Urine drug test too dilute??!!

[ijuanabhappy]

I have been stressed out all week when I have done nothing wrong. I had a pre-employment urine drug screen on Monday. I have taken plenty of urine drug screens with nursing school and jobs, etc. No problems- ever. I do not do drugs. I take a prescribed anti-anxiety medication but that is it and that is prn-- haven't taken it in over a week or so.

Well I went to the lab around 4pm in the afternoon on Monday. I do drink a lot of bottled water. I must have had too much water that day without realizing it. I also don't recall eating that much on that day. Any way, my specimen came out clear! The lab specimen collector told me that this would probably be rejected on the basis of being "too dilute". This has never happened to me before. But I have to admit, I,too, have never seen my urine so clear!

I still haven't heard from anybody on results or retesting. I have been googling "dilute urine" specimens because this has never happened to me. It seems like people think you tried to fool the test if you drink too much water. I wish I had thought about this and I would have laid off the water!! The next day I called the lab to find out if I needed to retest or was my specimen rejected. They said results were sent to employer but couldn't tell me anything else. I want to check with employer to make sure all is okay because I am supposed to go out of town to training this weekend for this new job... I need to know now if I need to go retest asap. I'm just scared to call employer because I don't want to sound suspicious for something I have not done!

I'm driving myself crazy over this. Will clear urine show a creatinine level? Or if I drank too much water will it result in a failed test? Help, what do I do??!!

[RN6157]

ijuanabhappy said:

If they were able to get a temp on it and didn't have you retest the same day, you should be fine. As I mentioned, I went in right before they closed their drug screenings for the day so they didn't give me that option. Did you go in the morning? Was there any color to your urine (faint yellow) or totally clear? Mine was totally clear which shocked me. I had never seen my urine clear like that! I guess if not testing, we aren't always examining our urine color in the toilet though. Oh, and I took mine at LabCorp. You are probably fine. I would think if anything, they would just call you to come in and retest.

No, I went around 3:30, urine was clear, never seen it that clear either, but yah I dont check the color of my urine, LOL and I always drink a lot of water, I'm athletic so I'm always drinking water.

[StayPositive]

At least I am not alone! I have had two tests come back "too diluted" (which I had to pay an extra forty dollars a piece for) for school. I had a drug test for work right about this time at another lab that was fine. I drank the same amount of water for these tests. I guess I am too jaded, but my first thought is the lab company is making money off this. I have taken many drugs tests for school and work over the years and never had a problem with being told it is "too diluted". The next time, I am drinking NO water until I get to the place. If I have to sit there for hours, so be it. This is crazy.

[WantAccel.BSN, BSN, RN]

Nurse_Diane said:

I just had a pre-employment drug screen, and my urine was very clear as well.

I drank a ton of H2O not knowing I'd have a drug screen that day. It didn't "pass" the quick test, they had to send it to the lab for further testing.

I'm pretty sure they have to send it in due to the dilute specimen. Probably has to go thru a more thorough test. You shouldn't have any worries if you have an RX for your meds. If you don't have an RX, that's a totally different issue altogether.

All the best,

Diane

Hi Diane,

I'm pretty sure this is what happened to me today as well, although I don't know for sure yet. I didn't actually drink that much, but my urine looked very light. Did they make you retest, or were they able to confirm the validity of the test at the lab?

[Nurse ABC]

One would think in this day and age with all our technology we could have a reliable urine drug test whether your urine was too diluted or not. I spent over 8 hrs trying to get my urine test done. We aren't allowed to leave until they have a good sample-they could check and see if your urine is too diluted before they submit it. My first urine was concentrated enough but not enough of it so they made me drink a cup of water and sit there in a waiting room until I had to go again, the next three times too diluted even though I didn't drink any more water after the first time. They were even giving me crackers to help my body absorb the excess water. It took me an hour and a half to even feel like I had to pee again each time. Finally the last time I barely had enough urine and even it was almost too diluted. I argued that if I drank more water to give me a bigger sample then it was going to be more diluted. Crazy! All was fine but I'm not looking foward to doing that again if they ever make me!!!

[SycamoreGuy]

I have a hard time believing any company could have a policy of dilute negative = positive. I don't think that would have any weight legally.

[WantAccel.BSN, BSN, RN]

They sent mine off to the lab, and 3 days later everything was fine. They never did tell me why it had been flagged. It was agonizing! Even though I knew I had done nothing wrong, the whole process certainly made me feel ashamed. It's really a travesty that people have to go through stuff like this. Let's be honest--the whole thing really does nothing in terms of catching the actual hard drug users. It's more of a liability issue, if you ask me..."well, we tested them, so it isn't our fault they were inebriated on the job!"

[otterpopp]

As I try to seek answers, I am one of the unfortunate individuals who had two dilute urine screens and my job offer was rescinded. I don't use drugs!! I don't drink an excessive amount of water, but am a coffee drinker. Each of my tests was taken in the AM (because I am a morning person) and I can only assume that it is a result of the coffee that diluted my urine. I also workout 6 days/week, but certainly not a marathon runner. As a result of this upsetting episode (being dismissed from my first RN opportunity as a new grad) I visited my MD today and had a full kidney panel and 10-drug urine screen done on my own dime. It is my intention to appeal the drug screen and will take this further if necessary by seeking legal representation. Not for the sake of being hired by this company, but as an advocate for the next person who will be falsely accused as I feel I am.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

otterpopp said:

As I try to seek answers, I am one of the unfortunate individuals who had two dilute urine screens and my job offer was rescinded. I don't use drugs!! I don't drink an excessive amount of water, but am a coffee drinker. Each of my tests was taken in the AM (because I am a morning person) and I can only assume that it is a result of the coffee that diluted my urine. I also workout 6 days/week, but certainly not a marathon runner. As a result of this upsetting episode (being dismissed from my first RN opportunity as a new grad) I visited my MD today and had a full kidney panel and 10-drug urine screen done on my own dime. It is my intention to appeal the drug screen and will take this further if necessary by seeking legal representation. Not for the sake of being hired by this company, but as an advocate for the next person who will be falsely accused as I feel I am.

Dilute urines are often viewed with suspicion...and in many cases, understandably so, because too many people who know they're going to pop positive have tried to circumvent the test. So now they flag these results. Some places automatically treat dilute urine as a positive; others will give the tester a second chance.

Fair? If you're not using drugs, not really. But it is what it is.

I honestly don't know if a lawyer will do you much good, otterpopp, as employers do have the right to hire--or not hire--someone based on their own criteria for drug screens. But I do wish you luck--I'd like to be proven wrong in this case.

[charliebear1]

Sycamore Guy there are two employers that I know of that consider dilute negative- as a positive. Baylor Scott and White, and Kaiser.. I know several nurses not hired by either one of these because of two dilute negative tests. They drink a lot of water like I do, drink healthy juices for breakfast, and eat healthy as well as exercise. They drank their usual water for the morning and tested dilute negative..they were told to retest, but they were never told not to drink a lot of water, and not told to make sure they eat. Second was also dilute negative because they didn't have anything to hide, and didn't alter their routine. They lost their job offer, and the other lost her job

[Wildhoneysuckle]

I did a drug test for the first time today and they didn't ask me to stay if it was diluted wouldn't they have asked me to stay

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

Wildhoneysuckle said:

I did a drug test for the first time today and they didn't ask me to stay if it was diluted wouldn't they have asked me to stay

They won't necessarily know it's dilute until they run a specific gravity on it.