How Antidepressants Show Up on a Drug Test

How Antidepressants Show Up on a Drug Test Depression Treatment Medication Print How Antidepressants Show Up on a Drug Test Avoiding a False Positive Result on a Drug Screen By Nancy Schimelpfening Nancy Schimelpfening, MS is the administrator for the non-profit depression support group Depression Sanctuary. Nancy has a lifetime of experience with depression, experiencing firsthand how devastating this illness can be. Learn about our editorial policy Nancy Schimelpfening Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on June 16, 2017 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on February 04, 2020 Depression Overview Types Symptoms Causes & Risk Factors Diagnosis Treatment Coping ADA & Your Rights Depression in Kids Kirby Hamilton/Getty Images In This Article Table of Contents Expand Drug Screen Types Antidepressants Preventing False Positives Protecting Your Privacy Preparing for the Test View All If you have depression and are taking a prescription medication like Prozac, you might worry that it could show up on a drug test. This is especially a concern if you must take a pre-employment drug screen for a new job. Because antidepressants are not considered drugs of abuse, they are not included in common urine drug screens. However, there may be cross-reactions that can produce false positive results for the substances these tests are designed to detect. Learn the actions you can take to ensure your results are interpreted accurately and your rights are protected. Types of Common Drug Screens If you are in treatment for depression, the good news is that antidepressants are not the drugs that an employer is looking for in an employment drug screen. The lab would have to do specific additional tests to look for antidepressants. The types of substances tested for on a typical employment drug screens include:?? Amphetamines, including methamphetamineBarbituratesBenzodiazepines (tranquilizers)Cannabinoids, including marijuanaCocaineDarvon (propoxyphene)MethadoneMethaqualoneOpiates, including heroin, oxycodone, and hydrocodonePhencyclidine (PCP) How Antidepressants Affect Drug Screens False positive test results can sometimes occur if a prescription drug with a similar chemical structure is broken down into some of the same components of the target drug.?? The screening test isnt always able to differentiate between a good drug like an antidepressant and a bad one like crystal meth. Some antidepressants can inadvertently trigger a false positive for a controlled substance. To avoid this, advise the tester about any drugs you may be taking so that confirmatory tests can be performed to weed out any false positive. Certain antidepressant drugs are more prone to false-positive readings. For example, Wellbutrin (bupropion), Prozac (fluoxetine), Desyrel (trazodone), and Serzone (nefazodone) can all potentially show up as amphetamines in a drug screen. Similarly, Zoloft (sertraline) may show up as a benzodiazepine. Less commonly, antidepressants have been known to trigger false positives for LSD. Preventing False Positives If you are concerned that your antidepressant might show up as a false positive, your best course of action is to be proactive. In addition to informing the technician about your antidepressant use, bring along the prescription bottle and ensure that the drug is notated on your record. It is better to declare this before the test rather than after. Due  to the risk of false positives, all drug screen results should be considered presumptive until confirmed by a second independent technique, such as liquid or gas mass spectrometry. If your drug screen is positive and a second independent test has not been done, demand that it be performed immediately, ideally with the same sample. Moreover, get a copy of both results to confirm that a different technique was used. Protecting Your Privacy Even if you are able to sort out any false positives from your drug screen, you may be concerned about the disclosure of your antidepressant drug use. In most cases, any information you share with the tester wont be included on the result. The employees at the lab and your present or future supervisor will likely have no direct contact with each other. All your employer will receive is a list of positive and negative results to the requested drug screens. Workplace harassment and discrimination for depression and other mental health conditions are prohibited under the Americans With Disabilities Act,?? but you may have valid concerns about your rights being upheld. If concerned about confidentiality, ask the tester for a copy of the companys protected health information (PHI), outlining their legal duties and  privacy practices as directed by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Although awareness about mental health conditions such as depression has grown over the years, it is still common for people with depression to worry about the stigma associated with a depression diagnosis. It is fully understandable that you would want your depression diagnosis to be kept private, especially from a current or prospective employer. You may fear you could be discriminated against or singled out for the condition in the workplace, even with the legal protections in place. Preparing for the Test First and most importantly, do not stop taking your medications or reducing the dosage unless you are doing so under the guidance of your physician. This is true even if you are concerned about false positives. Even short-term interruptions can have serious consequences for the treatment of your condition, not least of which is antidepressant discontinuation syndrome (ADS).?? Discuss any concerns you have with your mental health provider so you can take the drug screen safely and without stress. It is also important to remember that antidepressants arent the only drugs that can trigger a false positive drug screen. Others include: Advil (ibuprofen)Aleve (naproxen)Benadryl (diphenhydramine)Cardizem (diltiazem)Dextromethorphan (found in Robitussin)Glucophage (metformin)Ritalin (methylphenidate)Sudafed (pseudoephedrine)Trandate (labetalol)Ultram (tramadol) A Word From Verywell Facing a drug screen can make anyone anxious, especially when it is required for a job. You are not alone if you feel this way. However, try not to stress unduly about taking a drug screen. Remember that false positives do happen and that most drug screening companies understand this. Simply divulge your prescriptions so that false positives can be avoided and your rights can be preserved. Debating Workplace Drug Screening