids commensurate with what the VA considered minimum requirements.
The next time a test is scheduled you may want to go to your physician and ask for blood to be drawn or some other alternative testing method to show that you are following the rules.
Subj: Tested positive for barbiturates
Date: 10/13/2009
I tested positive in a drug screen for barbiturates. I have NO idea why. I have researched this for hours and hours, and found this forum/posts. CAN YOU PLEASE, PLEASE TELL ME? Here are the drugs I do take… oxycontin, loritab, veramyst nasal spray, adderall, lexapro, wellbutrin, and bisoprolol.
Bergie
AskDocWeb: If your “loritab” is a misspelling of Lortab, that may be the cause. It is an opioid analgesic.
Subj: Positive for PCP
Date: 10/15/2009
I am 3 months pregnant and came up positive for PCP in my monthly p.o. appt. I don’t understand how this happend. I havent been doin anything. The only thing I can think of is I went to the dentist yesterday and got 3 teeth pulled. I came up positive for the pain meds but that was only tylenol w/ codeine witch I knew would happen but is there anything else they might have used that would test positve for pcp?
Tabitha
AskDocWeb: The only drugs that have been reported to sometimes show up as PCP are Diazepam (Ref: 29), Diphenhydramine (Ref: 24), Effexor Tablets (venlafaxine hydrochloride) (Ref: 27, 33), and Ketamine (Ref: 16, 32).
Subj: Positive for Ecstasy
Date: 10/16/2009
I am under the care of a pain management group for lower back pain due to an injury at work. Recently they drug tested me and results came back positive for Ecstasy. I HAVE NEVER TAKEN AN ILLEGAL DRUG IN MY LIVE. I asked the nurse it could br a false reading, she said no, the only way it could be in your system is if you have taken it. I’ve read some of the articles and notice that it could show up as false positive because I have type 2 diabetes and I sometime use a nasal spray. Can you confirm this. Thanks for all you help.
Brian
AskDocWeb: We found 5 references that say diabetes or the drugs used to treat it might cause false positives for several things; Amphetamines, Cocaine, THC, Meth, Opiates, and yes, Ecstasy (Ref: 3, 15, 16, 20, and 21).
Subj: Sibutramine?
Date: 10/17/2009
A friend tested positive for amphetamines with the FPIA drug test for amphetamines. He is not using drugs but has been taking the diet pill sibutramin. We cannot find any record of false positives caused by sibutramine. Is sibutramine on the list of false positives?
Gina
AskDocWeb: Sorry Gina, sibutramine (Meridia) is not on the list of possible causes for a false positive.
Subj: Test showed positive for THC
Date: 10/17/2009
I took a drug test and the quick test showed positive for THC and I don’t use mairjuana. I take three different persciptions, Vibramycin 100mg, benazepril 40mg, amlodipine 10mg, and about 800mg of ibuprofen daily would any of these cause a false positive.
Michael
AskDocWeb: Of the drugs you list, only the Ibuprofen has been reported to show up as a false positive for THC (Marijuana) (See references 1, 3, 16, 18, and 29)
Subj: Adderall
Date: 10/16/2009
How long does adderall show up in a urine test? I do have a prescription but I am a flight attendant and fear I will lose my job due to DOT requirements. I do not take when working but I did take approximately 28 hours before the test. I would appreciate any infor you have.
Ellen
AskDocWeb: You may want to ask your doctor for an alternative drug, if it is not too late. Adderall typically takes from 3 to 4 days to be eliminated from the body. Otherwise you will test positive for amphetamines.
Subj: Z pack?
Date: 10/17/2009
My son test postive for cocain and he taking z pack will that give a false postive he said he clean, like to believe him but try.
Larry
AskDocWeb: Z pack (Zithromax) has not been reported to cause a false positive for cocaine on a urine drug test.
Subj: Tested positive THC
Date: 10/18/2009
My boyfriend just had a drug test done on Friday it came back clear. I know he hasn’t done anything since I have been with him this whole time and he knew he was getting a drug test today. Well it came back positive and he is on many different medications. Tested positive THC and enphedomines please help, he could go to jail.
Bren
AskDocWeb: If the test was a urine drug screen then you can contest the results and get a GC/MS confirmation test to show that it was a false positive. You can check his medications against this list to find possible causes.
Read more feedback about false positives:
Read Previous –
This is page 74 – Next – Last Page 300
If you find this page page useful share it with others. All new questions will be answered by Doctors online.