Drug Testing

[carolyn]

Where better to ask than here?!?!

Those of you who know me, know that I smoke. Since this asthma diagnosis in Feb, I have been trying to quit - numerous attempts, with little success. I found a trial study at the Mayo Clinic that would be perfect for me, and maybe even allow me to contribute a tad to society. its quite a commitment, driving 2hrs (each way) once a week. Anyway, I felt it was well worth the commitment and investment.

 

Today was my first visit and I had to do a urine sample. Mind you, other than beer and cigarettes, Im pretty much a goody-two-shoes. So I have never done any drugs. I tested positive for benzodiazepine! THis would be like ativan,muscle relaxers, etc. Im on a lot of inhaled steroids for the asthma and a month or so ago I took some cough syrup with codeine. Their pharmasist doesnt believe any of that could cause a positive result. My pharmasist doesnt believe so , either.

 

So what the fuck? Is someone secretly dropping pills in my drinks? Is there some type of food or herb that might cause this? Could their test be unreliable (this happened to someone else last week, I guess)?

 

Im pissed , perplexed , and disappointed .

I can go back in 30 days and try again. Knowing I dont take drugs and unsure what could cause that result makes me question spending 4 hrs in the car just to get denied again.

 

Anyone else have a problem like this before?

[ams]

Check your pm's.

[catbirdseat]

Benzodiazepines are a class of drugs, not a specific drug. Sounds like they may have used a cheapo test for a class of drugs. It obviously was a false positive.

[carolyn]

Thanks ams. Shit, I dont even know how to do a search for something like this. I keep getting "ways to pass a urine test" on every site I search. I will keep trying since I am so bothered by this.

 

I do think it was a false positive. I am going to try and have one of my dr's order a test here. if it comes out negative, the Mayo clinic needs to know. Though I might not be able to participate in the study, they should know that their tests are unreliable.

 

What I have found is that the drug is usually undetectable within 4-5days. Like I said, other than the numerous inhaled steroids, allergy meds, beer, and nicotine in the past few days - months-years, Im clean. Maybe the combination of the above creates this "class" of drugs. Hmmmpppffff!

[fern]

maybe we should have a CHAT about your drug problem carolyn. you seem to be in denial ...

[Cobra_Commander]

if at first you don't succeed, try, try again

 

[Crux]

Google: benzodiazepenes false positive

 

Benzodiazepines false positive found to occur when subject is being treated with once daily 1200 mg dose of oxaprozin - Daypro, a NSAID approved in 1993 by FDA for once daily Tx of rheumaatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

http://www.clinchem.org/cgi/reprint/41/1/115

 

FWIW: Oxaprozin is contraindicated for persons who have experienced asthma.

http://health.howstuffworks.com/define-oxaprozin.htm

 

Another hit: Fenton and collegues (1980) identified a 6.6 percent false-positve rate for benzodiazepines..."

 

BENZODIAZEPINES -- Examples: Diazepam (Valium), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), flurazepam

(Dalmane), oxazepam (Serax), lorazepam (Ativan), clonazepam (Clonopin).

[archenemy]

Dated any new guys in the last week?

I have a friend who ended up in the hospital one evening last month after having her drink spiked.

[catbirdseat]

GHB, I presume?

[carolyn]

After continued research I DID find out one of my medications causes a false positive. I called the Mayo clinic/research study. They did some searches and came up with some of the same stuff. Soooo, we are going to repeat the test and then they do "olympic" style testing to determine which specific drug is causing the positive result.

The other two people who this happened to are taking the same medication as me.

 

Glad it got figured out and hope I never have to take a drug test for a job - or I will be screwed.

 

And thanks for the offer, fern. I think I will pass this time around - call it denial!

[G-spotter]

GHB, I presume?

 

It's not surprising you know all about date rape drugs.

[snoboy]

Glad it got figured out and hope I never have to take a drug test for a job - or I will be screwed.

 

Except now you have this recorded history with a legitimate clinic that you can bring up...

[carolyn]

no, its a clinical trial. Before taking the test I signed a zillion forms, one of them regarding privacy. I am just a number.

[rsimmons]

snudgey boodgies?

[magellan]

So what the fuck? Is someone secretly dropping pills in my drinks? Is there some type of food or herb that might cause this? Could their test be unreliable (this happened to someone else last week, I guess)?

 

Im pissed, perplexed, and disappointed .

 

You and all the other major league ballplayers.

[Gary_Yngve]

GHB, I presume?

 

Yeah, steer clear of the creeps from Gamma Eta Beta.

[catbirdseat]

GHB, I presume?

 

It's not surprising you know all about date rape drugs.

Dru, drugs are my life and my living.

[JoshK]

FWIW, no positive test for a benzo would get you fired or not hired. It's a giant class of drugs which contains a great number of commonly perscribed medications. Assuming you are legally taking them they can't take issue with it.

 

-josh

[olyclimber]

GHB, I presume?

 

Yeah, steer clear of the creeps from Gamma Eta Beta.

 

Did something happen to you Gary???

[TyClimber]

I've been in the out of competition testing pool for the US olympic comitee the last three years so I have had to learn a lot about drug tests, false positives, etc. Although it sounds like you have already gotten to the bottom of what caused the poz, here is a bit of insight that might help others. False positives are not really the major problem when it comes to drug testing, while they do happen it is usually pretty easy to track down what medication you took that caused the false poz. The FDA is fairly good about figuring that kind of stuff out before they allow it to be sold and you doctor should be able to tell you if something you are taking could cause a false positive on a drug test. As yours seems to have done. The big problem is contaminated supplements, you would be amazed/horrified at some of the shit that can get into seemingly innocous health supplements. I know of several athletes who have been suspended from competition because they were taking a legal supplement which had been contaminated by an illegal substance(by olympic drug testing standards) without their knowledge. Basically, there is no regulation of the supplement industry in the US, so a company can put whatever they want in a supplement and tell you it is something else. Usually this means the supposedly hot new muscle building supplement you just bought is actually a sugar pill. However, where you get in trouble is that many companies process all their supplements on the same machines without properly cleaning them between different batches. So when they are processing the amino acid supplent(legal) you are taking, there are still traces of androsteindione(illegal) on the machinery from the batch of pills they processed before yours. I have also heard of supplement companies using the same machines as those making knock offs of prescription drugs, which could lead to traces of some pretty bad shit being in you vitamins. The only real solution is to do some serious research before you start taking something, call the company talk to them about what products they make in addition to the one you want to take, what their quality control is, if they share their processing machinery with other companies, etc. I know I ended up getting a bit away from the thread here, but I figure it might be useful to someone.

[Dave_Schuldt]

Sketchy shit Ty, thanks for the info.

[G-spotter]

take the red pill

 

Hey catbird why did you think it was GHB and not Rohypnol?

[archenemy]

I've been in the out of competition testing pool for the US olympic comitee the last three years so I have had to learn a lot about drug tests, false positives, etc. Although it sounds like you have already gotten to the bottom of what caused the poz, here is a bit of insight that might help others. False positives are not really the major problem when it comes to drug testing, while they do happen it is usually pretty easy to track down what medication you took that caused the false poz. The FDA is fairly good about figuring that kind of stuff out before they allow it to be sold and you doctor should be able to tell you if something you are taking could cause a false positive on a drug test. As yours seems to have done. The big problem is contaminated supplements, you would be amazed/horrified at some of the shit that can get into seemingly innocous health supplements. I know of several athletes who have been suspended from competition because they were taking a legal supplement which had been contaminated by an illegal substance(by olympic drug testing standards) without their knowledge. Basically, there is no regulation of the supplement industry in the US, so a company can put whatever they want in a supplement and tell you it is something else. Usually this means the supposedly hot new muscle building supplement you just bought is actually a sugar pill. However, where you get in trouble is that many companies process all their supplements on the same machines without properly cleaning them between different batches. So when they are processing the amino acid supplent(legal) you are taking, there are still traces of androsteindione(illegal) on the machinery from the batch of pills they processed before yours. I have also heard of supplement companies using the same machines as those making knock offs of prescription drugs, which could lead to traces of some pretty bad shit being in you vitamins. The only real solution is to do some serious research before you start taking something, call the company talk to them about what products they make in addition to the one you want to take, what their quality control is, if they share their processing machinery with other companies, etc. I know I ended up getting a bit away from the thread here, but I figure it might be useful to someone.

Thanks for this post.

I am curious about the machinery thing. Does this mean that the companies that produce, say, vitamins also produce illegal pills for sale in the US? Or are they producing drugs that are legal overseas? Or are they being produced overseas in the first place?

Are there any companies you know of offhand that are reputable?

Again, thanks for all the info you've shared.