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From: Robert Swotinsky MD
Date: 27 Nov 2005
Time: 05:10:11 -0800
Remote Name: 68.166.232.5
I believe it's not true, i.e., I believe dextromethorphan has no significant cross-reactivity with commercially available urine screening tests for opiates. The screens are directed toward free morphine and have cross-reactivity with conjugated morphine, free and conjugated codeine, the semi-synthetic opiates hydrocodone and hydromorphone, synthetic opioids such as propoxyphene and, to a much lesser extent, oxycodone. Dextromethorphan has some chemical similarity to a codeine analog, but is a nonopioid and I'm unaware of any literature identifying it as a source of positive opiate immunoassay tests. There are prescription medications that contain both dextromethorphan and codeine, and use of such medicines can cause positive opiate immunoassays because of the codeine in those medicine.