Urgent: False Positive on Drug Testing (Atripla)

[AboutToStart]

I saw on some websites that Atripla (Sustiva) may falsly test positive for marijuana use. To me "may" means also "may not"...

How likely is it to test false positive: 10%?  50%?  90%?

Anybody knows??

Please helpppp...

[Hellraiser]

I saw on some websites that Atripla (Sustiva) may falsly test positive for marijuana use. To me "may" means also "may not"...

How likely is it to test false positive: 10%?  50%?  90%?

Anybody knows??

Please helpppp...

It might test positive, I doubt anyone has tested everyone's urine.  If it does test positive they will take your atripla use into account.

[AboutToStart]

but that means I'd have to reveale to them my medication list which is HIGHLY UNDESIRABLE.. so how worried should I be bout testing (falsly) positive??

[Hellraiser]

but that means I'd have to reveale to them my medication list which is HIGHLY UNDESIRABLE.. so how worried should I be bout testing (falsly) positive??

I wouldn't worry about it at all, the people who give the drug test is not your direct employer and would not mention why you would have tested positive for mariajuana use.  With that said I believe that it's a fairly rare event in the first place, but I don't know that for sure and couldn't give you hard numbers.  I think you're just getting worked up over nothing at the moment.

[jkinatl2]

I know that some, usually the cheaper tests falsely interpret the Sustiva portion of Atripla as a cannaboid. You can (and should) request a blood test. You may mention that you are on a drug that might show a false positive, but refrain from being specific. If they press you, you might ask if you can see a physician, get a drug test from him/her and a certified letter to that regard.

Sad thing is, companies performing drug tests do not, I believe constitute a patient-doctor relationship, and confidentiality is a murky area.

If you Google Atripla and Drugtesting/False positive, you might get more specific tests that are problematic. Certainly one or more of the wise people here ought to know more about this than I do.

But yes, it could be a stumbling block towards keeping your status private.

[AboutToStart]

Well I called the drug testing place and asked them about their procedures in case of a medication that creats a false positive (without being specific). They replied that in case of a "non-negative" results, their MRO (Medical Review Officer) will contact me for a list of my meds.

True, that would get me "off the hook" as far as the marijuana is concerned, but that might open another can of warms for me, as my job is considered "safety sensitive function", and the MRO will issue a "discrete letter" to my employer. That letter, according to what I've been told on the phone, will not specify my exact meds, but will alert my employer about potential hazardous side effects...

I don't know how would my employer react to such a letter, what are my rights and priviliges for privacy, etc.. so I really hope not to fall into that False Positive in the first place...

 

[jkinatl2]

A quick and dirty google found this:

<<THC - Substances or Conditions which can cause false positives
Dronabinol (Marinol)
Ibuprofen; (Advil, Nuprin, Motrin, Excedrin IB etc)
Ketoprofen (Orudis KT)
Kidney infection (Kidney disease, diabetes) Liver Disease
Naproxen (Aleve)
Promethazine (Phenergan, Promethegan)
Riboflavin (B2, Hempseed Oil)>>

from this site:

http://www.passyourdrugtest.com/false-positives.htm

Not sure how reliable it is, since it failed to mention the ingredient in Atripla, but at least there are multiple conditions and drugs that can trigger that result, so your employer would not be given a straight line to your status.

*edited to add: More thorough reading of the site makes me wonder how outdated it is. Surely there is a way you could find out what specific test, what company, et al, you will be using and try to find information from the web? Or even an anonymous call to the company, like the one you just did, asking about this thorny issue. You can't be the first one with this worry, and the company's particular test might be sophisticated enough to screen out Atripla.

[Jeff G]

I was on Atripla when I was in a pain management clinic .They drug tested all the clients there and I tested poz for cannabis . It wasn't a big deal in my case because after some confusion on the doctors part he found out it was the Atripla .

[JonE]

I worry about this. Looking for a job, with so many applicants will HR even care why you failed. They probably have many other applicants with equal qualifications. Will you even know that you failed? Late 80s I took a few drug tests for employment, they would ask for a list of meds. But I haven't been asked to fill out any med thing since the 80s. I have had to retake two post employment drug tests for being too watered down. I just wonder if we would even know about a fail, or just "we found someone who better matches our needs"...any laws cover this?

[newby05]

Thanks for this thread. I have wondered about this several times myself.

[BT65]

I don't know if this would apply or not.   Awhile back, I was being prescribed a narcotic medication for pain.  I had to take a drug test pre-employment.  I tested positive for opiods of course. The clinic who gave me the test called me.  All I had to do was take in the prescription bottle, so they could actually see it, and note it.  They labeled my drug screen as "negative," and never said a word to my employer.

[phildinftlaudy]

I actually just had this discussion with my ID doc the other day because I may be getting a new job and would have to do pre employment drug test.  She looked it up - because I told her the patient flyer says it can cause false positive for THC.  The confirmatory test, which is more sensitive, will show it as a negative.  My doctor said I can either tell the lab when they test or she was willing to give me a letter saying that I am under treatment for a medical condition and one of the medications I take may cause a false positive - so they should know to do a confirmatory test if this happens. 

I told her I will just take my script bottle with me and the patient insert so they know to do the confirmatory test and so the testing lab has the documentation.  Hope this helps provide some guidance.