9 Weird Ways You Can Test Positive for Drugs

By Rachael Rettner, Senior Author | November 18, 2016 06:41am ET

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  Introduction

  There are occasions in life if you simply must pee right into a cup. For instance, you would possibly must take a drug check earlier than you begin a brand new job. However these exams aren't foolproof: Numerous innocent, on a regular basis substances can set off a false-positive outcome for medication. This is a have a look at 9 substances that can provide you an odd constructive outcome for unlawful medication.

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  Coca tea

  Consuming coca tea may result in a false-positive outcome for cocaine. The tea is common in South America and is comprised of the leaves of the coca plant, the identical supply from which cocaine is derived. In a 2006 research, 5 individuals drank coca tea earlier than present process a drug check. The entire individuals examined constructive for cocaine metabolites 2 hours after consuming the tea, and three individuals nonetheless examined constructive for cocaine after 36 hours. The researchers concluded that "healthcare professionals ought to take into account a historical past of coca tea ingestion when deciphering urine toxicology outcomes."

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  Chilly medicines

  Some over-the-counter chilly medicines include elements that might result in a false-positive outcome for amphetamines. For instance, the ingredient brompheniramine, which is an antihistamine in some chilly and allergy medicines, can intrude with the check for methamphetamine, resulting in false-positive outcomes, in line with a 2010 evaluate research.

  And up to now, use of the nasal decongestant Vick's Inhaler led to false positives for amphetamines, in line with a 2008 evaluate research. Vick's inhaler comprises levomethamphetamine, which is a chemical "mirror picture" of methamphetamine, the authors of that evaluate wrote. Nonetheless, newer drug exams can distinguish between methamphetamine and the chemical in Vick's inhaler, so the chilly treatment now not triggers a false constructive, the evaluate mentioned.

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  Secondhand smoke from marijuana

  In excessive circumstances, being in a room with somebody who's smoking marijuana can result in a constructive outcome on a marijuana check, in line with a 2015 research. In that analysis, six individuals smoked marijuana in a sealed chamber, whereas six nonsmokers sat subsequent to them. After 1 hour, a number of of the nonsmokers examined constructive for marijuana in delicate exams that might detect tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC (the energetic ingredient in marijuana), at a focus of 20 to 50 nanograms per milliliter.

  The researchers concluded, "These outcomes reveal that excessive hashish smoke publicity can produce constructive urine exams at generally utilized cutoff concentrations." Nonetheless, the researchers famous that these constructive exams in real-world settings are prone to be uncommon, as a result of testing would want to happen inside hours of the publicity, and nonsmokers would doubtless remember that they'd been uncovered to secondhand marijuana smoke.

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  Antibiotics

  Sure antibiotics, together with rifampin and fluoroquinolones, can result in false-positive outcomes for opiates. In a single case, reported in 2002, a 7-year-old boy in Lebanon who visited the emergency room examined constructive for opiates. Nonetheless, it was later decided that the rifampin he was taking interfered together with his drug check.

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  Child cleaning soap

  Sure soaps utilized in hospitals to clean infants shortly after start might trigger the infants to check constructive for marijuana on some new child screening exams, in line with a 2012 research. (Such exams are executed to find out if a mom was utilizing medication whereas pregnant.) Well being care employees found out that infants who're washed with these soaps — which embody Johnson & Johnson's Head-to-Toe Child Wash, J&J Bedtime Bathtub, CVS Evening-Time Child Bathtub, Aveeno Soothing Aid Creamy Wash and Aveeno Wash Shampoo — gave a constructive outcome on a urine drug screening check for THC, the energetic compound in marijuana.

  The researchers in that research mentioned they are not certain why the soaps trigger a false constructive. It might be that a few of the compounds within the cleaning soap have a construction that's partly much like THC, or it might be that chemical substances within the cleaning soap change the way in which the check works, the researchers mentioned. As for the way the cleaning soap obtained into the urine pattern, the researchers suspect that some residual cleaning soap on the infants' pores and skin washed off into the kid's urine pattern.

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  Ibuprofen

  Taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication, equivalent to ibuprofen, can, in uncommon circumstances, result in a false-positive outcome for a number of medication. In a research carried out in 1990, 60 individuals took ibuprofen at a number of totally different doses (a single dose of 400 mg per day, three 200-mg doses a day or three 400-mg doses per day, relying on which experimental group they had been in). One affected person taking the best dose of ibuprofen (1,200 mg per day) examined constructive for cannabinoid, a compound in marijuana. One other affected person examined constructive for barbiturates, that are utilized in anti-anxiety medication or sleep medicines. The outcomes "reveal the small probability of a false-positive [test]" after taking ibuprofen, the researchers concluded.

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  Tonic water

  Tonic water comprises small quantities of quinine, a drug used to deal with malaria. Quinine can also be generally combined with road medication, and so it may be an indicator of unlawful drug use. In a 1989 research, researchers at Brown College in Rhode Island reported constructive outcome on a urine check for quinine resulted from the consumption of tonic water in a combined drink.

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  HIV treatment

  An antiviral treatment used to deal with HIV also can trigger individuals to check constructive for marijuana. For instance, in 2006, researchers reported fascinating findings from a research of 24 individuals who took the HIV treatment efavirenz (model identify Sustiva). At first of the research, all the individuals examined detrimental for THC, however after taking efavirenz, all of them examined constructive. Researchers mentioned that efavirenz might intrude with the way in which the check works.

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  Poppy seeds

  Poppy seeds naturally include the compounds morphine and codeine, and so consumption of some merchandise with poppy seeds can set off false positives outcomes for these medication. In a 1987 research, 5 members of a lab baked cookies containing about 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) of a poppy-seed filling that they purchased from the grocery retailer. Two hours after consuming a number of cookies, all the lab members examined constructive for opiates. The focus of the drug was higher than 300 ng/mL, which was the minimal cutoff utilized by the check.

  In 1998, the Division of Well being and Human Providers modified the cutoff to 2,000 ng/mL as a way to keep away from false-positive outcomes from consuming poppy seeds, in line with a 2008 evaluate research. Nonetheless, most laboratories proceed to make use of decrease cutoffs, the researchers of that research mentioned.

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Writer Bio

---

Rachael Rettner, Senior Author

Rachael has been with Reside Science since 2010. She has a masters diploma in journalism from New York College's Science, Well being and Environmental Reporting Program. She additionally holds a Bachelor of Science in molecular biology and a Grasp of Science in biology from the College of California, San Diego.

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