I have a friend who is in a 5 year monitoring program with 3 Urine etg per month and probably around 2-3 peth a year. She's in a very tough state with a strict monitoring program. She's already past her 2 year mark I believe.
Anyway, she apparently drank 6-7 drinks on a long weekend, and then had a random peth right on the Monday. She already had a peth just recently. The peth came back very low positive, at 24. Below 20 is reported abstinence.
Now, they are making her go to a 96 hour evaluation to determine the next steps. She is saying she ate beef burgundy as to why she has a positive peth. But I think she knows also that the 96 hour evaluation is just a "show" and that they will recommend rehab again. If that happens, she would need to put her job on hold, or more likely lose her current job.
Don't try to mess around here folks! Because if your program has random peth tests, you can't beat that.
Maybe that's what you were told. I had no idea what I could or couldn't take or use when I started. I learned by reading here..
What state are you in? I have never, ever seen a monitoring program agreement (whether it was for SUD or for a mental health issue) that doesn't beat this horse to death. Sounds like your CM dropped the ball, big time. But beyond the common sense aspect, I guarantee you there is verbiage somewhere in your contract that says something along the lines of 'will abstain from all mind altering substances, including alcohol' or something to that effect. My case manager didn't go over mine line by line, but I know that I was responsible for reading it thoroughly and if there was any question at all about what was/wasn't allowed then it was my responsibility to ask and find out. In TN, saying 'I didn't know' was not a valid excuse and even that phrase is written into our contracts.
That being said, the Talbott Medication Guide is a priceless resource. It lists every single drug to avoid, as well as gives alcohol concentrations of common OTC products and cleaners. It's a good place to start if you have any doubts about what meds are safe/not safe in monitoring. It's pretty easy to Google just in case you want it for future reference.
What state are you in? I have never, ever seen a monitoring program agreement (whether it was for SUD or for a mental health issue) that doesn't beat this horse to death. Sounds like your CM dropped the ball, big time. But beyond the common sense aspect, I guarantee you there is verbiage somewhere in your contract that says something along the lines of 'will abstain from all mind altering substances, including alcohol' or something to that effect. My case manager didn't go over mine line by line, but I know that I was responsible for reading it thoroughly and if there was any question at all about what was/wasn't allowed then it was my responsibility to ask and find out. In TN, saying 'I didn't know' was not a valid excuse and even that phrase is written into our contracts.
That being said, the Talbott Medication Guide is a priceless resource. It lists every single drug to avoid, as well as gives alcohol concentrations of common OTC products and cleaners. It's a good place to start if you have any doubts about what meds are safe/not safe in monitoring. It's pretty easy to Google just in case you want it for future reference.
I'm overly cautious. I don't feel comfortable saying where I live in case the powers that be are reading. I don't even take Tylenol. I'm just biding my time. I've never had more than a glass of alcohol so I can't say it's ever been mind altering to any noticeable degree. I've had several case managers and they all seem clueless.
It took me a while to read through all the responses. I must say that I found that ppl on here that don't have SUD are more compassionate to your friends situation that those of us who do which is quite a shame. I have a problem with alcohol. I never drank during work or actually even the day before work but when I did drink I just took it to the next level. My point is that I have to take it one day at a time and can never and will never say I'm going to stay sober for the rest of my life. It's one day at a time. Because that is true recovery and guess what slip ups happen. If I was not a nurse and relapsed I would just have to attend more AA meetings or for my own recovery choose what type of recovery program I wanted to go into but because I'm a nurse and I relapsed I would be punished! And some people on here think that punishment will lead to staying sober?? I disagree with those ppl. I disagree with those people who say your friend should have her license suspended. We are all humans first and nurses second. But the powers at be and some ppl on this thread think differently which is a same. I take my recovery seriously but the monitoring program I hate it. Bc it does not help me in my recovery only adds to my stress and makes me feel down and worthless. As nurses we are tought to "individualize treatment plans" according to a patients need. So just like all patient situations are different....all of us in monitoring have different situations and based on those situations monitoring should be individualized not standardized! For instance how is it beneficial to put a "can't administer narcotics to a patient" for 6 months when the nurse doesn't have a issue with narcotics? Please tell me what the heck is the justification for that? I would understand this restriction on a nurse who had a narcotic abuse disorder but why is this in place for everyone? It makes no sense!
She got EXTREMELY lucky. I was 3 months away from finishing. 5year contract and failed a peth test by one point (21). I had to sign a new 5 year contract in addition to the eval and treatment. So that will be an entire decade total.
Jtc4583, can you please provide some context as we all asked earlier? Did you drink before the peth and how much/how long before the test? Did they even try to ask you why or what did you say after this test? Sounds like an actual nightmare I would have in the last year of monitoring but then I would hope I would be waking up!
Jtc4583, can you please provide some context as we all asked earlier? Did you drink before the peth and how much/how long before the test? Did they even try to ask you why or what did you say after this test? Sounds like an actual nightmare I would have in the last year of monitoring but then I would hope I would be waking up!
Right I would like to know because how they just give another 5 years and no retest
Right I would like to know because how they just give another 5 years and no retest
A hair or nail test should pick anything up. They're have all the power in the world. In California nurses were almost done and they said they had to pass narcotics for 6 months to finish. They can do anything they want. Abuse of power
A hair or nail test should pick anything up. They're have all the power in the world. In California nurses were almost done and they said they had to pass narcotics for 6 months to finish. They can do anything they want. Abuse of power
It won't pick up periodic drinking though - ask me how I know LOL. 1-3 drinks every other week or maybe even more often will not be in a hair/nail etg. Hair/Nail ETG is a long-term test, but it's not very sensitive. It's very difficult to pick up 1-3 drinks on a peth as well; therefore, wondering why JTC4583 had this issue.
It won't pick up periodic drinking though - ask me how I know LOL. 1-3 drinks every other week or maybe even more often will not be in a hair/nail etg. Hair/Nail ETG is a long-term test, but it's not very sensitive. It's very difficult to pick up 1-3 drinks on a peth as well; therefore, wondering why JTC4583 had this issue.
Interesting. You are brave. I have no SUD and they aren't even thinking alcohol use disorder but I avoid anything with alcohol. I want this to be over.
I drank 2 regular 8% beers and 1 5% beer 2 weeks back and also drink 3 24oz beers a week ago. Before that total abstinent for one month. I am giving peth test now after a week of my last drink. I am worried that I will fail the test. Although I finished the drinks very slowly over 5 hours and have a weight of 270 lbs with BMI 34. So my BAC might not exceed 0.05. Any comments? thank you
In our program, it's an automatic 1 year extension if you have any positive drug screens after your first year. It's just not worth it at all. It's not worth the stress to have just a couple of drinks. It's also not worth having to undergo unnecessary treatment, loss of work, and having to be in AA.
DistressedRN
65 Posts
What state are you in? I have never, ever seen a monitoring program agreement (whether it was for SUD or for a mental health issue) that doesn't beat this horse to death. Sounds like your CM dropped the ball, big time. But beyond the common sense aspect, I guarantee you there is verbiage somewhere in your contract that says something along the lines of 'will abstain from all mind altering substances, including alcohol' or something to that effect. My case manager didn't go over mine line by line, but I know that I was responsible for reading it thoroughly and if there was any question at all about what was/wasn't allowed then it was my responsibility to ask and find out. In TN, saying 'I didn't know' was not a valid excuse and even that phrase is written into our contracts.
That being said, the Talbott Medication Guide is a priceless resource. It lists every single drug to avoid, as well as gives alcohol concentrations of common OTC products and cleaners. It's a good place to start if you have any doubts about what meds are safe/not safe in monitoring. It's pretty easy to Google just in case you want it for future reference.