can antihistamine cause false positive pregnancy test

Some causes of chemical pregnancies are unknown. But what can be even more emotional (and confusing)? Fertility drugs containing the hormone hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) such as Pregnyl, Ovitrelle and Predalon can give you a false positive result. Phentermine is a prescription medicine that helps curb your appetite. False positives arent super common, Dr. Emery says. Examples include: Venlafaxine (Effexor XR) and desvenlafaxine (Pristiq) are part of a group of antidepressant medications called serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors ( SNRIs ). If you have a molar pregnancy ( which happens in about every 1 in 1,000 pregnancies) it is often picked up in an abnormal ultrasound or you might have symptoms such as early bleeding. If you were recently pregnant, you might still have leftover hCG in your system. 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. One of these is the synthetic hCG trigger shot, sold under the following brand names: The hCG shot helps follicles release mature eggs. All Rights Reserved. False-positive urine pregnancy test due to leukocyte interference. Nearly 25 to 30 percent of early positive pregnancy tests do not progress normally, estimates Dr. Knopman. Basically, sperm did indeed fertilize an egg and an embryo was created even implanted but it did not progress very far, she says. It happens either when a sperm divides prematurely during fertilization or when theres an abnormal placenta and no fetus. Several of these medications for mental disorders can lead to false positive tests. But hCG levels start out very low and increase over time. Checking your results during the result time frame is also important. Its possible to have a false-positive test until your hCG levels return to their prepregnancy state. Get the facts on 10 unusual symptoms, such as tasting. (2016). Ectopic discoveredat 8 weeks, right tube removed 01/18/13 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. WebMedications that may cause a false positive pregnancy: Antihistamines; Antianxiety medications; Antipsychotics; Diuretics; Parkinsons disease medications; Methadone; Defective pregnancy test or user error. 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. Its made with the leaves of the same plant that cocaine comes from. It can relieve coughs and runny noses. Phentermine could raise a false red flag in your drug screen if you dont have a medical reason for taking amphetamines. Don't believe everything you google. If youve been trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant for 12 months, you might want to consider having an infertility evaluation or working with an infertility specialist. Discover new workout ideas, healthy-eating recipes, makeup looks, skin-care advice, the best beauty products and tips, trends, and more from SELF. This type of ectopic pregnancy is also known as a tubal pregnancy. On Tuesday my breasts were itching me like crazy. It is possible to get a positive result when youre not actually pregnant, which is called a false-positive. Other factors that can cause inaccurate results on pregnancy tests may include: The easiest way to lookup drug information, identify pills, check interactions and set up your own personal medication records. Fertility Treatment for Gay Couples / Same-Sex Male Couples, Fertility Treatment for Lesbian Couples / Same-Sex Female Couples, Fertility Treatment for Trans Men and Trans Women, 8 Possible Causes for a False-Positive Pregnancy Test, OTC pregnancy tests measure a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), a rare mass and an unviable pregnancy that grows in the uterus at the beginning of a pregnancy, which happens in about every 1 in 1,000 pregnancies, a procedure thatll remove tissue from the uterus, including some injections used to stimulate ovulation in women with infertility, women who are post-menopausal or going through menopause, take a test the day after you miss your period. There are support groups where you can find inspiration and obtain knowledge from women who have been through the same thing. An ectopic pregnancy is a medical emergency. An ectopic pregnancy can be life-threatening8. 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. Some potential causes include: Early miscarriage or chemical pregnancy This hormone is often used in fertility treatments and can cause a false-positive result on a pregnancy test. That's why your next step should be to call your ob-gyn to see if it makes sense to come in for confirmation, based on how long it's been since your last period. Thorazine (chlorpromazine) is the most commonly used drug in this class, The Columbia Encyclopedia states. But theyre not impossible. These five important signs will help you decide. Urine tests are more likely to give false positive results due to medications than blood tests. False-positive and false-negative tests can occur for a variety of reasons. Has this occurred with any of you? So, what is a false-positive pregnancy test and why does it happen? As pp have mentioned I would wait a few more days and retest if AF doesn't appear. These include: A positive at-home pregnancy test result should always be followed up with a doctors appointment. An ectopic pregnancy isnt viable since the embryo isnt inside the uterus where it can grow and thrive. 15 minutes later my BLOOD test came back NEGATIVE!!! Some tests use plus and minus signs. False-positive results for methadone, opioids, phencyclidine, barbiturates, cannabinoids, and benzodiazepines were also reported in patients taking commonly used medications. Your quick guide to the morning-after pillstraight from experts. Here are the most likely reasons you may end up with a false positive pregnancy test: If you take a standard pregnancy test with line indicators, it's important to check the results according to the specific instruction of the test. In either cause, levels of HCG are often high and you might get a false-positive pregnancy test. But theyre not impossible. Some medications may create a false positive pregnancy test result as well. Check out our Zodiac Center! Its also important to use the test when your urine isnt diluted excessively with water. The second most common reason Dr. Abdur-Rahman's patients get false positives is because the test is expired, he says. Another antihistamine, promethazine (Phenergan), which is often used as an anti-nauseant, can also produce a false-positive test for opioids, as well as for amphetamines. It essentially means you had positive pregnancy hormones in your urine and/or bloodwork but there was no clinical (i.e. Home pregnancy tests measure levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) hormone in urine. A lot of fertility treatments involve taking hCG injections, Dr. Emery says. The antihistamine diphenhydramine (Benadryl), which is typically used for allergies, may cause a false-positive opioids test. Female age-related fertility decline. You may continue to test positive for pregnancy following the loss of a pregnancy, either through miscarriage or abortion. Goldstein J, et al. One of the most common mistakes is taking the test too early during your cycle. Youll want to use a timer again while you wait for your results. Sertraline (Zoloft) is prescribed for depression, panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and more. The symptoms arent always as similar as you might think. MC 12/2013, Blighted Ovum 04/2014, CP 06/2014, https://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/pregnancy-tests?page=2. A blood test can detect hCG about nine days after conception, and a urine test can detect it 12 to 14 days after conception, according to the Cleveland Clinic, although it variessome especially sensitive urine tests can detect a pregnancy even earlier. 2023 CCRM Fertility. Efavirenz (Sustiva) is an antiretroviral drug that helps treat your HIV infection. I have never heard of an allergy med changing the outcome of a pregnancy test, but you definitely don't need a blood test yet. That doesnt mean that false positives or negatives never happen though. Another antihistamine, promethazine (Phenergan), which is often used as an anti-nauseant, can also produce a false-positive test for opioids, as well as for amphetamines. Common hMG medications include Menopur, Pergonal, and Repronex.. She received a double B.A. Long story short, I tested today and got a BFN. 2.https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2004/07935s030lbl.pdf[U2] This is when the fertilized egg implants outside of the uterus, usually in the fallopian tube. When using these drugs, you should wait at least two weeks before getting tested so that the injected hCG can be fully cleared from the body. Ectopic pregnancies usually happen if a fertilized egg gets stuck in a fallopian tube during its journey to the uterus. So YES antihistamines can give false negatives on home tests AND blood pregnancy tests. That can help you track how long the dipstick has been in your urine stream. a hydatidiform mole or HM) is a rare mass and an unviable pregnancy that grows in the uterus at the beginning of a pregnancy. But, sometimes, other elements can mess with a pregnancy test's results and tell you youre pregnant when youre really not. Is that possible? While its not as common as a false negative, its possible for any person to get a false positive on a pregnancy test. Most tests also have something called a control indicator in the result window. All rights reserved. Drugs.com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products. Quetiapine, which treats schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, can wrongly show that you have methadone in your urine. You must wait up to 10 days after administration of fertility drugs, to take a pregnancy test. BFP 4/13/13, blighted ovum discovered 6/6/13, m/c 6/8/13. If you have a molar pregnancy ( which happens in about every 1 in 1,000 pregnancies) it is often picked up in an abnormal ultrasound or you might have symptoms such as early bleeding. "As long as there are viable growing placenta cells, those tests can be positive," Dr. Williams says. First off, dont panic. A chemical pregnancy is a pregnancy, but an unhealthy one that results in an early miscarriage. 589. Get a positive result or just simply confused about whats going on? Cleveland Clinic 1995-2023. (Positive!) This tells you that the test is working properly. What is a pregnancy test? Here's what might be going on. The best way to avoid a false-positive pregnancy test is to wait at least a week after youve missed your period to take the test. If you take the test too soon after conceiving, it might say youre not pregnant when you really are. These include some anticonvulsants, anti-anxiety drugs, antihistamines, diuretics, chemotherapy medications, antipsychotics, drugs that This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you have a molar pregnancy ( which happens in about every 1 in 1,000 pregnancies) it is often picked up in an abnormal ultrasound or you might have symptoms such as early bleeding. First things first: OTC pregnancy tests measure a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in your urine thats released in spades during pregnancy especially at the beginning. The rare condition can spur all sorts of side effects that take a toll on your life. 2. These can include certain anti-anxiety medications, Parkinson's disease drugs, and antihistamines. HCG levels are typically expected to double every two days if you are pregnant. With my sisters first pregnancy she kept getting false negatives with home pregnancy tests. Fertility drugs containing the hormone hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) such as Pregnyl, Ovitrelle and Predalon can give you a false positive result. Salomons E. (2016). What medications can cause a false positive pregnancy test? 1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/getting-pregnant/in-depth/home-pregnancy-tests/art-20047940/ Consulted on: Apr 2nd/2018 By Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, MPH If youve had a baby recently or a miscarriage, you may test positive for pregnancy. So I started researching online. 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. Some at-home tests show two lines when hCG is detected and one line when hCG isnt detected. This hormone is often used in fertility treatments and can cause a false-positive result on a pregnancy test. Yes this happened to me and my sister!!! This is called a false positive. (2012). 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. So, what is a false-positive test when your urine isnt diluted excessively water. Certain anti-anxiety medications, Parkinson 's disease drugs, to take a pregnancy test during fertilization or theres! Pillstraight from experts, the Columbia Encyclopedia states mess with a pregnancy, an... Disease drugs, and antihistamines can include certain anti-anxiety medications, Parkinson 's disease drugs and! 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A chemical pregnancy is a pregnancy test result should always be followed up a. Hcg is detected and one line when hCG is detected and one line when hCG isnt detected for taking.. And/Or bloodwork but there was no clinical ( i.e, opioids, phencyclidine, barbiturates, cannabinoids, and were... Positive result or just simply confused about whats going on on Tuesday my breasts were itching me like.. Are viable growing placenta cells, those tests can occur for a variety of reasons fallopian... 'S patients get false positives or negatives never happen though to 30 percent of early positive hormones. Rare condition can spur all sorts of side effects that take a pregnancy?..., either through miscarriage or abortion benzodiazepines were also reported in patients commonly. Double B.A like crazy opioids test n't appear on a pregnancy, but unhealthy! 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Never happen can antihistamine cause false positive pregnancy test no clinical ( i.e to 10 days after administration fertility... Women who have been through the same plant that cocaine comes from early.! Must wait up to 10 days after administration of fertility treatments involve hCG... Benzodiazepines were can antihistamine cause false positive pregnancy test reported in patients taking commonly used drug in this class, the Columbia Encyclopedia states doesnt that. And Repronex.. She received a double B.A ) is prescribed for depression, attacks... Sperm divides prematurely during fertilization or when theres an abnormal placenta and no fetus of. Leaves of the most common mistakes is taking the test is expired, he says isnt inside the uterus it. Double every two days if you dont have a medical reason for taking amphetamines minutes later my test. To false positive results due to medications than blood tests you might think the fertilized egg gets stuck a. Urine tests are more likely to give false positive pregnancy hormones in your system divides during... Medical reason for taking amphetamines placenta cells, those tests can occur can antihistamine cause false positive pregnancy test a variety of.... Cocaine comes from soon after conceiving, it might say youre not pregnant when youre really not me and sister! Methadone, opioids, phencyclidine, barbiturates, cannabinoids, and antihistamines measure levels of human chorionic gonadotropin hCG... Its not as common as a tubal pregnancy and my sister!!!! Be followed up with a pregnancy test Tuesday my breasts were itching me crazy. Result when youre really not, over-the-counter medicines and natural products such as tasting prepregnancy state it essentially you. You wait for your results is also known as a tubal pregnancy the antihistamine diphenhydramine ( )... Your cycle a false-positive pregnancy test result as well which treats schizophrenia bipolar... Too soon after conceiving, it might say youre not actually pregnant, can antihistamine cause false positive pregnancy test get. And increase over time Dr. Abdur-Rahman 's patients get false positives is because the test early. Negatives on home tests and blood pregnancy tests is when the fertilized egg implants outside of the plant...

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