Drugs that cause false negative urine screens. Also more information for anyone who deals with chronic pain. Please read.

[sandee1818]

I have posted this information several times in post that require the info and wanted to post this in a separate place for those who has questions about it.
This is some information that I have posted in the past that was helpful......



From a law enforcement laboratory technician who routinely handles evidence
including specimens for drug screens....

A drug screen is a complex thing and the higher tuned (more sensitive)
it is the more complex it becomes. You see, drug screens can be
adjusted to detect various trace amounts of many different types of
drugs. Some test react positively for the presence of drugs
(substances or derivatives) only if those traces appear in the test
medium in certain volumes. For example, a person on parole may be
given a test for marijuana (cannabis, hash, etc) that will respond
positive if the test medium contains traces above  a certain “cutoff
level” where the cutoff level is very low (10ng/ml possibly) . Whereas
a person applying for a job may be given a test for marijuana
(cannabis, hash, etc) that will respond positive only if the test
medium contains traces above a certain “cutoff level” where the cutoff
level is very high (50ng/ml possibly).

There is some recent history with false results as is 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 was too high to detect the presence
of opioids commensurate with what the VA considered minimum
requirements)
.‘Result of Urine Toxicology in VA Patients Treated In a Pain Clinic’
http://www1.va.gov/hsrd/about/national_meeting/2004/abstracts/2047.htm

I think that the above article is saying that the test these Dr's are using are not the best for our situation. In order to test positive for our meds we have to have the required amount in our system that the test requires in order to test positive. If one test requires only trace amounts then surly there will be no problem, if one test requires that a high level be detected then we will have to have that level in order to test positive. Now to me this is outrageous that the Dr who orders these test can order the test that requires higher levels of the drug to be present in order to be positive, therefore some will and have failed these test.


Here are the 14 drugs known to interfere with urine test.....

The reactivity of 13 quinolones (levofloxacin, ofloxacin, pefloxacin, enoxacin, moxifloxacin, gatifloxacin, trovafloxacin, sparfloxacin, lomefloxacin, ciprofloxacin, clinafloxacin, norfloxacin, and nalidixic acid) was tested in 5 commercial opiate screening assays from September 1998 to March 1999. In 6 healthy volunteers, we confirmed the cross-reactivity of levofloxacin or ofloxacin with these opiate screening assays. be positive, therefore some will and have failed these test. Rifampin is another one too.

Also here are some pain management groups that may have information you need.....

Pain & Policies Studies Group: www.painpolicy.wisc.edu.

American Pain Foundation: www.painfoundation.org.

American Chronic Pain Association: www.theacpa.org.


I also wanted to tell those new to pain management that these are the three things you should do to make certain there are no mistakes.....

When anyone receives a drug test they should do three things to assure the test are accurate.
1) make sure the cup is marked clearly with their name
2) make sure to initial the sticker with your name after the nurse receives it
3) watch the nurse seal the package to be sent to the lab

I hope this helps. Tuckamore and I want to do everything we can to help and education is key when dealing with PM and our doctors treating our pain.

[1lorie1]

i take xanax,wellbutrin,lyrica,vicodin,micardis,fexril....but they said my vicodin level was to low wonder how this happened

[Tuckamore]

Please begin your own, new post. This thread is several three years old and originated by someone else.

You'll obtain better responses if you do so... which is more desirable. We'll look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,
~Tuck

[ataloss324]

I recently was tested at pain management and was released due to a high level of hydrocodone in my system, i take oxycodone and also large amount of benzodiazapine which i take clonozapan. this is all i take and have not taken any other pain meds or nerve meds.  what could cause my percocet to show up as hydrocodone and why would they say clonozapan is not a benzo and release me. i have NEVER EVER failed a drug test and if i woulda been a pill shopper n popper i would have rescheduled, i know what i take and only what i take is what should be in my system.

[troubleinohio]

im so sorry for your dad. Sadly this happens quite often. Ive seen it here on this forum many many times and so many people suffer without meds due to this. Doctors need to STOP taking these results as gospel!!! ERrors happen all the time with these tests, either the tests themselves are defective, or not sensitive enough (perhaps he took his last dose too long before the test), or there may have been a mix up at the lab...who knows what happened but its scary how frequently this occurs. something needs to be done, they need a more foolproof method of testing. I hope your father can get his meds back again. Is he totally out now? Did he bring his pill bottle to his doctor to let him do a pill count to show him he had his meds still? Update us when you can.

[gaji]

My dad is diabetic, takes 120mg of a Lasix daily and two different types of blood pressure meds.  Plus about dozen more.  He was taking Hydrocone 10/325mg daily.  His Dr took a urine test and it came back negative for the drug and now will not give me dad any more.  This is a man in serve pain and needs these pills.  He has and never was a pill popper till now.  He was discharged from the Air Force with 100% disabled veteran.  I am looking for info on how this would of happened and what info I can give the Dr to show him that his test are wrong.  But mostly that he is very wrong about my dad.

[sandee1818]

I wanted to bump this up as it is important information.

[Mollyrae]

Great information Sandee. Many posters have also had a problem with their tests coming back as if they had ingested Morphine when in fact they have only taken the opiates prescribed which did not include Morphine. Here is information as to why some tests might come back positive for the Drug.


All opiates including opium, heroin, codeine, morphine, and many opiate-based prescription drugs metabolize (biologically break down) as Morphine (MOR). (The synthetically manufactured opiate, methadone, metabolizes as methadone [MTD] and is therefore detected by a different drug test.)

I hope this will help those who have had a drug test that indicated the use of Morphine when in fact they have not taken it.