False positive/postive confirmed??

Nurses Recovery

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Hey all,

I’m in a monitoring program in Ohio and have read the horror stories of the dreaded false postives. Luckily I haven’t experienced anything until this month. I was recently put on adipex for weight loss which was reported to my monitor and can show on a screen as an amphetamine. I had a positive confirmed show up on my Uds from earlier this month. I immediately called the testing company and my monitor. Not surprisingly the only person I can get ahold of is the testing company who can’t release any results to me. Now over a week later I still have no clue what’s going on after multiple calls and email sorry to my monitor. Anyone have any advice or personal experience?

1 Votes

I had a postive for thc shortly after starting the monitoring. It wasnt false positive it was residual slowly coming out of my system. Since it had been months since id used i was freaking out thinking it was false positive. I called my case manager and she explained that they could tell that it was residual and thats why they didnt immediately call me. I would think that since you informed them of your meds there is probably a way the MRO can review it and determine that it was your medication. I was told they then make a note that its not true positive but it stays as a postive test on the testing results. I think you will be fine and maybe they are just not too worried about it because they know what it is. Hopefully you can get ahold of your monitor soon though because sometimes it feels like they dont care that we are freaking out...not because we did anything wrong...but that we have no control or information and our career is at stake.

4 Votes
21 minutes ago, Rdsrn said:

I had a postive for thc shortly after starting the monitoring. It wasnt false positive it was residual slowly coming out of my system. Since it had been months since id used i was freaking out thinking it was false positive. I called my case manager and she explained that they could tell that it was residual and thats why they didnt immediately call me. I would think that since you informed them of your meds there is probably a way the MRO can review it and determine that it was your medication. I was told they then make a note that its not true positive but it stays as a postive test on the testing results. I think you will be fine and maybe they are just not too worried about it because they know what it is. Hopefully you can get ahold of your monitor soon though because sometimes it feels like they dont care that we are freaking out...not because we did anything wrong...but that we have no control or information and our career is at stake.

Exactly

i send a monthly report of my screens to my employer and I cannot send her a report with a positive confirmed and no way of showing her what it is positive for. It’s crazy that we have no access to our own information!

1 Votes

I am in Ohio as well and had a positive for meds that were prescribed right around the holidays for pneumonia. My monitor didn't bother to review what I had sent her from being put on those medications... I was selected for testing, positive. Called again few days later and was still positive. It was a freaking nightmare. I cried for two weeks straight, guilty until proven innocent. For sudafed... I sat up reading what can cause false positives for hours. Tonic water-cocaine. Tylenol- crack or something else crazy. sedated-meth and booze.

She accused me politely of using through a three sentence email. I begged her to review the med paperwork that had been sent. She wouldn't acknowledge that she even looked at it.

I reached out to first source and faxed them the paperwork from the doctor. They had scheduled a 50$ MRO call and when he looked at the paperwork he cancelled it. Refunded the money and everything. Im not even sure if I was supposed to do that.

Monitors response? "Nothing further is needed"

I hate this program, I hate myself for putting my career into this situation, I hate the accusations and feeling like a complete lowlife. We are treated like subhuman waste.

Moral of this story. Copy everything. Save emails. Never expect that there will be follow through or someone will lookout for you. If/when that happens be prepared to be amazed.

7 Votes

I initiated my mro today and I’m just waiting. My monitor has to approve it before they can call me. This is a nightmare, I am making myself sick worrying, feeling crazy trying to get ahold of anyone. My monitor has yet to even acknowledge the postive screen even though first source has sent him all of my documentation. My only response was a short three sentence email as well that my paperwork from my MD per usual was not sent in the right way.

2 Votes

I am so sorry. Its just awful. Those monitoring agents have so many people to look after, they quit frequently, and are just burnt the h@#* out. I imagine if they show an ounce of compassion or understanding their parolees (ie nurses) would latch on like white on rice.

Living through this has taught me one thing, this is not the way. Its all they have now I understand that but its wrong. Im six months into a two year sentence. Three years to get to my case. One year to find a job. Six years in the end. I still wish I would have just walked away.

I know the anxiety and sick feeling your having right now. Can you call the lab and have the paperwork you sent given to the doc? I think the one who was going to call me is the one listed on the paperwork we submit. Him having that ahead helped so much. He just cancelled the whole thing seeing that the positive was from medications that were prescribed to me.

2 Votes

I’ve had everything sent over to the lab. Actually the liaison through the lab is the only person I can get ahold of and she told me it was up to my monitor to give me my results unless I initiated the mro. Now I’m just waiting on my monitor to give permission for it. Ugh! She said their docs call immediately it’s waiting on monitors response.

1 Votes

I experienced the same. She was quick, compassionate, and actually helpful. She has also been the same go to person from day one (AMAZING!). I am grateful for that continuity.

3 Votes

I agree! my only saving grace throughout this whole process and I have EAP assigned to me through work, who is basically another board monitor. I appreciate all your insight, this is such a terrifying process and it’s nice to hear from people going through the same things

2 Votes

Seems like they could find a way to weed out false positives via medication. I don't like IPN, but the times that I've been sick, they did refrain from calling me to test until I had completed the course of prescribed medication and the last dose was out of my system.

This situation should be no different from the folks who are on Suboxone. My friend who is on Suboxone recently popped positive for Opiates. Usually they know she's on it and she doesn't. But, this time it showed up as a positive. It scared her to death and ultimately they found out that she'd been selected for a test that doesn't differentiate.

They must have a way to program those selections into Affinity, or whomever your monitor is. IF the case manager pays attention to your quarterly reports, that is.

2 Votes
Specializes in ER, ICU/CCU, Open Heart OR Recovery, Etc.
11 hours ago, berdeenbird said:

Moral of this story. Copy everything. Save emails. Never expect that there will be follow through or someone will lookout for you. If/when that happens be prepared to be amazed. (Berdeenbird)

And if you DIDN'T use, don't admit to it. Never. Stick to your guns, save your emails in a special place, copy everything, save it all in a special file. Also, if you have conversations or other correspondence with your case manager on an online site like Affinity, find a way to copy all that into a separate file in case it disappears. Been there, done that, have many t shirts.

2 Votes
Specializes in ER, ICU/CCU, Open Heart OR Recovery, Etc.

When I was in monitoring, I had a false positive for alcohol. I had not used and had not picked up a drink. It was in the last month of my contract. To make a long story short, they dragged it out, thinking that I'd "confess". I didn't, and kept on them. They did an ETG, which allegedly came out positive. I called the program director, demanded to see the lab report, and demanded to know what was going to happen with my case since I was at the end of my contract. Within a very short time, the director emailed me back, telling me the ETG was NEGATIVE and that I would be discharged that day, having successfully completed the program! I got copies of the labs, that urine alcohol and that ETG. I got copies of everything. It turned out the case manager did not know how to read test results. It was obvious. That's why I said what I said in my previous comment about holding the course, not giving up, not confessing to something you didn't do, keeping records of conversations/emails/everything, and not being surprised when someone tries to jack you around. Be pushy, keep being pushy, ask questions and demand straight answers.

6 Votes
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