Today I learned Benadryl can throw a false positive for methadone. WTH? I take Benadryl almost every day during allergy season, and even sometimes for sleep.
My question is this: what would happen if I had to submit because of a shortage or something, and I tested positive? Should I just tell them beforehand what I take? Would they maybe use a more specific test? I have no idea how this stuff works.
Oh yes, this stuff is wayyyyyy out of line. These things discourage anything that "is mood or mind altering." Ummmm...okay. that's like dang near everything. Where I live, i am allergic to dang near everything almost year round. My allergy medication of choice is Zyrtec-D. Regular Zyrtec or Claritin of any type doesn't do squat. Guess what. Tough. Can't take it. I get to suffer.
So which would impair me in the workplace more? A whiff of benadryl in my antihistamine or walking around with a headful of snot and sneezing all over the place?
I probably could get a prescription for it but honestly I would rather battle it on my own than take on the idiocy of these programs. The allergies are at their worst when i move to a new area (which I've done a few times because employment with a contract is an ordeal) but tend to get better with time. it will be over some day (699 days)!
OMG, nothing mood altering??? I LOVE Chocolate, totally mood altering for me.... Lucky I am not part of any such program...
You have said a mouthful in few words. Yes lucky for you that you are not in one of these horrible, over-reaching programs that do much, much more harm than good. I pray you never are subject to the whims of off these "helping" professionals
I found something in the participant manual that where it says that they don't support the use of "mood or mind altering substances," where it further states that they do not support the "long term or chronic use of mood-altering medications for psychiatric conditions." Uhhhh....Where that is concerned i don't really care what they do and don't support. if i'd had the proper "mood altering substances" prescribed to me for my bipolar, It's extremely unlikely that I would be here to begin with. i suppose i could go smoke cigarettes until i coughed up tar balls because nicotine is an acceptable "mood-altering substance" to be addicted to. Sorry, i'm nit-picking, i'll stop now....
Specializes in ER, ICU/CCU, Open Heart OR Recovery, Etc.
It depends on which test they would use, which one can't usually find out. If you get tested, make sure you write down somewhere on that collection form that you take Benadryl prn and be absolutely sure to get a copy for your records. If you aren't in a monitoring program I wouldn't worry about it. If you are concerned, go to your doctor and have them write you a script.
You can't retest but when you get tested that's the time to say what you are taking. If there is a false positive you can have your sample tested at a different lab usually at your cost. Always inform human resources if you are taking medicines. This info is if you are not in a monitoring program.
SouthpawRN
337 Posts
OMG, nothing mood altering??? I LOVE Chocolate, totally mood altering for me.... Lucky I am not part of any such program...