Question
Can HIV meds make me fail a recreational drug screening test?
20 September 2011. Related: All topics, Drug interactions.
I would like to know what HIV meds can produce a false positive on a drug screen.
Answer
In general, most HIV meds will not affect these drug tests.
Efavirenz may be an exception, because when it was first approved there were reports that it might cause testing for marijuana to be false positive.
I thought that the tests used for recreational drugs had become more refined since then, but theoretically, this might still be a worry. A false positive test for marijuana can be checked using a more specific test.
The SPC leaflet (Specific Product Characteristics) for efavirenz documents this as a problem with only one make of test: “False positive test results have only been observed with the CEDIA DAU Multi-Level THC assay, which is used for screening, and have not been observed with other cannabinoid assays tested including tests used for confirmation of positive results.”
However, a more recent study reported that people taking efavirenz had a high rate of false-positive tests for benzodiazepines (including commonly used drugs like diazepam (Valium) and lorazepam (Ativan). The same study found no false positive results for marijuana.
Hi Janette and thanks for the question.
There is a small possibility for this to happen if you are taking a drug called efavirenz.
Are you on efavirenz?
If i go for medical drug test at a facility for dagga can the arvs prevent for me to pass my medical test or not
Hi Regent, there is a small chance this might happen – but only if your medication contain a drug called efavirenz.
Telatri doesn’t contain that medication.
Please, let me know. If Telatri can cause me a problem.