help-i'm a student who failed a drug test

gabriella86 · Jan 29, 2009

Did they tell you what it came back positive for?

medicrn16 · Jan 29, 2009

If it is that important to you, then perhaps you could offer to pay for the repeat test at your own expense. That might get their attention. Also, certain foods will cause false positives, i.e. poppy seed muffins/bagels etc. will come back positive for opiates. Fortunately for my friend who had this test done at a prison where she wanted to be a corrections officer (you'd have to be on drugs to do THAT job)...they had to list everything they had to eat and all medications taken for the past 48 hours prior to the test. This saved her butt.

gabriella86 · Jan 29, 2009

If it is that important to you, then perhaps you could offer to pay for the repeat test at your own expense. That might get their attention. Also, certain foods will cause false positives, i.e. poppy seed muffins/bagels etc. will come back positive for opiates. Fortunately for my friend who had this test done at a prison where she wanted to be a corrections officer (you'd have to be on drugs to do THAT job)...they had to list everything they had to eat and all medications taken for the past 48 hours prior to the test. This saved her butt.

That's why I was wondering if they told her what it was positive for. My best friend works for the Y and they do random drug tests and she tested positive and refused to tell her what for. Luckily her boss was friends with people in the office and it all got straightened out.

kcochrane · Jan 30, 2009

I'm not sure if it the wording or what, but you are convinced or you are sure that is was a false positive? Your post just left me with the feeling that there was a chance they you could have had something lingering in the system. Please don't take this wrong, because I have smoked pot and done my share of drinking in my younger days. But this is an important thing to know. Is there any way that you did something in the past that could have showed up or is there NO WAY they could have found something. That will determine your next move.

TessaMae · Jan 30, 2009

Poppy seed bagels do not come back positive for opiates that is a myth. You would have to eat a pound of poppy seeds. I am trained in employee drug testing in MA and if you snort coke, it will be positive...eat a poppy bael for breakfast, it will be negative.

Cilantrophobe · Jan 30, 2009

Also, certain foods will cause false positives, i.e. poppy seed muffins/bagels etc. will come back positive for opiates.

Apparently you've never seen MythBusters. hahaha

medicrn16 · Jan 30, 2009

I apologize for any misinformation I may have put out there. This caused me to do some research...here it goes:

FutureNOVARN, no I have not seen the show MythBusters, however, MythBusters did prove that ingesting poppy seed bages (in the amount of 3) would cause a false positive at the 300ng/mL level in two hours after ingesting and again at 16 hours. Eighteen hours later, the urine came back 'clean'.(http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/mythbusters/quiz/flower/flower.html)

The 300ng/mL level for positive testing has been discouraged by DHHS and recommended change to 2000ng/mL in 1998.

A study presented in the Journal of Forensic Science, MedScape Nurses, National Criminal Justice Reference Service, Institute of Science and Forensic Medicine in Singapore, as well as the Journal of Analytical Toxicology proved that poppy seeds from various locations around the world contain different levels of the chemical compositions of morphine and codeine (http://opioids.com/poppyseeds/urinalysis.html / http://opioids.com/poppyseeds/curries.html / http://www.jatox.com/abstracts/2003/october/449-rohrig.html / http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/publications/Abstract.aspx?id=130200 / http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/562364_15)

Depending on the composition (location of poppy growth), it is quite possible to test positive at the 200-300 ng/mL level, and some at levels even higher. The military does not consider the test positive unless it reaches 4000 ng/mL. These studies were done prior to the change in 1998.

Some laboratories still use the 300ng/mL cut-off for employee testing. Inmates at federal prisons must sign an agreement that they will abstain from eating any foods containing poppy seeds.

Just food for thought. Oh, I can't believe I just said that. :bugeyes:

User123456 · Jan 30, 2009

umm who eats three poppy seed bagles for breakfast? sorry If im being offensive but sounds kinda fishy to me. i have had drug tests for tons of jobs and never a positivie. but usually they dont care what its positive for they just say sorry we arent interested at this time. thats what i have seen from managment with applicants to failed. if it was bagles find a new flavor.

medicrn16 · Jan 30, 2009

Trendy, you are not being offensive at all. I just thought it was interesting. The three servings of poppy bagels was given as an example to NOVARN because I called a bluff. Actually, one of the journal articles I posted (I think it was the one from Singapore, but not sure) did a study with just one serving of a curry dish produced levels high enough to record a false positive.

Nola, I didn't mean to get so off topic, but let us know what you decide to do or what happens. Your circumstance is unfortunate, if indeed you have consumed nothing that would provide a positive result in your drug screening.

BabyLady, BSN, RN · Jan 30, 2009

If it is that important to you, then perhaps you could offer to pay for the repeat test at your own expense. That might get their attention. Also, certain foods will cause false positives, i.e. poppy seed muffins/bagels etc. will come back positive for opiates. Fortunately for my friend who had this test done at a prison where she wanted to be a corrections officer (you'd have to be on drugs to do THAT job)...they had to list everything they had to eat and all medications taken for the past 48 hours prior to the test. This saved her butt.

This is a myth left over from the late 80's or early 90's when drug testing was new.

All major drug testing companies will NOT report a "trace" of any kind back as a positive..it has to hit a certain level before they will report it.

So the old, "Oh, it must have been that poppy seed bagal I had for breakfast the morning of the test"...those days are long gone.

It is imperitive that she get in touch with the drug testing company...she has a LEGAL right to her results and to know what it tested positive for, and to go over these results with her physician.

If you have to, see if an attorney will draft you a letter and send it to them for $50 (most will).

You NEED TO CLEAR YOUR NAME if you are innocent.

Natingale, EdD, RN · Jan 30, 2009

At any rate

I agree with the previous poster who implied that there is still a possibility for a positive

I know for a fact, if I tested positive and I KNOW i am innocent. I will be ranting and raving, throwing desks, and tell them there is NO way in he-- that test should be positive.

to the OP what convinced you that its a false positive? You kind of threw the thread together and expect help, I think they need more information. Getting a retest will help, but depending what its positive for might not show in the urine at this point. When I got hired at my job I had 48 hours to get a drug screen done.