Reasons for benzos in a urine test after two months?

[Somewhatfoolish]

Someone who is 100% certain they did not take benzodiazapeines in a two month period and before then was never a heavy user and probably did 30 or 40 tablets in their entire life recently tested positive in a urine test for taking them. What could cause this (other than them being mistaken)? In particular, could a suspect, but not obviously fooked, liver take longer to break things down?

(Also could any of these substances cause a false reading for benzos:

various opioids
alcohol
cannabis
diphenhydramine
some other anti histamine, will be a common generic one
cocaine
caffeine
vitamin tablets

)

Edited by Somewhatfoolish on Wednesday 17th August 20:02

[sinizter]

Not 2 months.

Do you watch 'House' ?

On a more serious note, I am off to investigate further how it could be possible.

[sinizter]

Sertraline (antidepressant) can cause false positive benzodiazepine results - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC272894...

[Somewhatfoolish]

No I don't watch house, someone I know just started a buprenorphine program for dihydrocodeine dependance and that appeared on a urine test they did before starting it, but they are almost sure that they didn't take them (there are no consequences if they did other than mental confusion on their part trying to work out where it came from, as well as hoping it doesn't keep on showing up and make them look like they are taking them)

And they haven't taken sertraline

[sinizter]

This site suggests that Diphenhydramine in high doses may do so too, http://www.erowid.org/pharms/diphenhydramine/diphe...

[Somewhatfoolish]

Thanks, it wouldnt' be high doses though (i.e. occasional using 1 tablet to go to sleep per instructions...). Does the fact it appeared after a relatively small dose say anything about the liver? Also it was in fact used the night before the urine test, which was a morning job, if that's relevant...

[sinizter]

Somewhatfoolish said:

Thanks, it wouldnt' be high doses though (i.e. occasional using 1 tablet to go to sleep per instructions...). Does the fact it appeared after a relatively small dose say anything about the liver? Also it was in fact used the night before the urine test, which was a morning job, if that's relevant...

Probably not indicative of the liver. The fact that it was taken the night before the test could be - Excreted ~94% through urine with a half-life upto ~9 hours.

According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diphenhydramine

[Somewhatfoolish]

Thanks

[sinizter]

Somewhatfoolish said:

Thanks

Please don't take my word as gospel. I'm only a dentist.

My main sources of information on this matter were linked to in the posts themselves.

I was curious too, so looked into it a little.

[JakesterUK]

Defective batch of urine kits?

Been known to happen, more so with swab test kits though, which if stored near heat will give corrupted readings

[Somewhatfoolish]

sinizter said:

Please don't take my word as gospel. I'm only a dentist.

My main sources of information on this matter were linked to in the posts themselves.

I was curious too, so looked into it a little.

Heh, it's better than nothing. Mind you the source for the diphenydramine thing seems to be a "trip report" from one anonymous person taking 12 times as much... Thanks anyway

[Somewhatfoolish]

JakesterUK said:

Defective batch of urine kits?

Been known to happen, more so with swab test kits though, which if stored near heat will give corrupted readings

Would not be totally surprising, the staff at the facility were not impressive on, er, book knowledge I think. For example, thinking copenhagen was in the netherlands, taking blood pressure in the wrong way, being unable to calculate age correctly from a date of birth... but beggars can't be choosers...

[JakesterUK]

Somewhatfoolish said:

Would not be totally surprising, the staff at the facility were not impressive on, er, book knowledge I think. For example, thinking copenhagen was in the netherlands, taking blood pressure in the wrong way, being unable to calculate age correctly from a date of birth... but beggars can't be choosers...

That doesn't really inspire confidence does it.... Never ceases to amaze me how poor some drug services can be.

[Somewhatfoolish]

JakesterUK said:

That doesn't really inspire confidence does it.... Never ceases to amaze me how poor some drug services can be.

I figure that most medical professionals, unless they have an interest in addiction, probably wouldn't want to work at one given some (but by no means all or most) of the clientèle... that's my theory anyway.

[Farmerpalmer]

It could be that your friend did not "knowingly" take benzos, but may have been in some other "stuff" they took. It is quite common for illegal drugs to contain other drugs, not necessarily the one you were after, just to bulk things up and make things interesting.
HTH

[Somewhatfoolish]

Farmerpalmer said:

It could be that your friend did not "knowingly" take benzos, but may have been in some other "stuff" they took. It is quite common for illegal drugs to contain other drugs, not necessarily the one you were after, just to bulk things up and make things interesting.
HTH

That's the working theory but am skeptical for a couple of reasons. (Not skeptical that they are telling the truth about not taking benzos... I know them like I know myself... I am skeptical with respect to the adulteration with benzos thing because none of the drugs really make sense to cut with benzos except the opioids which were pharmaceutical grade)

FWIW another drug test today at same place also tested +ve for benzos. Again no benzos taken, and this time absolutely nothing taken apart from buprenorphine (not even alcohol) all week EXCEPT for diphenhydramine - anad again that was taken on the evening before the test.

Edited by Somewhatfoolish on Tuesday 23 August 00:51