Can Lamictal cause a false positive drug screening?

[Chatter-box]

I'm thinking of applying for a new job but it would require random drug screening since it is a government job. Lamictal is the only medicine I take. Do I have to be worried about having it cause a false positive? I've been looking it up on the internet and it is hard to tell since all the people who have the false positive results seem to be taking multiple things and I don't ever take anything, not even over-the-counter medicines for colds or headache or anything. Anyone with any experience or information?onder:

 

[Nakamova]

Hi Chatter-box --

Lamictal won't show up as anything but Lamictal. No worry about a false positive. It's not a cannabinoid (like marijuana) or an opioid (like morphine), and doesn't share a chemical structure with any other controlled substances.

Best,
Nakamova

 

[Meetz1064]

The other

thing to know is that when you go for your drug testing, you will be asked if you take any medications, and you will have to list the Lamictal. Once you do that, then the traces of it in your bloodstream will automatically be accounted for, if the bloodwork is that encompassing. Most times though, the drug screens are only looking for illegal type drugs....

 

[Bella80]

Lamictal False Positive drug screen

"thing to know is that when you go for your drug testing, you will be asked if you take any medications, and you will have to list the Lamictal. Once you do that, then the traces of it in your bloodstream will automatically be accounted for, if the bloodwork is that encompassing. Most times though, the drug screens are only looking for illegal type drugs...."

Actually, yes, Lamictal can cause a false positive result in a drug screen. I had a drug screen recently and in fact, there was a positive in the pcp. The test was done because we are working to be licensed for adoption. I don't do drugs, have never done drugs. I am a 41 year old mother of 3 with a husband, ,kids and of course a job. I have no time to even think about doing anything related to drugs. There are quite a number of people reporting that they had the same result. For some reason, I can't post a link here, but check out the redwoodtoxicology under documents, the file is called cross_reactions.pdf.

Hope this helps.

 

[Endless]

I couldn't find "cross-reactions.pdf" Any hints on where it is?

 

[Bella80]

Lamictal False Positive drug screen

I'll try to give better hints on where the page is. Wish I could post the link. I left one part off last time. Go to
redwoodtoxicology.com then /documents then /products and finally /cross_reactions.pdf Hope this helps.

 

[Endless]

You can post the link - kind of. If you post everything but the www, then ask one of the moderators to fix it, it'll work. After you leave a bunch of posts you'll be able to post links yourself.


Hey - found it! Wow - lamictal can get a false positive for PCP. Makes our meds sound like a litte more fun than they are, doesn't it? Lots of other stuff can get a false positive. Like Zantac can test positive for Meth.

http://www.redwoodtoxicology.com/documents/products/cross_reactions.pdf

 

[ellie23]

Lamictal and positive drug screen

I recently went to ER and had positive urine screen for PCP which freaked me out! I found out later that Lamictal will/can cause false positive for PCP- however now it is on my medical record as "drug seeking behavior as the last one of 5 diagnoses when I was in for status epil.- along w/ respiratory failure, etc. and feel it will follow me now due to physician ignorance.

 

[elizzza811]

Many of the doctors I saw prior to my epilepsy diagnosis treated me like I was a 'doctor hopping' (my former PCP) 'drug addict' (my former neurologist), and this is written in my medical records.

It burns me up to this day because I was 'doctor hopping' for a diagnosis, not drugs, and I admitted to this former neurologist that I must've become 'dependent' on it from having been on it for so long, explaining that whenever I'd try to wean my 'anxiety' would increase exponentially. Then in 2005 I ended up cold-turkeying the Klonopin, not realizing that these 'anxiety' attacks were seizures, and suffered what I thought was merely unceasing Klonopin withdrawal (seizures) for another 6 years before my epilepsy diagnosis. I never once asked a doctor for this medication after discontinuing it. Problem was, Klonopin was holding my seizures at bay. Once I came off of it, I began my journey to hell.

What burns me up even more is that the sleep specialist I recently saw talked about possibly putting me on a low dose of Klonopin for restless leg (though no sleep study was ever done on me), and when I mentioned this to my current neurologist, she was totally against it having heard the story above. I would never even take Klonopin again after what was done to me by the doctors prescribing it before, even canceled my follow-up appointment with this sleep specialist. But to have her react to it that way? Sure made me feel like a drug addict. I feel for you...

 

[valeriedl]

Some places want to see the pill bottle or a note from your Dr. This will prove that you are actually taking the med. Anyone can say they are taking something. You could have your Dr write down that the med could show up as a narcotic. Give them the doctor's phone number so if they need to get in touch with him if they have any questions.

 

[MAB]

Some places want to see the pill bottle or a note from your Dr. This will prove that you are actually taking the med. Anyone can say they are taking something. You could have your Dr write down that the med could show up as a narcotic. Give them the doctor's phone number so if they need to get in touch with him if they have any questions.

Around here (Ohio) you have the pharmist print out a list of all the drugs you take.

I don't know what they do about the over the counter supplements and drugs that most people at least take occasionally.