Urine Drug test Q&As

Why am I getting a positive result if I know I'm negative?

Although our drug tests have proven to be accurate over 99% of the time, it's still not quite 100%.  If you believe your test result to be in the 1%, we suggest using a different test strip and trying again.

Another more probable reason is that you have ingested a food or over-the-counter medication that will also test positive in a drug test due to similar chemical properties. Since the list of positive test inducing foods and medicines is extremely extensive, we suggest looking up the drug you tested positive for and what will produce a false positive.

Does a faint line still mean negative results?

A faint line means negative results. Even though it is faint, it is still a line, meaning negative results. The faintness of the line may be due to detected levels close to the cutoff limit of the test.

How does this test work?

These tests are immunoassays, which screen for the presence of certain drugs. In order to do this certain antibodies are put into the strips which will bond with the drugs if they are present in the urine sample. Extra antibodies will match with chemicals on the strip so that only the ones attached to the drugs will be counted for the results.

What does a false positive mean?

A false positive is a positive test result when the person actually has a negative result. For instance, if someone was screened for pancreatic cancer and tested positive, but did not actually have pancreatic cancer, that would be a false positive. What dose false negative mean?

What dose false negative mean?

A false negative is a negative test result when the person actually has a positive result. For instance, if someone was screened for liver cancer and got a negative result when they actually did have liver cancer.

What does cross reactive mean?

False positives may occur due to the cross-reactivity of drugs and substances. This is because some substances have the same molecular shape as the shape of the drug being tested and may then show up as positive. Drug tests are specially made so that these cross reactive substances are accounted for by choosing parts of the drugs that have less possible cross reactive substances that could interfere with the test results.

Does drinking a lot of water affect urine tests?

Drinking a large amount of water does dilute the urine sample, however this could only be of use if someone was already very close to the cutoff of the test. If the cutoff was 40 ng/ml and the person had 43 ng/ml of the drug, they might be able to lower it to 39.3 ng/ml by drinking a lot of water. However, if they had 4000 ng/ml of the drug in their system, drinking water would not lower it enough.

Can I test positive for marijuana from second-hand smoke exposure?

No, the levels of marijuana you receive from second hand smoke exposure is not high enough to test positive in marijuana tests. Second hand smoke will add to your concentrations but it will be very low levels so that with only those levels you will not test positive.

What is the difference between Amphetamine and Methamphetamine?

The parent drug is methamphetamine, which undergoes processes in the body and turns into amphetamine. Both drugs are highly potent, although methamphetamine may be more potent. They are both excreted in urine.

When is my urine the most concentrated?

Urine tends to be more concentrated in the morning since there is less water in the body after a night's rest.

What should I do if I get positive results?

Positive results should be sent in for confirmatory testing in order to further identify the drugs that were used. Confirmatory testing uses gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography to detect positive or negative results and also can identify specific drugs. However, confirmatory testing costs more money and takes a longer time. It can also be used as legal defense.

Does eating poppy seeds still make OPI levels increase?

No, the OPI tests have increased the cutoff levels from 300 ng/ml to 2000 ng/ml for newer tests. This higher cutoff shouldn't be reached by consuming poppy seeds.

Can I still use a test if I opened the pouch for awhile before using?

No, once the pouch is open, it must be used because the materials are moisture sensitive and may not provide accurate results anymore.

Why is the top control line not appearing?

If the control line is not showing, try to follow the instructions once more and see if it works. Sometimes the line does not show because too much urine was used in the test or urine was added too quickly.

What are the cut off levels for each drug?

Cut off levels simply means the lowest level of the drug that the drug test can detect. A chart for these levels is provided below:



Cut off
























3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine HCl(MDMA)











Tricyclic Antidepressants












Do the drug tests tell you what specific drug is being used?

If it is testing for a specific drug such as cocaine, then yes. However, if testing for a general class of drugs like opiates or barbiturates, then no.

How soon can I read my results?

Negative result is available to read whenever the Test line which representing the specific drug appears and Control lines shall always appears if test is valid. For positive results you have to wait until 5 minutes when the specific Test line doesn’t show up at all while Control lines shall always appears if test is valid.

How soon after taking a drug can you detect it in urine with a Easy@HomeDrug Test and how long can a drug be detected in urine?

Most drugs can be detected in urine with a Easy@HomeDrug Test within a few hours after taking the drug; however this can vary depending on the type of drug taken, the amount taken, the frequency of use, and the metabolism of the person being tested.

Each drug is cleared by the body at different rates. Some drugs, for example marijuana, can stay in the body for up to several weeks after use. Can Ritalin test positive for any drug panels?

Can Ritalin test positive for any drug panels?

Ritalin is considered a stimulant.  It is also known as Methlyphenidate.  It contains properties that are similar to Amphetamines.   Therefore, any drugs, such as Ritalin that have properties similar to Amphetamines or Amphetamine related drugs has the potential to test Positive in drug screen panels.  Our drugs tests can screen for Amphetamine (AMP), Methamphetamine (MET), and Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) with a cut-off of 1000 ng/mL.  Similar drugs to Ritalin, like Adderall also have the positive to test as a false-positive for Amphetamines or Amphetamine related drug tests.

Can Vicodin test positive for a drug panel?

Yes. Vicodin is considered an opioid or synthetic opiate.  So if it meets the cutoff level 2000ng/mL of Opiate or 300 ng/mL of Morphine (also classified as an opiate), then you could test positive for both.  This can be detected as early as 2 hours and up to 3 days in the system after the last dose.

How can I avoid a false or invalid result during testing?

It is important to follow the instructions provided.  Each panel test must have an undiluted fresh urine sample that is dipped up to the max line for 10 seconds.  Many times a false or invalid result occurs simply because of a saturation issue.  Multiple panel drug tests may start to saturate before 10 seconds and other test strips require the 10 second saturation minimum.  Therefore, test each panel evenly for 10 seconds and wait for the results.

Will hydrocodone and Norco test positive for Opiate panel?

Hydrocodone (marketed as Norco) is a semi-synthetic opioid derived from two of the naturally occurring opiates, Codeine and Thebaine. OPI (opiates) is a different case. Opiates are a rather large class of drugs. They cover all forms, analogues, and derivatives (both synthetic and semi-synthetic) of the poppy plant. Because hydrocodone is a semi-synthetic opioid derivative, it will show if the test is taken within a certain period of time.

The range of time it takes your body to digest and eliminate hydrocodone to below the detectable level is between one and four days. This all depends on how many you have taken, how often, and your height/weight - and the quality of the test. However, because the 3-point test is such a simple test, you're looking at the lower end of the spectrum - especially of you have a few days in advance. The cut-off level for opiates on those tests is higher than the standard 5- and 8-point urinalysis tests. The higher the cut-off level, the more you can have in your system without being detected. The metabolite limit of detection for drug specificity of testing positive for our Opiate 2,000 (testing cut-off 2,000ng/mL Morphine) would be 12,500 ng/mL cut-off for Hydrocodone.  Within Opiate 2,000 specificity each similar drug classification would rank at a different cut-off level.

What causes false positives for Cocaine (COC) and Benzodiazepines (BZO) in urine drug tests?

Unfortunately, some false positives can occur if the test user consumes certain substances or have conditions.

Common false positives for COC include use of anesthetics (excluding Novocain and lidocaine), ingesting coca from the tree (products banned in the U.S.), Amoxicillin or Ampicillin, and drinking tonic water.  Conditions include Diabetes, liver disease or liver infection.

Common false positives for BZO include use of Tolmetin (Tolectin), Naproxen (Aleve), Etodolac (Lodine), Fenoprofen (Nalfon), Oxaprozin (Daypro), and Sertraline (Zoloft). 

It is very important to disclose this information prior to testing in order to eliminate the question for a false positive.

What is a normal range for specific gravity parameter?

Specific gravity is a useful parameter that tests the density of your urine. Our manual lists a normal range of 1.016-1.022.  Our testing range is between 1.000-1.030.  If your kidneys are functioning normally, the result should fall within our testing spectrum.  The normal range is the average among most adults.  Many medical or health conditions can cause an abnormal result such a diarrhea, dehydration, glucose in the urine, heart failure, etc. If your testing range is alarming, consult with a physician for lab confirmation.