Failed a Urine Drug Test. Need help.

March 24, 2021, 02:13 PM

Mustang-PaPa

Haven't knowingly eaten any poppy seeds on anything.
Eat at home mostly with some fast food burgers or chicken. Sonic. Chick-fila type things.

Thinking of calling my reg doc and asking about getting tested locally/today. Did the second required test at the pain mng doc today.

March 24, 2021, 02:16 PM

1s1k

quote:
Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
That sounds like some really shoddy chain of custody standards there.

I'm routinely getting drug tested randomly for work, and the drug tester is always very particular in how the sample is handled. Furthermore, I never let the sample out of my sight until it is sealed and labeled properly along with my initials on the bottle.

They need to tidy up that shit PDQ.

I agree. Something like this could cost someone their job or custody of a child. That stuff should be locked down tight.

March 24, 2021, 02:22 PM

jcsabolt2

My MIL use to administer these types of tests. Demand a hair follicle test too. They take a few hairs out and it will expose drug use going back like six months. Also request that they pull blood for good measure.

Assuming all you are saying is true, you shouldn't have anything to worry about. However, I would prefer to actively manage the situation instead of sitting back and hoping they do their job. Good luck!

March 24, 2021, 02:28 PM

Skins2881

I got fired from a job for failing a piss test. I assured them it was a mistake and that I would immediately take another test. Nope, fired on the spot and escorted out of the building.

March 24, 2021, 02:29 PM

12131

quote:
I resubmitted another urine sample today and i have been going to this same pain management doc for many years and several years ago when putting my urine sample in the cabbie hole other patients samples were in the same area and the thought crossed my mind that if someone followed me in testing two weeks ago and knew they were dirty could have taken my sample and poured it in theirs then filled mine with the dirty sample. So when i submitted todays sample i exited the restroom and went around the corner and asked them to take custody of my sample and gave the previous concerns and of course the nurses got horsey with me and said they sometimes get busy and don't Always get them out before another sample gets placed which breaks every chain of command rule for testing.

Man, this is totally messed up. I would request your doc send you to a testing site that is much more secure than this dog and pony show. After you pee, you just let your sample there in some "cabbie hole"? You don't hand your sample directly to the tester immediately after exiting the restroom?
It's been years since I was MRO, but I'm still at the same clinic that does drug testing beside other medical services. The drug testing room is very secure. The whole collecting process is very secure. You come out of the restroom and give your sample to the collector/tester standing right there, and the entire process happens with the sample finally in the bag with paperwork and into a secure closet. One testee one tester. You don't go on to the next one until you're done with the current one. Unauthorized personnel not allowed.

March 24, 2021, 02:32 PM

Mustang-PaPa

I had thought about the hair follicle test as I knew it went much farther back in history.

Again I have not knowingly taken any Codeine in any form or taken anything that isn't prescribed to me. I have no idea what is happening.
I AM opiate dependent from being prescribed them and failure of these test will mean that they will stop treating me.

The way they have cracked down on opiate users through pain mng will make it really hard to start with another pain management doc.

March 24, 2021, 02:33 PM

smschulz

So what's wrong with Codeine anyway?
Isn't in cough syrup or something?
Glad I went self employment years ago rather than put up with the utter nonsense of HR departments.

March 24, 2021, 02:42 PM

Mustang-PaPa

quote:
Originally posted by 12131:
Man, this is totally messed up. I would request your doc send you to a testing site that is much more secure than this dog and pony show. After you pee, you just let your sample there in some "cabbie hole"? You don't hand your sample directly to the tester immediately after exiting the restroom?
It's been years since I was MRO, but I'm still at the same clinic that does drug testing beside other medical services. The drug testing room is very secure. The whole collecting process is very secure. You come out of the restroom and give your sample to the collector/tester standing right there, and the entire process happens with the sample finally in the bag with paperwork and into a secure closet. One testee one tester. You don't go on to the next one until you're done with the current one. Unauthorized personnel not allowed.

Yes this places sample control is nothing like any drug testing company's I have dealt with when testing for job employment. Its always like you say, real controlled. My wife has always worked higher up HR for very large company's and knows testing.
Most places always observed the sample taking from a short distance if I remember correctly.
Hell while I was filling the cup today a nurse opened the door I guess to get someone else in for testing.

Again the witches were all defensive and shitty when I asked that my sample be pulled from the cubby hole today.

Something weird has happened or someone screwed up or my sample was stolen.

March 24, 2021, 02:44 PM

Mustang-PaPa

quote:
Originally posted by smschulz:
So what's wrong with Codeine anyway?
Isn't in cough syrup or something?
Glad I went self employment years ago rather than put up with the utter nonsense of HR departments.

This isn't job related, again its a condition of being treated/seen by the pain management company.

March 24, 2021, 02:51 PM

Skull Leader

So what about all the other drugs that you take? Were they found in your urine? I would think that if someone switched the samples then the "fingerprint", per say, would be wrong.

Or was the only thing out of the ordinary the codeine? Did the doc even look at the other things found?

March 24, 2021, 03:34 PM

Mustang-PaPa

Good question, the list is 8-10 long of things they test for.

I called my primary care doc to see what they say and if I should test through another source.

Was told that by my taking hydrocodone that I would test positive for Codeine.

But its never been a problem before and I am taking what is prescribed only.

The testing company is Quest Diagnostics which is if I remember correctly they have always been the company processing the samples.

March 24, 2021, 03:44 PM

12131

Mike, check your email for my explanation.

You PCP I don't think is aware that hydrocodone is metabolized to dihydrocodeine and not to codeine. The machine detects codeine, not dihydrocodeine.

March 24, 2021, 07:19 PM

Mustang-PaPa

Thanks Q for all your help, Its clearer to me now.

No more putting sample in the cubby hole, as I did today its going from my hands to the tech to be sealed and bagged.

The little helpers can tell me how busy they are and cop that tude all they want but I have all day to hand it off to them.

I'm doing what's required of me and using prescribed drugs as advised. Something on their end is wrong, but that won't make a difference if it continues to happen. Lucky I guess that I'm allowed to retest, gonna be hard to pay my part for the first false test.

March 24, 2021, 08:15 PM

Sigfest

Most pain Docs I knew had a 1 time fail policy. But don’t fail it again. Second time you’re out.

March 24, 2021, 08:46 PM

Sigfest

Mike— I’m curious what you meant in your last line in the post above.—- hard to pay your part of failed first test. IIRC, Quest bills something ridiculous for their urine drug testing. Like $1K for the testing. What do you have to pay? Medicare will usually set the limit of what they will collect. Not what they charge, what they collect. Hopefully the Dr and lab are preferred providers by your ins. Not OON.

March 24, 2021, 10:40 PM

john crusher

I've been on The same meds for pain management as you for 20+ years.
I am tested randomly by the VA every year before they do my annual refill and have tested + for Codeine.
My Doc told me that taking the 10/325s for so many years there is a residual level that will pop up as a false positive and if and when it has happened I had a blood draw done, that was that.
Because your liver retains the meds and release the excess when they want/need, your blood is always cleaning.
That is why they do a blood test to see if your liver is O.K. because of the high probability the Acetaminophen at sustained levels can hurt your Liver.
That's why Motrin is bad ju ju.

March 24, 2021, 10:56 PM

Mustang-PaPa

quote:
Originally posted by Sigfest:
Mike— I’m curious what you meant in your last line in the post above.—- hard to pay your part of failed first test. IIRC, Quest .

Wife pays the bills and knows what our part of the cost is. Its stupid high and always pisses me off. I would ask but its been a very long day already and she is still hard at it working.

Im just still sick about it. Just keep thinking if it wasn't a chain of custody issue then the results are going to be the same as last time as i am taking all the same meds that i was taking last time i took the same test and none are Codeine.

March 25, 2021, 09:54 AM

selogic

Sounds like you need to go ahead and get that knee fixed .

March 25, 2021, 09:59 AM

RogueJSK

Yeah, sounds like it's time to bite the bullet and fix the knee. I'm heading in that same direction, and will be needing a knee replacement at some point in the coming decades.

But the good news is that knee replacements have come a long way recently, and are reportedly much improved compared to even just a few years ago. There are also some cool new options with stuff like synthetic cartilage or lab-grown cartilage implants.