Urine testing

jschut, BSN, RN · Apr 10, 2002

They will ask you previous to the test if you are on or have taken any medication. Just tell them what you are on...

Julie:)

Agnus · Apr 10, 2002

Yes, the temperature is checked on unrine.

The name of the herb is goldenseal and no it is not off the market. Sometimes spelled Golden Seal.

The herb has been inappropriately used to "mask" the apperance of illicit drugs on urine drug screens in humans and in race horses. This information is false and originates from a fictional lieracy work the depicts the plant to be useful for hiding opiate ingestion.

It colors the uring a deep yellow. Which makes sense as it is used as a dye. The rhizome from this plant has a brigh yellow color that is popular for staining fabric. Native American used they plant in dying fabirc and thier faces.

Like many plants it has been historically used for many ailments. HOwever this is one of those that has a high risk of toxicity and very little to support it's benificial claims.

Teshiee · Apr 10, 2002

I find that if you state what medications you are taking. And it happens to show up they don't make such a fuss. But when you neglect to put what you are taking then eyebrows raises. I was taking valium. About a 3 months later I had to take an urine screen and it showed up on the test. Thank goodness I still had the bottle in my cabinet because they assume otherwise. Document what you are currently on it will save you a lot of heartache in the end. .

zumalong · Apr 10, 2002

Hi guys--well the anticipation is over. I peed just fine. Unbelievable tho. Here's the scoop---Lock everything you have (purse, wallet, keys) up in this box that was lined with stirofoam (sp.?) Then I had to turn my uniform pockets inside out to make sure I wasn't hiding anything.

Get my cup. Enter BR (alone at least). Pee in cup--had to relieve about 1500cc since I had not gone the whole shift I had just done with the students--so emptied that into bowel. Couldn't flush bowl (thank God it wasn't that time of month) COULDNT WASH MY HANDS. I had to leave the BR with dirty hands--how many people have touched that doorknob without washing????

Then they made me stand there for 4 minutes before they would let me wash my hands. Looking at temp I guess. BUt what my dirty hands had to do with anything--i have no idea. Another 5 minutes of checking my pic on license ( In NY they don't retake your pic every time you renew--so my pic is 9 or 10 years old--but come on I ran into someone from high school who recognized me--that was 20 yrs ago) So anyway this guy looked me up and down (pervert--must be into chubby women they are out there) and I had to tell him my address to see if I was really me. Well we moved a couple years ago--and I did not want to pay the fee to update my address because after all--I would be renewing my license at some time in the future. So I gave new address and he was looking at old address. Hadto promise him my next born child in order to get out of there.

What bothered me the most was that I have worked in this facility for over 10 years--left and am returning after 3 years. I am not a drug addict or criminal. But I did find an interesting site on the internet that blew my mind. Check out http://www.whizzinator.com The lengths (so to speak) people will go through to pass the test are unreal.

Agnus · Apr 10, 2002

The reason you can't flush and can't wash you hands is so you can't dilute your pee.

Many places that do testing turn off the water in the BR and drain the toilet tank.

When they first started testing it was in the military. We had to pee with somebody watching! No kidding. I never had shy kidneys before but got them. Now that I no longer have to be watched I still have shy kidneys. Oh, you usually have a limited time to produce the pee. This doesn't help with my shy kidneys. So I waite until my bladder is about to burst. As a concequence the last time I was tested, after I filled the cup, I started to empty my bladder in the toilet. The tech heard the water running and yelled at me that I was not allowed to run water. I was just peeing! That was the only water running.

If you don't produce the specimen in a certain amount of time you might be tampering with it.

Unfortunately I have been tested a lot. Not under suspicion. Just that I have had a lot of jobs that require it prio to hiring. And the army tested frequently. I have never even been curious about maryjuanna or any other drug let alone even tried or used them. I sometimes feel like the lone ranger in this respect.

OBNURSEHEATHER · Apr 10, 2002

I used to have to watch them pee at the rehab. And the toilet water was blue so they couldn't use it to dilute it.

Heather

TMPaul · Apr 10, 2002

I am a Nurese Practitioner in an Employee Health Office of a medical center in TN and we do pre-employment drug screens. Ultram DOES NOT show up in a drug screen (I've beed collecting for 8 years now).

mario_ragucci · Apr 11, 2002

In the USMC active duty in the 80's, they piss tested complete companies at once. They'd arrive half hour before revile and get you out of the rack and just be in the bathroom already set up. Also, they would piss test everybody on ship when we stopped for liberty. It was always the "meanest" sgts who gave the pis test, and watched you. They wouldn't take any fooling around.

wrightgd · Apr 11, 2002

Most certified labs will do two tests... First an IA (immunoassy), which is like a general "litmus" test to see if anything is triggered. If nothing shows up it is ruled a negative test. If something looks "fishy", then they move on to a more advanced analysis called GC/MS (gas chromatography/mass spectrometry). The GC/MS can detect specific chemical compounds and their concentrations... This allows them to see if you have a legal prescription for Valium, but maybe you are abusing it.... Or maybe you take it as prescribed, and due to hepatic or renal problems, you are not metabolizing the drug as you should... In this case the MRO may request a "Fitness for Duty" evaluation, to verify that you are not indeed under the influence of a legally prescribed medication.

The substances that are tested for depends on the protocol... DOT requires a 9 drug panel, which includes: amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazapines, cocaine metabolites, marijuana, methadone, opiates, phencyclidine, and propoxyphene...

Also, if you test positive, the lab should contact you first!! You are allowed to take Rx drugs, without informing your employer!! This is good old basic medical confidentiality... If you have a legal prescription for the drug found in your system, and offer proof to the lab (not your employer), then the test should be reported as ...NEGATIVE

Hope this helps aleviate any fears...

George

MollyJ · Apr 12, 2002

Here is my favorite web site put up by a toxicology consultant on work place drug testing. It's pretty good:

http://www.drugtestinfo.com/

rnoflabor2000 · Apr 14, 2002

And I still bet they didn't ask what you had been taken. They used to ask before their tests were so accurate, as they are now.

Everytime I was pulled out of the "random testing hat", I would begin to tell them what I have taken and they would say "no need". So OK then, I wouldn't tell them, and I've been on alot of meds. I never got a phone call to verify what I had taken previously.

I heard about some people watching, wouldn't it have been more humane to secure the bathroom, such as blue toilet water etc, that have someone watch you pee. That would really suck. I bet they wouldn't even turn their backs, just look right at that sucker while you try to remain Not-pee shy.

Agnus · Apr 15, 2002

Turning their back would not have been watching. I don't think anyone thought of blue water back then. And They wanted to make sure you didn't slip an outside secimen into the cup.