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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To want the NHS or FlowFlex to research why all my LFTs are positive?!

110 replies

LindaBlinda · 01/12/2021 22:11

Because seriously I'm worried that maybe eventually I'll try to travel and it'll be a FlowFlex test and I'll be told I'm positive.

Every single FlowFlex test I take is faintly positive. Pink line. Within the 15 minutes. As the attached photo. The same for the last 3-4 months or however long ago the FlowFlex started being the ones the NHS mailed out.

Any other brand of LFT is 100% negative. If anyone else in my family uses the FlowFlex from the same boxes they get negatives.

I'm mid 30s and double jabbed with Pfizer. I've never knowingly had Covid. And have tested at least twice a week since we were able to have LFTs due to caring for a terminally ill family member.

When the rest of my household were recently infected with Covid I was the only one not to catch it. Luckily I have some boxes of the other LFTs and have in the past month had 3 PCRs as each other household member tested positive. Also had 2 PCRs the past 2 months due to these faint FlowFlex lines.

All been negative.

Please if anyone knows how I can get some information on this or get some advice about it I'd be grateful. As I don't want false positives (which everyone says are totally rare and impossible) to ruin any future freedoms.

If there are trials or something for people in the same boat I'd be very willing to take part. Just want to get to the bottom of it as I'm on my last box of non FlowFlex!

To want the NHS or FlowFlex to research why all my LFTs are positive?!
OP posts:
GreenSeaGlass · 01/12/2021 22:43

You’ve probably had covid and been asymptomatic. You can test positive for a few months after having it. I’m not sure why different tests aren’t picking it up though. The nhs were offering antibody tests recently to see if you’ve had it - might be worth trying that.

LiquidSodaCrystal · 01/12/2021 22:45

It can pick up Covid for up to three months. So it’s possible you had it already as the previous poster said.

ChuckMater · 01/12/2021 22:48

The first week it tested positive did you pcr?

TodaysFishIsTroutALaCreme · 01/12/2021 22:51

My DD gets these faint lines too on at least 50% of tests. Every PCR has been negative. This has been going on for many more months than 3. Pretty much since they started doing the tests for school

RagzReturnsRebooted · 01/12/2021 22:51

Surely if it were due to previous infection, the PCR tests OP took would have been positive as well?

I'd want it looked in to as well, have you contacted anyone? Not sure who you'd contact though.

Vinorosso74 · 01/12/2021 22:56

DD had a faint line on one of these a while ago (twice weekly testing, no symptoms). Did a second and it was negative. Decided she should have a PCR to check, also negative.

Tr1skel1on · 01/12/2021 23:00

I've got a PCR tomorrow having tested positive on these today. I had Covid 5 months ago, am double vaccinated and have done many many negative LFT for work since I had Covid.

I'm fairly certain I don't have it now. I'll report back with my PCR results

Thingsthatgo · 01/12/2021 23:04

I had the same with these tests, faint positive results at 15 minutes, which gets darker if I leave them to 30 minutes. But, Only if I do them first thing in the morning! Later in the day they come back negative... I’ve done a whole bunch of pcrs but they are all negative. I would be really interested to hear if you find anything out. I didn’t ever get a positive with the old style tests either.

Original poster
LindaBlinda · 01/12/2021 23:04

@ChuckMater

The first week it tested positive did you pcr?
Yes absolutely. As soon as I had that line on the first test I did a second to check it wasn't faulty.

Got my husband to do one from the box in case my second was faulty. Reported my LFT as positive, got a PCR and isolated until I got the result. (Negative)

I then switched back to the non FlowFlex tests (which are always negative) but did FlowFlex again occasionally and after a month I repeated the whole "report as positive and isolate until PCR comes back" routine as I had previously.

OP posts:
Original poster
LindaBlinda · 01/12/2021 23:06

@GreenSeaGlass

You’ve probably had covid and been asymptomatic. You can test positive for a few months after having it. I’m not sure why different tests aren’t picking it up though. The nhs were offering antibody tests recently to see if you’ve had it - might be worth trying that.
Thanks. I'll see if I can get one.

Although surely having been vaccinated they should show positive for antibodies anyway?

OP posts:
MakingTheBestOfIt · 01/12/2021 23:06

There was a faulty batch of LFTs in the US that was recalled recently for producing false positives, so positive doesn’t always = Covid virus detected. A ‘manufacturing error’ was cited.

LFTs can be made to return a false result if you put something acidic like fizzy drinks or acidic fruit juice in them. Seems a bit of a stretch, but acid reflux??

Finally, I’m sure I read that snot (sorry!) can also break the tests and cause them to return something that resembles a positive.

I hope you find the cause!

googlage · 01/12/2021 23:08

I’ve just posted a thread - today I’ve had two positive FlowFlexes and two negative other brands!

Fiveletters · 01/12/2021 23:08

I’ve had this for about a month now. It started when my husband had a positive PCR. I did 4 PCRs while he had it - every one was negative. Lateral flows still show a faint positive but his had gone back to negative by day 10. Confused

Original poster
LindaBlinda · 01/12/2021 23:08

@Tr1skel1on - fingers crossed for a negative results for your health's sake. But it's such a frustration.

@Thingsthatgo - I've read online somewhere that others have had similar and they think it could be due to acid reflux? I guess maybe laying down there could be acid in your nose in the morning that isn't there once you've been upright?

Mine are the same any time of day. I'm maybe about more acidy than some people but nothing chronic or in need of medication.

OP posts:
googlage · 01/12/2021 23:09

There are a few threads on here saying the same thing about false positives on FlowFlex if you advance search…

Iggly · 01/12/2021 23:09

So glad to find this thread. The same happened to dd so I’ve stopped using them on her. PCRs all negative.

FawnFrenchieMum · 01/12/2021 23:09

I think the tests only should anti-bodies from actual covid not the vaccines

Original poster
LindaBlinda · 01/12/2021 23:11

@FawnFrenchieMum

I think the tests only should anti-bodies from actual covid not the vaccines
Oh thanks!! I'll maybe see if I can get one in that case.

You'd think it'd need to be active virus in my nose for it to affect these LFTs. And like another poster said my DC and DH used FlowFlex when actually infected and they went from mega dark positives to no second line at all within a week in all of their cases. Whereas mine just stayed this faint second line as they've been for months.

OP posts:
PeachesPumpkin · 01/12/2021 23:12

You can still have false negatives with PCRs. A negative PCR doesn’t 100% rule out having had COVID - my son had COVID last November, PCR was negative but a later blood test confirmed he had COVID.

Original poster
LindaBlinda · 01/12/2021 23:12

@googlage

There are a few threads on here saying the same thing about false positives on FlowFlex if you advance search…
Thanks. I found a couple but not recent ones and often they actually ended up being positive cases starting faint.

Will do another search though as it wasn't today I looked. X

OP posts:
Cookerhood · 01/12/2021 23:13

@FawnFrenchieMum

I think the tests only should anti-bodies from actual covid not the vaccines
No they are either if it is the NHS test. You have to pay for specific ones for infection (n antigen).
my8thMNusername · 01/12/2021 23:13

How weird I just tested positive on some LFTs and my family didn't. And I'm double jabbed with Pfizer. And I had 3 PCRs which were all negative.

How can I tell if it's flow flex brand?

Original poster
LindaBlinda · 01/12/2021 23:17

@my8thMNusername

How weird I just tested positive on some LFTs and my family didn't. And I'm double jabbed with Pfizer. And I had 3 PCRs which were all negative.

How can I tell if it's flow flex brand?

Hah maybe you're me!

FlowFlex are nose only and the box says FlowFlex in big letters on the back and it also says it on the white packets that the test cassette things are in.

OP posts:
rainydogday · 01/12/2021 23:18

My DS tests positive on lfts ever since they started! She is a nurse so is now part of the trial so has pcr regularly as she is unable to use the lfts. However.....since the new flex flow tests have been issued she tests negative on these! So completely the opposite to you. All her PCR tests are negative and her antibody tests we had to have prior to the vaccines way back we negative so she has never knowingly had covid. She is also worried that she will never trust these tests enough to go abroad etc

BungleandGeorge · 01/12/2021 23:19

Have you eaten or drunk anything in the 30 minutes before you take the test?