Pregnant Maryland woman goes for routine blood test. Then she tests positive for opiates. Why?: ‘I’ve been eating it every morning’
Drug testing pregnant people is a controversial yet common practice across medical practices in the U.S. Recently, one woman on TikTok showed how even something harmless could get an expectant mom in trouble.
In a clip she posted to her TikTok account, creator Cassey Hoff (@casseysjourney) shared a storytime video detailing a medical scare that left her panicking. The clip has garnered over 1.8 million views.
How Did This Pregnant Woman Test Positive for Opiates?
“I tested positive for opiates at my OB-GYN blood draw this past week,” Hoff begins. “And I’m clearly not a drug addict.”
She explains that she had gone in earlier in the week for her first prenatal blood panel. A few days later, she checked her test results online.
“I open my results today,” she says, “and I see that my five-panel drug screen is flagged abnormal.”
As she scrolled through the report, one result immediately stood out.
“It gets to opiates, and it says positive,” Hoff recalls. “And I’m immediately like, ‘What the [expletive]?’ I do not do any sort of opiate. Why am I testing positive for opiates in my blood draw?”
Later that day, Hoff says her sister stopped by to pick up her kids after an early school dismissal. As Hoff explained what happened, her sister paused and asked her a question.
“Wait a minute,” Hoff remembers her saying. “‘Haven’t you been craving avocado toast?’”
Hoff says she had been eating it every morning.
Did Her Breakfast Cause the Positive Test?
“She goes, ‘Cassie, avocado toast has everything bagel seasoning on it,’” Hoff explains. “Which has poppy seeds in it.”
“So because I’m eating poppy seeds for breakfast every morning,” Hoff says, “I tested positive for opiates in my blood draw.”
Still shaken, Hoff says she immediately called her doctor’s office. “I’m freaking out,” she says. “Because I’m like, ‘Oh my God, they’re gonna think I’m a drug addict. They’re gonna call CPS. They’re gonna try to take my baby.’”
When she spoke to a nurse, Hoff says the reaction was much calmer than she expected.
“She kind of laughs about it,” Hoff recalls. “And she’s like, ‘I’m gonna leave a note for your doctor. He’ll call you, but I really, truly don’t think he’s concerned.’”
Even so, Hoff says the experience was terrifying in the moment. “Meanwhile, I’m over here freaking the [expletive] out,” she says.
She ends the video with a warning for others. “Just so you know,” Hoff says, “if you eat poppy seeds, you’re gonna test positive for opiates in your blood or your urine. The more you [expletive] know.”
@casseysjourney #obgyn #pregnant #pregnantlife #pregnanttiktok #wtf ♬ original sound – Cassey Hoff
Do Poppy Seeds Cause a Failed Drug Test?
According to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, they can. The agency explains that the seeds don’t contain any morphine, but they can “become coated by, or absorb” opium extract during harvesting.
This morphine can then be detected in a urine sample up to 48 hours after one has consumed it in foods like bagels, muffins, cakes, and more.
Can Expectant Mothers Get in Trouble for This?
It unfortunately has happened before, and is part of the reason these tests remain controversial.
In a 2013 case, a Pennsylvania couple sued a local hospital and agency for seizing their newborn daughter for five days after the mother failed a drug test. The culprit in the case was proven to be a poppy-seed bagel.
According to Pregnancy Justice, pregnant people also report being drug-tested without their consent, with hospitals targeting Black women disproportionately.
The organization also states positive clinical tests do not prove the patient was using a particular substance, as tests can be wrong.
Commenters Criticize Her Wording
In the comment section, viewers focused on her opening sentence, where Hoff says she’s “clearly” not an addict.
“Anyone, regardless of lifestyle or appearance can be an addict,” one commenter wrote.
Another commenter was unsure how she had tested positive. “To be a true positive you would need to have a level of 2,000 ng/mL or higher,” they wrote. “Everything bagel seasoning does contain poppy seeds but a tiny fraction of the mixture so a tiny fraction of a teaspoon. To be over 2,000 you would need to have over 5 TB of raw poppy seeds within 1-3 hours of the test to be over 2,000.”
Here, it’s important to remember that different hospitals use different thresholds for what they consider “positive.”
“This happened to me when I was pregnant. I had Two poppy seed bagels. These things were loaded with them,” responded a viewer. “They had me go back the following morning and it was negative. My doctor watched me eat both of my bagels during my first appointment. People say this can’t happen! Yes it sure as heck can and does.”
The Mary Sue has reached out to Hoff via email for comment.
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