Brief Answer: Both citalopram and antacid could lead false test. Detailed Answer: HI Thanks for using healthcare magic. I, Dr Abhishek Kapoor, would help you in this query. There are current medications on which chances of getting false positive urine test for benzodiazepine are high. The list includes brompheniramine, bupropion, chlorpromazine, clomipramine, dextromethorphan, diphenhydramine, doxylamine, ibuprofen, naproxen, promethazine, quetiapine, quinolones (ofloxacin and gatifloxacin), ranitidine, sertraline, thioridazine, trazodone, venlafaxine, verapamil, and a nonprescription nasal inhaler. You are on citalopram. Both sertraline and citalopram are SSRIs (antidepressant) and that may be the reason for false positive. Ranitidine is a antacid and may be drug equivalent to ranitidine, which you have used, could lead to false positive test. Elimination half life of celexia is 36 hours and a drug need five half life to come out of body. That means it would take 7 to 10 days to come out of body completely. In that case, better to avoid these drugs for two weeks and try urine test after that. You would get negative result. In case, you have more query, you can ask. Regards Dr. Abhishek Kapoor Psychiatrist

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Brief Answer: Less chances to get false positive Detailed Answer: Hi In the clinical laboratory, immunoassays are the most widely used screening technique for drugs such as benzodiazepines. Immunoassays have multiple formats with commonly used acronyms such as EMIT (enzyme mediated immunologic technique), FPIA (fluorescence polarization immunoassay). All immunoassay technologies are based on a competitive binding process between antibody and antigen, which in this instance is a drug. The antibodies used are most sensitive and specific for the drug used to generate the antibodies, which for benzodiazepine immunoassays is commonly oxazepam. Now your tests are positive that means either EMIT or FPIA technique has been used. Threshold EMIT FPIA 5 panel urine test Oxazepam 200 300 500 Temazepam 70 300 50 Results in your case depend upon the method. Positive result may be due to citalopram, bupropion and ranidine (antacid). In these tests, due to cross re-activity, sometime urine tests come positive. As you can compared the threshold/cut off of different methods, there are less chances to get positive test on 5 panel test. In case, you have more query, you can ask. Regards Dr. Abhishek Kapoor Psychiatrist

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Brief Answer: It is due to cross re-activity Detailed Answer: HI Reason for repeated failure is cross re-activity. Cross re-activity means the reaction between two different molecules as opposed to the self re-activity. At the same time each of these molecules is able to react with the identical molecule, or as it is usually described, to react with itself. For example, you were on escitalopram and pantoprazole, but due to cross re-activity, it produced antibodies which were sensitive towards oxazepam or temazepam that showed the possibility of these benzodiazepine in test. I think, you would be satisfied with this explanation. Regards Dr. Abhishek Kapoor Psychiatrist

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