I know that many employers require that their employees take a drug test. But are these tests reliable?

The reason I ask is because I went to the hospital a few months ago and they took my blood and urine for testing. I was surprised to find out that when the tests came back I had tested positive for heroin. I have never used heroin. Does anyone know ow often these tests come back with false positives? Has this happened to other posters here.

Thankfully, these tests were not done by a prospective employer and the results will be kept private. But still, there must be some people whose careers and reputations are ruined because of false positives on their drug tests.

Did you eat a poppy seed bagel? That may have triggered the false result.

I do eat poppy seed bagels and poppy seed rolls sometimes. That may be the cause of the test results.

Quote from: Pius IX

Did you eat a poppy seed bagel? That may have triggered the false result.

I do eat poppy seed bagels and poppy seed rolls sometimes. That may be the cause of the test results.

Well, there you go.

I don't know how long barbiturates stay in the system from those foods, but as leat we know the source of the confusion.

Quote from: Mithrandylan

OP, do you know what kind of test was used?

I don't know what kind of test they used. All I know is that they tested my urine and my blood and the urine test came back positive for heroin.

The only reasons I could think of are that the result was caused by my eating poppy seeds or that my urine sample was accidentally switched with someone else's.

Or it could simply be wrong.

I wouldn't sweat it.  You weren't actually doing heroin, were you?  

If you took a drug test for an employer and it tested positive for a banned substance, they'll tell you.  Then ask to take the test again.

My guess is that this is the only time in your life (and thousands of others' lives) that this will happen.  Unless you actually develop a heroin habit.  Then it'll probably happen even more often.

Are you taking any perscription pain meds?

I've heard they can come up as false positives for heroin and such.

Better check your medicine cabinet.

Quote from: alaric

Are you taking any perscription pain meds?

No, I am not taking such medicines.

Well if you're truly clean I would either demand a retest or go get an independent one somewhere else and when it comes out negative I would make them pay for the costs.

But you have to do this quickly .

Quote from: Mithrandylan

Very unlikely.  It's kind of a high-school stoner urban myth, that you can take a drug test and if testing positive to heroin, claim you were eating poppy seeds.  One would have to eat close to his body weight in seeds for this to actually happen.

Absolutely incorrect.  One poppy seed bagel can cause a positive test for opiates.

It's very unlikely, as I said.

I have found articles that have said it's impossible, even.  But I'll settle for highly unlikely (that just one could do it).