Positive Urine Drug Test

[57Susan]

I recently had a drug test at the doctors office.
I am on two opiate pain medications.
Last month they said I came up positive for heroin.
I also take a lot of high blood pressure medication, cholesterol meds, COPD meds,
glaucoma drops in my eyes, and a medication for toe nail fungus.

How could I possibly get a positive result for heroin?
I get drug tested every month at the pain doctors office.
They also send the urine to a lab.
They say it's to make sure I'm taking my medications.

I don't understand how this could happen.

[Jerry198]

And todays science class kids!!!! Excellent information ABN..

[VICourageous]

I knew you would come to the rescue ActingBrandNew. YOU go Guy!
Great Information as always!

Bless U Always!

[ActingBrandNew]

Your MD probably used a standard EIA test. You need to request them to have 6-MAM and or gas chromatography–mass spectrometry test. If this is confusing, Im sorry. I drug test people every week where I work so I'm informed on all this stuff. False positives do happen so you need to be informed on what to do. You can always print this and show your MD. If one of the opiates you are on is Codeine, then you may have your culprit.

The specific detection of heroin as separate from other opiates is facilitated by its unique metabolites. Heroin is a semisynthetic opiate that by virtue of its metabolism to morphine produces a positive result on standard EIA tests. Morphine is then further metabolized to morphine-3-glucuronide and morphine-6-glucuronide before excretion (primarily via the kidneys). However, prior to its metabolism to morphine and subsequent glucuronidation, heroin is rapidly metabolized to 6-MAM. Because 6-MAM is the first product of heroin metabolism, no other compound produces this metabolite, and its presence is unequivocal confirmation of heroin usage. Importantly, 6-MAM is known to have a short half-life and is thought to be detectable by specified EIA or GC-MS only up to 12 hours after ingestion.

In situations in which a patient is taking a prescribed opiate as well as an illicit opiate, physicians must be especially careful when interpreting test results. Opiate abuse by opiate-treated chronic pain patients is common and can complicate interpretation of opiate testing. For example, since both codeine and heroin have morphine as a metabolite, mistaken accusations of morphine or heroin abuse may arise in patients prescribed codeine. Differentiation between the drugs can be challenging when 6-MAM testing is not available and, in such a case, clinicians should consult with laboratory hospital staff to determine whether additional specific EIA tests or GC-MS testing would be warranted.

[NeverAgain127]

I have never heard of a urine test positive for heroin.   Heroin converts into morphine in the body.  Can you get a copy of the actual test results?