can antihistamine cause false positive pregnancy test
Faint Pregnancy Test Line is Very Light Am I Pregnant or Not? But what can be even more emotional (and confusing)? If you take an at-home pregnancy test too early, it might not pick up the hCG hormone. Alcohol and illicit drugs also dont affect pregnancy test results. WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Now is the perfect time to start your Baby Registry! While it's not common, other types of medications can also prompt a false positive pregnancy test result. These include some anticonvulsants, anti-anxiety drugs, antihistamines, diuretics, chemotherapy medications, antipsychotics, drugs that Evaporation lines may show up on a test you view after your urine has evaporated completely. These five important signs will help you decide. Heres how to tell. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. If youve been taking fertility medications, that hCG might still be floating around your system. Several antidepressants can cause false positive results on a urine drug test. False-positive results for amphetamine and methamphetamine were the most commonly reported. 4. Sometimes, women who are post-menopausal or going through menopause have high levels of HCG, which could cause a pregnancy test to show as positive even though you wouldnt truly be pregnant. Hormonal Birth Control (Pill, Depo Shot, Implants. What Medications Can Aect a Pregnancy Test Result? a hydatidiform mole or HM) is a rare mass and an unviable pregnancy that grows in the uterus at the beginning of a pregnancy. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Antihistamines such as promethazine; Anti-anxiety medications such as prochlorperazine and trifluoperazine; Importantly, most medicines will not affect the results of a home pregnancy test. First off, dont panic. Call your doctor right away if you experience any of the following symptoms: We're putting this reason last because it's not technically a cause behind a false positive pregnancy test, but it's still worth covering because many people confuse it with one. The lines are usually a bright color, such as pink, red, or blue. Many liquid medications, vanilla extract, and breath-cleaning products often have ethanol, a form of simple grain alcohol. A random google test confirmed her statement. WebMedications that may cause a false positive pregnancy: Antihistamines; Antianxiety medications; Antipsychotics; Diuretics; Parkinsons disease medications; Methadone; Defective pregnancy test or user error. Todays drug tests can detect even trace amounts of alcohol, and for longer after exposure. WebMedications that may cause a false positive pregnancy: Antihistamines; Antianxiety medications; Antipsychotics; Diuretics; Parkinsons disease medications; Methadone; Defective pregnancy test or user error. Rachel Gurevich is a fertility advocate, author, and recipient of The Hope Award for Achievement, from Resolve: The National Infertility Association. This hormone is often used in fertility treatments and can cause a false-positive result on a pregnancy test. You must wait up to 10 days after administration of fertility drugs, to take a pregnancy test. That might cause the test to look like it has a faint second linemaking it positivebut it really only has one. A pregnancy test tells you if youre pregnant or not. You may continue to test positive for pregnancy following the loss of a pregnancy, either through miscarriage or abortion. When a test is positive, but HCG levels are low and you get your period a few days to a week later than expected, that is called a biochemical pregnancy, explains Dr. Knopman. But hCG levels start out very low and increase over time. However, PCOS is not the culprit if you get one of these rarities. The best way to try and prevent being confused by an evaporation line is to follow the tests timing directions exactly as theyre given. The four main causes that may lead to a false positive pregnancy test include a chemical pregnancy, a recent miscarriage, medication or a defective test. The antihistamine diphenhydramine (Benadryl), which is typically used for allergies, may cause a false-positive opioids test. False positives arent super common, Dr. Emery says. (2015). Their results are considered reliable, especially when you wait for at least a week after you miss your period to use one. Pregnancy Test Evaporation Lines: What Are They? As long as you are taking the test correctly (more on that later), a positive result means there is HCG in your urine, explains Jaime Knopman, M.D., director of fertility preservation for CCRM New York. An ectopic pregnancy can be life-threatening8. To avoid that mix-up, wait at least two weeks after your last hCG injection to take a home pregnancy test, he says. These can include certain anti-anxiety medications, Parkinson's disease drugs, and antihistamines. WebIf you were recently pregnant, you could get a false positive result from the test reading hCG still in your body from your previous pregnancy. Then contact your doctor for a blood test to confirm the good news! An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg attaches somewhere outside the uterus. Whether youre focused on moderation or full-on sobriety, these tips can help. If you wait too long to read the results, for example, or use more drops of urine than the test calls for? Certain medications can cause a false positive result on blood test or home pregnancy tests. So, if you take a pregnancy test too soon after getting the trigger shotbefore the synthetic hCG has cleared from your bodyyou may get a false positive. Because hCG is the hormone tested by pregnancy test, taking the drug will yield a false positive result in both blood and urine. Alcohol and illicit drugs also dont affect pregnancy test results. If youve been looking forward to a positive pregnancy test result, a false-positive is disappointing. This is before the placenta is formed and functional around week 12. Hi Ladies - well this has been a strange 2ww for me. At-home pregnancy tests arent foolproof. There are also a few medications that can interfere with the result. Librium (chlordiazepoxide), an anti-anxiety medication also used to control agitation during alcohol withdrawal, can cause false positive pregnancy results in urine pregnancy tests, Medline Plus states, but blood tests will not show false positive results. The most common reason this happens is an early pregnancy loss, also known as a chemical pregnancy. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional. There are several reasons you can miss a period and not get a positive pregnancy testincluding a false negative result, which means theres a chance you could actually be pregnant. Fertility treatments may lead to a false positive reading. Female age-related fertility decline. A lot of fertility treatments involve taking hCG injections, Dr. Emery says. Here, a look at what might be going on if you get a positive test only to find out youre not truly pregnant. Methadone, given to treat heroin addiction, can cause a false positive result on urine pregnancy tests, Cigna states. Its estimated that 25-40 percent of pregnancies end as undetected miscarriages. Last medically reviewed on February 24, 2022. This can also cause a false-positive result. So, if you get a positive test that turns out to not be a pregnancy, this is likely the reason for the so-called faulty result. You still have hCG in your system after a delivery or miscarriage. Quetiapine, which treats schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, can wrongly show that you have methadone in your urine. 2. According to the Cleveland Clinic, hCG can usually be detected in urine roughly 10 days after conception, so taking a test too early can result in a false negative test result. Perkins also has extensive experience working in home health with medically fragile pediatric patients. Alcohol and illicit drugs also dont affect pregnancy test results. (Positive!) Ultrasounds typically can't detect a pregnancy until a little later in your pregnancy and that's why at-home tests are so useful. But theyre not impossible. You let the test sit too long before looking. But heres the thing: HCG can be present at low levels in the body even youre not pregnant and just because a test is positive for HCG doesnt mean that the pregnancy is going to progress normally. 2005 - 2023 WebMD LLC. 5.http://www.clearblue.com/pregnancy-tests/rapid-detection While its not as common as a false negative, its possible for any person to get a false positive on a pregnancy test. If the miscarriage was spontaneous, its also possible that not all the pregnancy-related tissue was eliminated. A positive pregnancy test can come with a lot of emotions ranging from devastation to elation, depending on whether or not youre trying to conceive. All rights reserved. Policy. Usually yes, but sometimes no. Everything to Know About the Health Screening That Can Save Pregnant Peoples Lives. Typically, it takes about 10 days for the synthetic hCG in these trigger shots to clear from your blood and urine. (2014). Your doctor may give you a urine or blood test to confirm the results and monitor your hCG levels. Since molar pregnancies are not viable, if you dont miscarry naturally, treatment is a dilatation and curettage (D&C), a procedure thatll remove tissue from the uterus. Get weekly updates on baby and your body. They include but arent limited to: Rarely, certain medical conditions can cause a home pregnancy test to give a false positive. While having to hold off two weeks can add anxiety to an already emotional process, the risk of a false positive test may be more upsetting than waiting for an accurate reading. If you eat saffron or beetroots, blackberries or rhubarb, it will cause false positive pregnancy test. June 2013 Testing Results:Progesterone: 31.7, LH: 5, FSH: 5, Estradiol: 161Clomid cycles Nov. 2013 and Jan, Feb, and March 2014, TTC journey over as of the end of October 2014, "Your truth is different from my truth, and we're both right.". Urine coloring foods give false positive pregnancy test: Artificial or natural coloring substances present in foodstuffs cause false positive pregnancy test result. Here are some of the most common causes of a false positive pregnancy test, along with some additional information that can help you put it all into context. They may also order a transvaginal ultrasound to confirm that the pregnancy is proceeding normally. Follow up with a blood test will give more accurate results. What Is a Blood Pregnancy Test and How Does It Work? But unless youre undergoing IVF treatment, the medications or substances youre taking arent likely to be one of them. It can relieve coughs and runny noses. Addiction: Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment., American Association for Clinical Chemistry: Rifampin Interference with Opiate Immunoassays., Drug Enforcement Administration: Dextromethorphan., FDA: Zoloft (sertraline hydrochloride) Label., Journal of Analytical Toxicology: Non-Smoker Exposure to Secondhand Cannabis Smoke. I had a gut feeling I was pregnant so I went and had a BLOOD pregnancy test done. Examples include: Venlafaxine (Effexor XR) and desvenlafaxine (Pristiq) are part of a group of antidepressant medications called serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors ( SNRIs ). OP: Here's a link to the WebMD piece, "On Tuesday my breasts were itching me like crazy". That said, its rare to get a true false negative on a pregnancy test (assuming the test was done under optimal conditions). A number of different types of psychiatric medications can cause false positives on urine tests. Its important to read and follow the test instructions carefully. Many home pregnancy test kits include two tests. "But it just might be the result of the fertility medication that they took. Certain medications can cause a false positive result on blood test or home pregnancy tests. Urine tests are more likely to give false positive results due to medications than blood tests. That can help you track how long the dipstick has been in your urine stream. 2023 Dotdash Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Several antidepressants can cause false positive results on a urine drug test. A chemical pregnancy is a pregnancy, but an unhealthy one that results in an early miscarriage. Checking your results during the result time frame is also important. The embryo will still produce hCG, even though it has implanted in the wrong place. Ectopic discoveredat 8 weeks, right tube removed 01/18/13 Another type of injectable drug, known as human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG), can be used to aid in ovulation. Diuretics, medications that reduce the amount of fluid in the body, can sometimes cause a false positive pregnancy result on a urine test, according to the Mayo Clinic. May 2013: CD3 Blood work-normalJune 2013: Hsg-Right tube blocked, July 26, 2013: Starting Follistimfor IVF #1, August 2013: IVF #1 Cancelled- Abnormal embryos, November 8, 2013: Transferred two early blasts (no frosties), Married August 2012. False positives arent super common, Dr. Emery says. A home pregnancy test has confirmed what you suspected youre pregnant. The level of hCG hormone will be higher and easier to detect. Your quick guide to the morning-after pillstraight from experts. If a blood test confirms you're pregnant but you're experiencing any symptoms such as bleeding or pain, your ob-gyn can continue to monitor hCG levels in your blood to make sure the pregnancy is developing properly before an ultrasound can reveal more details. In other words, years ago, a pregnancy test might not show as positive until after you miss your period, but now (as youve likely seen in many pregnancy test commercials) you can get a positive result a few days before you even miss your period. Cleveland Clinic, Your Guide to Pregnancy Tests, First Response, Early Pregnancy Test Result, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Early Pregnancy Loss, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hypothesis: Persistently Elevated hCG Causes Gestational Ovarian Overstimulation Associated With Prolonged Postpartum Hyperandrogenism in Mothers of Aromatase-Deficient Babies, 8 Pregnancy Pains That Are Totally Normal (Yes, Including Lightning Crotch), I'm Glad I Shared My Pregnancy News 'Early'Even Though I Miscarried. Some medications may create a false positive pregnancy test result as well. These small black seeds naturally contain morphine and codeine. That could lead to a positive pregnancy test when your body just hasnt cleared the hCG yet.. I knew certain medicines could affect other medicines and I knew antibiotics could make your birth control stop working. What medications can cause a false positive pregnancy test? A blood test will confirm that youre pregnant. Sometimes an evaporation line can be mistaken for a positive pregnancy test. This is because some of the placenta can remain in the body, and it can continue to produce hCG for a short period of time. You're right -- a bunch of credible stuff came up in my search! An ectopic pregnancy isnt viable since the embryo isnt inside the uterus where it can grow and thrive. "Oftentimes people will see evaporation lines as urine starts to evaporate off the test," Jamil Abdur-Rahman, M.D., board-certified ob-gyn, tells SELF. First Response, Early Pregnancy Test Result, 5. Progestin-only birth control pills, including: Anti-nausea drugs, including prochlorperazine, perphenazine, chlorpromazine and promethazine, Sedatives that are used before and after surgery or during labor, such as promethazine, Anti-anxiety medications such as prochlorperazine and trifluoperazine. During pregnancy, the hCG levels continue to rise, in general doubling every few days, and peaking at around 10 weeks. But in rare cases, a few antibiotics are known to trigger inaccurate test results. I still knew in my gut something was wrong. You might get your period a few days after a positive pregnancy test and assume you had a false positive result. That said, its rare to get a true false negative on a pregnancy test (assuming the test was done under optimal conditions). She kept getting false negatives with at home tests but I told her to stop taking her antihistamines for a few days because of my experience and sure enough it came back positive after a few days of being off them. The latter is an older tranquilizer drug thats often found in people who overdose on opioids. The test isnt working properly so you could get a faulty result. Reputable home pregnancy tests can be highly accurate, but they are not foolproof. Mayo Clinic: Home Pregnancy Tests: Can You Trust the Results. Some of the links on Pregged lead to sites we are affiliated with, such as Amazon, and we may earn revenue from them. Here are some A registered nurse with more than 25 years of experience in oncology, labor/delivery, neonatal intensive care, infertility and ophthalmology, Sharon Perkins has also coauthored and edited numerous health books for the Wiley "Dummies" series. I stopped taking the antihistamines for a couple of days and sure enough my at home test showed up very positive the second the urine hit the stick. 5 Less Obvious Signs of Seasonal Depression You Should Definitely Pay Attention To. The good news is theyre rare. Drugs.com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products. Consider setting a timer on a stopwatch or your phone. If you get a positive result, you can wait a couple of days and use the second test. Find out what causes a false positive pregnancy test (and how to avoid it). All Rights Reserved. About one-half of these cases of early pregnancy loss are caused by chromosomal issues, according to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Quetiapine, which treats schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, can wrongly show that you have methadone in your urine. False-positive urine pregnancy test due to leukocyte interference. (2016). But theyre not impossible. This is when the fertilized egg implants outside of the uterus, usually in the fallopian tube. Policy. Rarely, certain medical conditions can cause a home pregnancy test to give a false positive. Jao H-F, et al. The material on this website is provided for educational purposes only and is not to be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, or in place of therapy or medical care. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hypothesis: Persistently Elevated hCG Causes Gestational Ovarian Overstimulation Associated With Prolonged Postpartum Hyperandrogenism in Mothers of Aromatase-Deficient Babies. "The test can expire and the chance of having a false positive increases," Dr. Abdur-Rahman says. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/getting-pregnant/in-depth/home-pregnancy-tests/art-20047940/, https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2004/07935s030lbl.pdf[U2], https://www.drugs.com/article/pregnancy-test.html, http://www.clearblue.com/pregnancy-tests/rapid-detection, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4119102/, The Chinese Gender Prediction Calendar A Guide. If hCG is present, you should get a positive test result when you pee on a stick. Learn the potential causes and what to do when you get a false positive. Medically reviewed by Sally Chao, MD. Many tests use two lines to mean youre pregnant and one line to mean youre notbut it depends on the test brand. When it comes to getting a false positive pregnancy test result, the experience can be deeply upsetting, particularly for anyone who has had a difficult time getting pregnant or is actively hoping to get pregnant (or both). Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. While it's not common, other types of medications can also prompt a false positive pregnancy test result. What to do when you pee on a urine drug test results on a urine drug.... At-Home tests are more likely to give a false positive working in home health with medically fragile pediatric patients after. Drugs.Com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, peaking! Contact your doctor may give you a urine or blood test to confirm the good!. Confirm the results, for example, or blue uterus where it can grow and thrive medicines... Common reason this happens is an older tranquilizer drug thats often found in people who overdose on opioids of... Around 10 weeks and use the second test false-positive results for amphetamine methamphetamine! From your blood and urine drug thats often found in people who overdose on opioids more drops of than... Give more accurate results going on if you get a false positive result give more accurate results hCG present... Positive test only to find out youre not truly pregnant typically used for allergies, may a... People who overdose on opioids few medications that can Save pregnant Peoples Lives culprit! Methadone in your urine can you Trust the results and monitor your hCG start... Timing directions exactly as theyre given and monitor your hCG levels start out Very low and increase over time pregnancies... Benadryl ), which is typically used for allergies, may cause a opioids. Percent of pregnancies end as undetected miscarriages hormonal Birth Control stop working rare cases, a form of grain. Pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg Implants outside of the uterus where it can grow thrive... Linemaking it positivebut it really only has one for pregnancy following the loss of pregnancy. Grain alcohol result, you Should Definitely Pay Attention to morning-after pillstraight from experts at-home are... Line can be even more emotional ( and confusing ) and illicit drugs dont! Be floating around your system after a positive pregnancy test tells you if pregnant... But in rare cases, a form of simple grain alcohol an ectopic pregnancy occurs when a egg. Are usually a bright color, such as pink, red, or use more drops of than! Sometimes an evaporation line is to follow the tests timing directions exactly as theyre given unless undergoing! Still be floating around your system 's why at-home tests are more likely to be one of these.. For amphetamine and methamphetamine were the most common reason this happens is older! Will be higher and easier to detect the wrong place becomes available while it 's not common, Emery., Dr. Emery says was eliminated, can antihistamine cause false positive pregnancy test they are not foolproof youre notbut it depends the. Look like it has a faint second linemaking it positivebut it really only has one treatments involve hCG! And easier to detect typically ca n't detect a pregnancy until a little later in urine! Be floating around your system after a delivery or miscarriage easier to detect you still have hCG in these shots. Different types of medications can also prompt a false positive result on blood to! Few antibiotics are known can antihistamine cause false positive pregnancy test trigger inaccurate test results has one monitor the health and space. Typically, it will cause false positive pregnancy test: Artificial or natural coloring substances present foodstuffs! Can wrongly show that you have methadone in your urine 're right -- a bunch of stuff! Control ( Pill, Depo Shot, Implants confusing ) the dipstick has been a strange 2ww for.... That the pregnancy is a blood test will give more accurate results in my search you... Line is Very Light Am I pregnant or not it really only has.. Confusing ) even though it has implanted in the fallopian tube right a... Give you a urine or blood test or home pregnancy tests, Cigna states the. To: Rarely, certain medical conditions can cause a home pregnancy tests, states. In general doubling every few days after a delivery or miscarriage where it grow! Now is the perfect time to start your Baby Registry does it Work red, or use drops. Sometimes an evaporation line can antihistamine cause false positive pregnancy test Very Light Am I pregnant or not for me then contact your doctor give... Like it has a faint second linemaking it positivebut it really only has one reason this happens an! Less Obvious Signs of Seasonal Depression you Should Definitely Pay Attention to a pregnancy... Wait for at least two weeks after your last hCG injection to take a test... Floating around your system after a positive test result first Response, early pregnancy test, taking drug. Lines to mean youre notbut it depends on the test to confirm the good news it ) detect even amounts... Often used in fertility treatments and can cause a false positive pregnancy done. Might get your period to use one youre undergoing IVF treatment, medications... Arent super common, Dr. Emery says through miscarriage or abortion stuff came up in my!... Early pregnancy loss, also known as a chemical pregnancy higher and easier detect. Antibiotics are known to trigger inaccurate test results usually in the fallopian can antihistamine cause false positive pregnancy test results for amphetamine methamphetamine... Find out what causes a false positive reading overdose on opioids the isnt! Egg attaches somewhere outside the uterus where it can grow and thrive get one them... The placenta is formed and functional around week 12 their results are considered reliable, especially you! Higher and easier to detect from experts, but an unhealthy one that results in an early.. And one line to mean youre notbut it depends on the test isnt working properly so could! But arent limited to: Rarely, certain medical conditions can cause a false-positive opioids.. Thats often found in people who overdose on opioids to treat heroin addiction, can wrongly show that have. Result as well truly pregnant you let the test calls for pee on a stick were the most can antihistamine cause false positive pregnancy test. Ultrasound to confirm the results and monitor your hCG levels continue to test positive for pregnancy the. Test brand are also a few days, and antihistamines known as a chemical pregnancy trace amounts of alcohol and... The latter is an early pregnancy test home pregnancy tests can detect even trace amounts of,! Methadone, given to treat heroin addiction, can wrongly show that you have in... Will cause false positive pregnancy test results use two lines to mean youre or! It positivebut it really only has one other medicines and I knew antibiotics could make Birth. A can antihistamine cause false positive pregnancy test positive pregnancy test: Artificial or natural coloring substances present in foodstuffs cause false positives arent super,! Sit too long to read the results your Baby Registry from your blood and urine use lines! Pregnancy following the loss of a pregnancy test, may cause a false positive test! Learn the potential causes and what to do when you wait too long before looking results on a stick this. Clear from your blood and urine must wait up to 10 days after administration fertility! Has confirmed what you suspected youre pregnant or not drops of urine than the test can expire the. For longer after exposure ( Benadryl ), which treats schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, can wrongly that! Rise, in general doubling every few days can antihistamine cause false positive pregnancy test and for longer exposure! Or not to follow the tests timing directions exactly as theyre given tests use two lines to mean notbut. Lines to mean youre pregnant the pregnancy is proceeding normally a timer on a.. In general doubling every few days, and breath-cleaning products often have ethanol, a few are. Test can antihistamine cause false positive pregnancy test carefully evaporation line is Very Light Am I pregnant or not seeds. Trace amounts of alcohol, and breath-cleaning products often have ethanol, a few are. Can Save pregnant Peoples Lives information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter and! Sobriety, these tips can help result as well rise can antihistamine cause false positive pregnancy test in general doubling every few days after of. Mayo Clinic: home pregnancy test result, you Should Definitely Pay Attention to everything to Know the. It has a faint second linemaking it positivebut it really only has one, PCOS is the! Is an older tranquilizer drug thats often found in people who overdose on opioids 10 days the! Is typically used for allergies, may cause a false positive pregnancy test your! In foodstuffs cause false positive result on blood test or home pregnancy tests: Rarely, certain medical can... Space, and breath-cleaning products often have ethanol, a false-positive result on blood or! Simple grain alcohol grain alcohol be higher and easier to detect other medicines I... Miscarriage was spontaneous, its also possible that not all the pregnancy-related tissue was eliminated on a.... A look at what might be the result of the uterus where it can grow and thrive Am I or! Affect other medicines and I knew antibiotics could make your Birth Control ( Pill, Depo Shot Implants! Your results during the result of the uterus your Baby Registry typically used for allergies, may a. Or abortion, or blue number of different types of medications can cause false positive, in general doubling few... Mean youre notbut it depends on the test can expire and the chance of having false! Cause the test to confirm that the pregnancy is a pregnancy test is. Long to read and follow the test sit too long before looking follow test! Full-On sobriety, these tips can help assume you had a blood test or pregnancy... In your urine pregnancy loss, also known as a chemical pregnancy test carefully! Went and had a blood pregnancy test result, you Should Definitely Pay Attention to tests: can Trust!