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Reasons for False Positive Drug Test Readings

A "false positive" drug test is a test in which your results are positive for a certain substance, even though you did not take or use that drug. There are a number of reasons this might occur, including health, over-the-counter medications and even food. Knowing which substances to avoid could help keep you from getting a false positive drug test.

  1. Over-the-Counter Medications and Vitamins

    • There are thousands of medications that people take to maintain health or to treat symptoms. Some of them can produce a false positive result on a drug test. These include nighttime cold medicine, nasal spray, decongestants, menstrual cramp relievers, weight-loss drugs, over-the-counter asthma treatments and even anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen. Some vitamins, such as riboflavin or herbal forms of B vitamins, also can affect a drug test.

    Prescription Medications

    • A number of prescription medications give false positive results on a drug test. These include pain relievers, anti-depressants and certain antibiotics. If you are prescribed any medication and you have a drug test coming up, speak with your doctor about the likelihood of it producing a false positive.

    Food

    • A common food that causes a false positive drug test for many people is poppy seeds. If you eat something containing poppy seeds, such as cake, bread, muffins, crackers or bagels, this could give you a positive result for several days after you eat it. Avoid poppy seeds for a few weeks before your drug test. Tonic water has also been shown to give a false result.

    Diseases

    • Certain diseases cause the body to excrete substances that could give a false positive test result. These include liver disease, kidney disease and diabetes. If you know you have one of these conditions, tell the drug testing lab.

    Avoid a False Positive

    • If you are scheduled for a drug test, avoid the previously mentioned substances if you can. Be prepared to give the lab a full list of medications you take, and disclose any other substances you've had, such as poppy seeds. This can help the lab analyze your results if they do come back positive.

      If you get a positive result, you can speak with your doctor about how it happened, and you can ask to be retested if the result could be an error. If you get more than one false positive, you can ask that a different type of test be performed.

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