9 Weird Ways You Can Test Positive for Drugs

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Introduction

There are times in life when you just have to pee into a cup. For example, you might need to take a drug test before you start a new job. But these tests aren't foolproof: A number of harmless, everyday substances can trigger a false-positive result for drugs. Here's a look at nine substances that can give you an odd positive result for illegal drugs.

Coca tea

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Coca tea

Drinking coca tea could lead to a false-positive result for cocaine. The tea is popular in South America and is made from the leaves of the coca plant, the same source from which cocaine is derived. In a 2006 study, five people drank coca tea before undergoing a drug test. All of the participants tested positive for cocaine metabolites 2 hours after consuming the tea, and three participants still tested positive for cocaine after 36 hours. The researchers concluded that "healthcare professionals should consider a history of coca tea ingestion when interpreting urine toxicology results."

Cold medications

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Cold medications

Some over-the-counter cold medications contain ingredients that could lead to a false-positive result for amphetamines. For example, the ingredient brompheniramine, which is an antihistamine in some cold and allergy medications, can interfere with the test for methamphetamine, leading to false-positive results, according to a 2010 review study.
And in the past, use of the nasal decongestant Vick's Inhaler led to false positives for amphetamines, according to a 2008 review study. Vick's inhaler contains levomethamphetamine, which is a chemical "mirror image" of methamphetamine, the authors of that review wrote. However, newer drug tests can distinguish between methamphetamine and the chemical in Vick's inhaler, so the cold medication no longer triggers a false positive, the review said.

Originally published on Live Science.