Will 200 mg Ibuprofen show up in urine test?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing Nursing Q/A

I took Advil Ibuprofen 200mg on Tuesday for cramps, I had to take a urine drug test on Thursday. Will it show a false positive in my urine? I did not know about false-positives until after my drug test, and now I am worried sick. We have to pass to reserve our seat for nursing school. I have not received my results back at this time. Anyone ever heard of this or been in this situation? I have never done drugs. Just take these for my menstrual cramps.

18 Answers

You still haven't "done drugs"! Ibuprofen is a legal, over the counter medication and they don't test for it. Stop worrying.

Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

Those drug tests are looking for illicit drugs (cocaine, meth, heroin, etc.) or controlled substances for which you don't have a prescription. Ibuprofen is none of those things. OTC meds are fine.

Specializes in Rehab, Ortho-Spine, Med-Surg, & Psych.

Urine drug tests usually look for the following drugs: amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cocaine, marijuana, MDMA (Ecstasy) and its metabolite, methadone, opiates, oxycodone, phencyclidine (PCP) and propoxyphene, synthetic cannabinoids (K2/Spice) and synthetic stimulants (Bath Salts).

I would not worry about Advil?

Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

You are going to drive yourself nuts if you're already giving yourself panic attacks over googlepedia before nursing school even starts.

Let's just say for WebMD sake that your 200mg Motrin caused some crazy false positive. (which only 200 mg?) but let's just say it had some wicked crazy reaction that caused a false positive, the lab would send it for further testing that would clear up you did not infact go on a binge snorting lines of coke off your nursing books ,but instead simply took a kids dose of Motion during your period.

Find a way to unwind and stay off google if you want to make it through school! Best of luck to you!

WorriedFutureRN said:
I actually drove back to the drug testing site and let them know that I took 200 mg Ibuprofen. The nurse claimed it wasn't a problem. But I scared myself again reading google articles. Thank you for responding!

One day when you gain experience as an RN You will wanna smack yourself for trusting the almighty Dr google, WebMD. Especially when your patient consults with webmd first and self diagnoses themselves with cancer after a single episode of nausea and vomiting. ;)

Stop googling....NOW!!!!

Thank you. I meant "taken" drugs. I was typing faster than my computer. Sometimes, I probably just need to stop reading everything on google. Everyone is telling me I am over-reacting. I just waited so long for this opportunity, that I don't want it snatched away due to taking over-the-counter medication!

Specializes in Oncology.

You should probably self report to the board of nursing. You'll be in less trouble that way than if you wait for your employer to report you.

I jest, I jest

I actually drove back to the drug testing site and let them know that I took 200 mg Ibuprofen. The nurse claimed it wasn't a problem. But I scared myself again reading google articles. Thank you for responding!

Thank you all. No more googling!

Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).

If memory serves me correctly, back in the 80's, when Motrin was a prescription drug, I heard that it could show up as a false positive for cannabinoids.

Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
Pixie.RN said:
Those drug tests are looking for illicit drugs (cocaine, meth, heroin, etc.) or controlled substances for which you don't have a prescription. Ibuprofen is none of those things.

I don't know about that, Pixie. I remember some Hippies yelling out slogans like "Peace, love, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs!"

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