Can Medications Affect The Results Of A Pregnancy Test?

Often women ask their doctors, if there are any medications that can show a false negative pregnancy results, and if yes what medicines are they? In general, there are not many medicines that can affect the results of a pregnancy test. This holds true, be it for positive or negative pregnancy test results. This is due to the fact that the pregnancy test is based upon the level of hCG, i.e. human chorionic gonadotrophin [hCG] in your urine or blood. A vast majority of medications do not have any impact on the hCG hormones [ in any way suppressing nor increasing it].

Birth Control Pills

Birth control pills like Ovral or Loette or any other forms of it like, condom or vaginal ring do not affect the results of a pregnancy test urine or even blood. This is because they do not contain hCG nor do they change your hCG levels or secret hCG. The only exceptional case is pregnancy, which means that birth control has failed.

Antibiotics

Antibiotics are given to help your body fight or prevent infection. These medications do not contain hCG. Although, they can render your birth control, especially oral contraceptives [ the pills] useless. This means you have a higher chance of getting pregnant if you take birth control pills while you are on antibiotics. Make sure you consult a professional on using a backup birth control method is you are on the pill and taking antibiotics as well. They will provide you guidance as to how and how long to use the back up.

Illegal/ Recreational Drugs

Recreational drugs like cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana or cocaine, none of these will cause you to have a false negative or positive result.

Some may make you more likely to get you pregnant, but this is because of the riskier behavior when under the influence of some – like not using contraceptive and having intercourse- however, they will not alter the findings of your pregnancy test.

Medications that can cause a false positive result of pregnancy test  

The only medicines that can cause false results- false positive results to be specific are those medicines which have hCG contained in them.

These medications are used in combination with infertility treatments. In these situations, your doctor or fertility center will tell to avoid pregnancy test until these drugs have cleared out of your system. They will provide you instructions for when and where to a pregnancy tests. In case of blood pregnancy tests you may have to take the test again.

What to do if you feel the pregnancy test results are wrong

If you have taken a test and think it is wrong, you can do the test again few days later. Many times, if you have taken the test too early, it can show a false negative result because the hCG levels in the body is not yet at the level to be detectable. If you have a positive result that you think is false, then you can visit a doctor and have a physical exam done.