Mom Tested Positive For Methamphetamine, Why?

My mom is an ex addict and is against drugs now. She has some health issues and is currently taking different kind of prescriptions such as Norcos, Ambiens, Zanex and I think that's it. Today her Dr. drug tested her randomly and the test came back positive for methamphetamine. she has not done meth or is taking any methamphetamines. How can this happen? She swears she didn't do it but I'm having trouble believing that because I don't know how its possible. Someone please give me advice. Thank you so much.

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There are some medications that can cause false positives, but in order to find you details on that, I'd need a complete and accurate list of everything she is currently taking, including over the counter products.

Learn more Methamphetamine details here.

Nothing that you listed, so far, has been known to do so.

Can you please check what she has been taking and post back?

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Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed or, in combination with an antihistamine as Actifed) can cause false positives for methamphetamine.

Now, the current drugs she's taking are all Controlled Siubstances and all potentially addicting, to one degree or another. Norco is hydrocodone/APAP (usually 10/325); Ambien really isn't a very strong or particularly effective hypnotic, but none of those drugs are. However, if patients take it long enough and don't increase the dose, they become dependent, to some degree physically, but I wouldn't go so far as to diagnose addiction. Xanax is widely prescribed for a few reasons, none of which have to do with whether it's more or less addicting than Valium. Xanax is a short-acxting drug; if a patient has been on it for 2 or 3 weeks, he will begin to suffer "rebound anxiety" if about 12-18 hours go by before the next dose. However, add a few weeks and you'll see the physical symptoms of withdrawal, which can be very dangerous. Valium is a long-acting benzodiazepine and also the best muscle relaxant available by prescription. It takes a while for "rebound anxiety" to set in for patients using it 2 or 3 weeks because it has a half-life of about 96 hours. However, add a month or two to the treatment and BOTH drugs cause physical dependence and abrupt withdrawal can be life-threatening. We don't use Valium much because of its bad rep, but also because I don't think there is a Diazepam (generic) that comes close to being therapeutically equivalent to Valium. A generic can pass all the FDA's chemical analyses — making it BIOEQUIVALENT to the brand name, but not necessarily THERAPEUTICALLY equivalent. In other words, the generic won't provide the same results as the brand. There is at least one very reliable Xanax generic. I specific the generic manufacturer on my scripts (Sandoz). My partner prescribed brand name Valium 10mg tabs for my own use as needed. Why 10mg? These are REALLY expensive and anyone can break a pill in half!

Her doctor — and there should be ONLY ONE or if a psychiatrist is prescribing the generic Ambien and Xanax and her FP is writing for the Norco, they need to be permitted to discuss her case. I won't treat any patient with that history who DOESN'T want me to speak with her Primary Care Physician. That suggests he/she doesn't want me to know about other Controlled Substances scripts. We understand, btw, that we really shouldn't prescribe pain meds unless there are mitigating circumstances (another doctor has done the physical work up — faxes a letter or the records —and wants a second opinion on chronic headaches; a neurologist could do the consult and write for the meds, but so can we and I have done so on several occasions) because we haven't physically examined the patient. And a good psychiatrist won't interfere unless the other doc seems to be overprescribing or the patient seemed "overprescribed," if you know what I mean!

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Can steroids cause u to have a false positive on a methamphataimine drug test?

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My husband is taking Anabuse and Naltrexone 50 mg for Opiate abuse and alcohol. He's been doing great. He wanted me to give him a drug test because his Dr. said that these would give him a false positive for Opiates. So I gave him a drug test to make sure. Well it came back negative for Opiates. But positive for methamphetamine and amphetamine! Is that possible while taking these drugs!

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If you are taking a breathing treatment, using an asthma inhaler, using Vicks vapor rub, Vicks inhaler, psuedfedrine, and taking a daily diet and energy pill and a few other cold relief remedies cause a false positive for meth?

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I've tested positive for methamphetamine in a blood test I'm on oxycodon 30mg 4 times a day celexa 40mg 1 time everyday 800mg gabapentin 4 times a day diazepam 5mg as needed and seraqwil 300mg as needed. I don't do methamphetamines so how did I test positive for it. PLEASE help I'm looking at a d.u.i. first offense no alcohol was present only oxcycodone and methamphetamine

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Richard,
That list of drugs can occasionally cause levels of impairment even if you are unable to differentiate it. That said, Diazepam has been known to cause false positive readings for methamphetamine. I have clients who have tested + meth. When only Valium DIAZEPAM was later found to be present via a GC/MS test. I hope this gives you a starting point to successfully contest these findings. Wishing you all the best,
Kenie.

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What drug combinations WILL cause a false positives for methamphetamine

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Richard,

You mentioned you were prescribed a benzodiazepine (DIAZEPAM) correct? I know personally of 2 cases that tested positive for methamphetamine. I've heard that other benzo class drugs can cause the same reaction but VALIUM (diazepam) specifically has tested positive for methamphetamine in the two cases I was involved in. Confirmation testing via GCMS proved only diazepam was present and zero methamphetamine present.

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