Diphenhydramine

Published

Today I learned Benadryl can throw a false positive for methadone. WTH? I take Benadryl almost every day during allergy season, and even sometimes for sleep.

Rapid urine drug screens: diphenhydramine and methadone cross-reactivity. - PubMed - NCBI

My question is this: what would happen if I had to submit because of a shortage or something, and I tested positive? Should I just tell them beforehand what I take? Would they maybe use a more specific test? I have no idea how this stuff works.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Benadryl is banned period if you're a TPAPN, unless you have a prescription and it is tested for in option 4 and on down.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I depends. If you are in a nurse monitoring program like I am the fear of a false positive is always there. In my state Benadryl is one of the OTC meds I'm supposed to avoid. I hope you don't get jammed up over this. I loathe living in fear but that is what I have to do for another 2 1/2 years and (unfortunately) so do the rest of us who carry the big red "A" (addict) on our forehead. I wish you the best of luck!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

If you are not in a nurse monitoring program I can't think it would be too big of a deal. I've known many, many nurses over the years who use Benadryl to sleep very often. If they placed folks in the monitoring program for that there would be many more unfortunate souls out there but the "rehabilitation" industry would be loving the extra profits

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Wow, that's really unfair. I don't have a substance abuse problem, but I guess I'll give up my beloved Benadryl.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Do you know if they would let me retest? Or give hair/blood instead? Would that be a more accurate test?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Don't give it up if it works for you. If you are not in a monitoring program just have your doc write a script

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Don't give it up if it works for you. If you are not in a monitoring program just have your doc write a script

Just for the OTC stuff? I can do that. Why wouldn't abusers of methadone just get a script for Benadryl? Seems like this testing/monitoring system needs an overhaul.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

oh hell yes it does. it seems to me that a smart and committed addict in the healthcare professions would just get a script for their drug of choice; weed, opiates, benzos, speed.... This would bring us back to where it should be in my opinion which is testing that there is a reasonable belief that a Nurse is impaired in the workplace. This random stuff is intrusive and out of line

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OR.

Oh yes, this stuff is wayyyyyy out of line. These things discourage anything that "is mood or mind altering." Ummmm...okay. that's like dang near everything. Where I live, i am allergic to dang near everything almost year round. My allergy medication of choice is Zyrtec-D. Regular Zyrtec or Claritin of any type doesn't do squat. Guess what. Tough. Can't take it. I get to suffer.

So which would impair me in the workplace more? A whiff of benadryl in my antihistamine or walking around with a headful of snot and sneezing all over the place?

I probably could get a prescription for it but honestly I would rather battle it on my own than take on the idiocy of these programs. The allergies are at their worst when i move to a new area (which I've done a few times because employment with a contract is an ordeal) but tend to get better with time. it will be over some day (699 days)!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Yeah It will be over some day & I can't wait. I feel like this program has done nothing to help me at all. I have my dreaded weekly nurse meeting tonight. More money out for nothing but aggravation. Oh well such is life in "assistance" land

Up Vote Up Vote ×

If you pop positive for something they usually send the specimen off for gas chromatography which is much more specific for the metabolites they're testing for

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion