Hand Sanitizer

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I am new to the California Diversion Program. I am nervous that they make me use hand sanitizer at IOP. Will that make me pop positive for alcohol? They won’t let you in if you don’t use it.

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Specializes in Med/Surg & Psych.

I was super nervous about this in the beginning but after awhile I found myself using it frequently. With everything that's going on I use it alot. I haven't had any issues. I do, however, hold my breath when I use it until it's dry. ?

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Thank you so much! I was wondering how this would work out during pandemic?!? Have a beautiful day!

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Specializes in Med/Surg; Case Management; LTC.

You would need to bath in it for it to pop up as a positive for alcohol. That is EXACTLY what my case worker told me.

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Specializes in general.

that is what I've heard... it would take a lot.

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I’m talking with an employer that will not hire me until she knows if a alcohol free hand sanitizer will kill the Covid. Does anyone know of an alcohol free hand sanitizer that works against the Covid?

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On 7/30/2020 at 10:50 AM, Direct said:

I’m talking with an employer that will not hire me until she knows if a alcohol free hand sanitizer will kill the Covid. Does anyone know of an alcohol free hand sanitizer that works against the Covid?

There’s no need to use alcohol free. When you’re sanitizing your hands, keep them down below your waist and away from your face until it dries. That was straight from my case manager. I just got back from a vacation where I had to sanitize my hands at least every fifteen to twenty minutes (I’m serious, it was a theme park. By the time I’d been there two hours I had so much buildup on my hands it was like wearing gloves). I got tested the day I got home and was negative.

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DO NOT take chances. Years ago I came up with a + result from hand sanitizer after using it for a 12 months +. I know that's what it was cuz I absolutely was not consuming alcohol any other way. They said they believed me cuz the level was so low but if it happened again they wouldn't be so nice.

Ironically at the lab hand sanitizer with alcohol was all they offered. I carried my own alcohol free sanitizer after that.

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
On 7/28/2020 at 6:52 AM, New mommy 26 said:

You would need to bath in it for it to pop up as a positive for alcohol. That is EXACTLY what my case worker told me.

Not true - many people have experienced positive Etg screens with normal use of hand sanitizers. The literature is out there. I have an incidental exposure to alcohol that was an ingredient in PAM cooking spray. Every one has a different metabolism and affinity for alcohol. The suggestion to hold your breath while using is a good one as it is the alcohol vapors that cause the positive for incidental exposer.

hppy

 

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I have been on probation in CA for over two years. I have been employed as a dialysis RN for the past year or so. I care for 30 patients a day roughly and I use hand sanitizer EVERY time I’m in contact with them, which is probably at least 4 times a patient. So, I use hand sanitizer before and after contacting the patient, so that’s roughly 240 times a day I use hand sanitizer. LOL, that’s a lot.....I have never really thought about it. But, I have had 3 peth tests and none of them came back positive. I hope this helps. 

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Specializes in Addiction Medicine, ER, and Psychiatry.

I just went through a little bit of hell with a positive urine r/t hand sanitizer. I had to be tested by PETH and Hair Follicle (both negative) to prove I hadn't fallen off the wagon. It was the most stressful week and a half! There is plenty of research that supports the use of hand sanitizer and positive ETG/ETS in urine drug screens. One white paper is even written by USDTL (it's a bit old, but the research is still valid):

https://www.usdtl.com/wp-content/uploads/whitepapers_etghandsanitizer_fd_010710.pdf

These are scary times for those of us in recovery/rehabilitation programs. We have to be mindful of our own safety, but at what cost? No one is going to care about a positive test, no matter how much we try to convince them we're sober. Stay safe and protect yourself however you feel you need to, but becareful!

 

 

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