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What Causes A False Positive Urine Alcohol Test While On Several Medications?

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Posted on Thu, 9 Feb 2017
Question: Question concerning urine alcohol testing ;
Recently I tested positive on that test ..due to the medications I am taking for my health..
Had neck surgery .. fused 2 thru 7 rods back of neck ... take Hydrocodone Vicodin 7.5/300 mg. every 6 hours when needed .
Stomach; I have less than half stomach surgerys .. two (2) surgerys over the years..
Gallbladder taken out last April 2016 ...NOW I have acid re flux often ... reason for medications .. I am taking
Medications
Promethazine (codeine 240 ml)
Omepraazole dr. 20 mg acid re flux
Methocloprimide 10 mg.
diphenhy dramine 2 mg sinus
anti diarrhea 25 mg otc
Lomotil diarrhea liquid 2.5
Diphenoxylate/atrop tabs Lomotil 2.5 mg
Vicks Nyquil cough syrup -- cold
Latanoprost -- eye drops .05
Hydrocodone/vicodin 7.5/300 mg --neck
Lisinopril 10 mg blood pressure
The medications I take to stay well ...
These medications will make the test positive due to the Alcohol in them
Will they also cause the alcohol level it be high .. which the number was .. due to I was tested positive..
But the one thing is I don't drink since the Gallbladder taken out .. Acid re flux started . than only drank few beers before due to stomach operations .. anymore information needed let me know..
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (58 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
ok... depends on the test....

Detailed Answer:
There are several different alcohol tests. Obviously a breathalyzer will only be positive if there is plain alcohol (some cough medicines). The blood test for alcohol breakdown products will also be positive for cough medicine if there is any alcohol in it. And it stays positve for most of a month. The URINE test for alcohol is commonly SKY HIGH .. Far Far above the standard positive range if there is a germ that MAKES alcohol in the urine. Common in women. not rare in men. THird question I've had on this, so it can't be that rare. The key point is the lab value is so high it would indicate a fatal amount of alcohol and it's obviously a wrong reading.

so, first, which alcohol test...breath, blood, or urine. The specific name of the test would be helpful too.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (25 minutes later)
The test was a urine test .. failed . then test sent to lab .. ,,, CAN IT BE A HIGH LEVEL due to the medications I take ..Don't know the specific name of the test ..

might be ETC ?????
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (43 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
no, simply because there are so very many other causes

Detailed Answer:
The test doesn't distinguish because of the amount of alcohol exposed to.
https://www.YYYY.com/YYYY-alcohol-0000
It also doesn't distinguish between internal and external alcohol. If there are germs in the urine, if the urine isn't stored well and tested fast, germs make alcohol and the test misfires.
Foods and beverages with anything like alcohol regularly cause false positives. There isn't much out there to suspect medications as a cause but there doesn't have to be.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (29 hours later)

I appreciate the information I received from you ... do you have any where I could search further for my question concerning... alcohol level being high ...what would cause it in the test ...I took
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
The sources are giving the same answers over and over.

Detailed Answer:
https://YYYY.com/Content/XXXX/uploaded/0000.pdf
is a good summary of the information. They do not mention pharmaceuticals and neither to the articles in the scientific journals. The ones you mention are quite common and if they did cause a false positive then we would be seeing a lot more false positives that what we do.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (2 days later)
The medications I am on if I drank alcohol won't I get real sick from it .. like how...
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (10 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
This is a hypothetical question

Detailed Answer:
So, since you are not drinking any alcohol at all this would be entirely a theoretical question. Theoretically it could be fatal to drink on the medicines you are mentioning. but since the main question is about if it is a FALSE positive test for alcohol by definition you have zero alcohol intake. the urine test is limited by only being a "yes/no" determination and any use of alcohol would show up on it.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (46 hours later)
The alcohol does show up in the test .due to the medications in take for my health..
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (4 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
If there are other questions feel free to ask

Detailed Answer:
Certainly cold medicines with alcohol in them will show up as alcohol.

Certainly eye drops

Hydrocodone/vicodin 7.5/300 mg --neck
Lisinopril 10 mg blood pressure
diphenhy dramine 2 mg sinus
anti diarrhea 25 mg otc
Lomotil diarrhea liquid 2.5
Diphenoxylate/atrop tabs Lomotil 2.5 mg
lisinopril

will not show up as alcohol.

several of these are quite dangerous to take with alcohol, but as you've mentioned, you do not take alcohol.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (3 days later)
Don't want to loose this information... might have more question to ask...
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (24 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Well, you can certainly contact me again

Detailed Answer:
and there is new information that comes out (over months to years). But there is a time limit on how long a question can stay open. You can certainly ask again directly to me I will have the information stored.
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
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Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman

Addiction Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :1985

Answered : 4214 Questions

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What Causes A False Positive Urine Alcohol Test While On Several Medications?

Brief Answer: ok... depends on the test.... Detailed Answer: There are several different alcohol tests. Obviously a breathalyzer will only be positive if there is plain alcohol (some cough medicines). The blood test for alcohol breakdown products will also be positive for cough medicine if there is any alcohol in it. And it stays positve for most of a month. The URINE test for alcohol is commonly SKY HIGH .. Far Far above the standard positive range if there is a germ that MAKES alcohol in the urine. Common in women. not rare in men. THird question I've had on this, so it can't be that rare. The key point is the lab value is so high it would indicate a fatal amount of alcohol and it's obviously a wrong reading. so, first, which alcohol test...breath, blood, or urine. The specific name of the test would be helpful too.