Advice needed!! Waiting on drug screen and its been 7 days!!

Nurses Recovery

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Hi there! So, I've been in TPAPN for 6 months and was in EEP before that. I've recently experienced what is called "hot tub rash". I shaved then jumped into the hot tub....ended up with folliculitis and wow! it looked like I had a strange disease. I have been using rubbing alcohol to dry out the pus like blisters and I've been doing this 3 times a day for 2 days prior to being tested for option 3. Now, its been 7 days since that said test and I'm worried its going to be positive because of the rubbing alcohol! I've been sober for 214 days....I am scared to death. Any advice? any recommendations? I did not go to the doctor and the rash is getting better, the blisters are gone, but still red and irritated....I'm just lost as to what to do besides sit and wait for them to kick me out of TPAPN!! :(

Specializes in Critical Care, Oncology.

Congrats on being sober! I think it's possible for the etoh to show up so you might want to either take pictures of the rash, or notify your sponsor/manager just to be on the safe side. If it was 7 days ago wouldn't you have heard if you had failed by now though?

It always takes atleast 7-8 days for results when I test with options 2 or 3. Hopefully you'll get your results soon.

Thanks for replying! I have been taking pics just in case! I wasn't sure if I should wait for the results of contact my CM before, just in case. I'm worried she wouldn't care!

Specializes in Mental Health.

Highly doubt rubbing alcohol from your legs would show up in your urine. Your skin doesn't absorb it and process it. That's silly. I would call the people who manage your screens. In Ohio it's Firstlab. One time I noticed a result wasn't posted for over a week and I called and sure enough they said they were missing the result and I had to fax over my copy of the results to show I actually went.

Specializes in PDN; Burn; Phone triage.
Highly doubt rubbing alcohol from your legs would show up in your urine. Your skin doesn't absorb it and process it. That's silly. I would call the people who manage your screens. In Ohio it's Firstlab. One time I noticed a result wasn't posted for over a week and I called and sure enough they said they were missing the result and I had to fax over my copy of the results to show I actually went.

Although it's probably unlikely, you should google "false positive etg hand sanitizer" and read the studies that have been done.

Update, I'm still waiting on results. I've emailed my CM and told her also. I shaved my bikini area and the area is VERY sensitive, that is why I thought the possibility of it interfering...I guess we'll see. In the meantime, I was chosen to test again today. Thank you all for your feedback!

Specializes in Main O.R. and CVOR.

they can do a peth on you and the results will show you haven't had alcohol in 2 weeks. your body makes certain metabolites when you consume ETOH that rubbing alcohol doesn't. it may cost some money but at least you won't get in trouble.. i really don't think rubbing etoh will cause a + result

Its probably going to be negative.

Rubbing alcohol and alcohol in most beauty products are fine. Its just stuff like SD Alcohol, or ethyl alcohol in hand sanitizers and or aerosols type products that can cause a positive etg. I have a long hx of positive etg without drinking, I get PETH tests now.

Most participants don't have a problem with this false or innocent positive. I rarely here about any one any more have positives compared to when I was in California and they just started using this test in 2005-2006 and any level was considered positive ( most cutoffs are 250 to 500)

Gabby

So what ended up happening?

The test came back positive... Fml. I don't have the strength to fight with TPAPN. Im continuing my journey with sobriety. They're closing my case and sending everything to the BON. Im just heart broken. They tested me 2 times afterwards and of course those tests were negative (#1 and 3 again). I actually feel pretty good with not fighting TPAPN. They're not there to help nurses, understandable. But you'd think after all the work someone puts in to be accepted into the program just to be treated like a criminal. I'm also taking online classes for my real estate license as a back up. Just in case the BON decides to take away my nsg license....

Specializes in ICU.

Tpapn usually gives a second chance. Unless you've used up your second chance, I wouldn't give up on it.

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