Which Medicines Can Create False Positives For Drugs?

A conviction on drug charges is a serious matter since a prison sentence can cost you your personal freedom for a long time. So it is crucial to know if evidence against you might not be accurate. Sometimes a drug test creates a false positive.

A drug test can be strong evidence in a drug case provided that nothing has swayed the outcome. According to WebMD, it is possible that the medicine you take could cause a drug test to produce unreliable results.

Antidepressant medication

You may need medicine to manage your emotional state. Various medications handle problems including panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorders and depression.

However, sometimes a drug test mistakes an antidepressant for an illegal substance. For instance, some tests determine that an antidepressant contains benzodiazepine, which shows up in people who have undergone an opioid overdose.

Antihistamines

Given how common allergies and respiratory disorders are, it is likely you have taken an antihistamine at some point in your life. The problem is that drug tests can mistake specific antihistamines for addictive drugs and hallucinogens. For instance, some over-the-counter medicines have diphenhydramine, which could show up on a test as PCP.

Medicine for mental conditions

People suffering from a mental disorder may seek relief through medicine prescribed by a doctor. Unfortunately, some of these medicines might register as illegal drugs. Quetiapine can produce a false positive for an opioid, such as methadone. Chlorpromazine may cause you to test for amphetamine.

Other medicines such as quinolone antibiotics and promethazine could skew the results of a drug test. The possibility of a false positive means you should make sure your medication does not risk your freedom in a drug case.