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

[chloe79]

i was just informed that i failed my school (new orleans area) drug test-- i'm convinced that it was a false positive but the school will not allow a retest. i'm really upset and freaking out. has anyone been through this? what is the process with the state board of nursing? any info is appreciated. thanks

[BabyLady, BSN, RN]

Here is a source for you by the SAMHSA...this is a government organization that certifies drug testing labs and creates the standards for testing.

http://www.workplace.samhsa.gov/DrugTesting/DTesting.aspx

The biggest piece of information that you can find on the website is that any urine/blood/hair that tests positive is REQUIRED to be tested again using the same sample (obviously, not all of the original sample provided is used for testing).

So before they report it positive, it essentially has already been tested twice.

[shrimpchips, LPN]

umm who eats three poppy seed bagles for breakfast?

True, but eating a poppy seed roll like this:

It's possible (those rolls are delicious :redbeathe)

....now THAT'S a lot of poppy seeds!

[User123456]

True, but eating a poppy seed roll like this:

It's possible (those rolls are delicious :redbeathe)

....now THAT'S a lot of poppy seeds!

heehee get those away from me!! YUMMY!!!!

[chloe79]

ok, i never said it was poppy seeds! i'd rather not get into details bc it's not 'case closed' yet but i can say that the level was 50ng/ml (which, from my understanding, is very low). i appreciate the responses but i'm really just looking for feedback from someone who was been through this...i'm interested to know what the process is with the LSBN and how long it takes. thanks.

[talaxandra]

from wikipedia

false positive drug tests

although the drug opium is produced by "milking" latex from the unripe fruits ("seed pods") rather than from the seeds, all parts of the plant can contain or carry the opium alkaloids, especially morphine andr codeine. this means that eating foods (e.g. muffins) that contain poppy seeds can result in a false positive for opiates in a drug test.

this was considered "confirmed" by the presenters of the television program imythbusters. one participant, adam savage, who ate an entire loaf of poppy seed cake, tested positive for opiates just half an hour later. a second participant, jamie hyneman, who ate three poppy seed bagels, first tested positive two hours after eating. both tested positive for the remainder of the day, but were clean eighteen hours later. the show brainiac: science abuse also did experiments where a priest ate several poppy seed bagels and gave a sample, which also resulted in a false positive.

the results of this experiment are inconclusive, because a test was used with an opiate cutoff level of 300 ng/ml instead of the current samha recommended cutoff level used in the nida 5 test, which was raised from 300 ng/ml to 2,000 ng/ml in 1998 in order to avoid false positives from poppy seeds.[5] however, according to an article published in the medical science law journal, after ingesting "a curry meal or two containing various amounts of washed seeds" where total morphine levels were in the range 58.4 to 62.2 µg/g seeds, the urinary morphine levels were found to range as high as 1.27 µg/ml (1,270 ng/ml) urine .[6] another article in the journal of forensic science reports that concentration of morphine in some batches of seeds may be as high as 251 µg/g.[7] in both studies codeine was also present in the seeds in smaller concentrations. therefore it is possible to cross the current standard 2,000 ng/ml liit of detection, depending on seed potency and quantity ingested. some toxicology labs still continue to use a cutoff level of 300 ng/ml.[8]

the sale of poppy seeds from papaver somniferum is banned in singapore due to the morphine content. poppy seeds are also banned in saudi arabia due to various religious and drug control reasons.[9]]

the mythbusters episode was filmed in 2003.

the chances of you getting a false positive depends on the quality of the laboratory that does the testing. there seems to be about 1,200 of these labs in the united states currently testing for drugs. less than a 100 of these meet federal standards and most of the individual states do not regulate drug test labs. the number of false positives returned range from 4% to over 50%, depending on the lab. source

substances that cause false positives [not just for amphetamines]

accutrim

advil

afrin

aleve

allerest

amfepramone

amifepramone

amineptine

amoxicillin - false positives for cocaine

ampicillin

ampicin

anti-anxiety pills - many will test positive for benzodiazepines

antibiotics - false positives on heroin tests

asthma medications (marax, bronkaid tablets, primatine tablets)

b2 vitamin

benzphetamine

blue lettuce

bronkaid tablets

california poppy

cathne

chloropromazine

clobenzorex

contac

contact

cough medicines - see if any ingredients are on this list

cough suppressants with dextromethorphan (dxm)

cylert

demerol

deprenyl

desoxyephedrine

dexatrim

dexdenfluramine

dexedrine

dexfenfluramine

dextroamphetamine

dextromethorophan

diabetes

diazepam (generic name for valium)

diazepam false positives for pcp

didrex

dilantin

dimetapp

dristan nasal spray

dronabinol (marinol)

elavil - false positives for opiates for up to three days

eldepryl

emprin

ephedra (ma haung)

ephedrine

ephedrine based compounds

etafediabe

excedrin ib

famprofazone

fenelylline

fenfluramine

fenproyorex

fioricet and derivatives

fiorinal

fluspirilene

hempseed oil

hydroymethamphetamine

ibuprofen - false positives for marijuana

ketoprofen

kidney disease

kidney infection

lettuce - both prickly and blue

liver disease

liver infection

lodine

lortab - an opioid analgesic

ma huang

marax

matilija poppy

mefenorex

menstrual cramp medications like midol and trendar

mephentermine

mesocarb

methoxyphenamine

methphenidate

midol

mini-thins

morazone

mormon tea

most prescription pain medications

motrin

naproxen

nasal decongestants - false positives for amphetamines

neosynephren

nuprin

nyquil

nyquil nighttime cold medicine - false positives for methadone up to 2 days

orudis kt

otc diet aids with phenylpropanolamine (dexatrim, accutrim)

over-the-counter nasal sprays (vicks inhaler, afrin)

pamprin

pemoline

percocet

percodan

percovil

phendimetrazine

phenegan-d

phenergan

phenmetrazine

phenobarbital

phentermine

phenylephrine

phenylpropanolamine

pholedrine

pnenypropanolamine

poppy seeds

prescription sleeping pills

prickly lettuce

prickly poppy

primatene-m containing perylamine

primatine tablets

promethazine

promethegan

propanolamine

propylephedrine

pseudo ephedrine

pseudoephedrine

quinine water - false positives for opiates

red poppy

redux

riboflavin

ritalin

robitussin cold and flu

selegiline

sudafed

tavist-d

telectin

tonic water

trendar

tylenol sinus

tylenol with codeine

valium

vicks formula 44m containing dextromethorphan

vicks inhaler

vicks nasal spray

vicks nyquil

vitamin b2

wygesic source

for other things that can cause false positives, see here.

for advice of what to do, see here.

the wild eyed claim that a third of all people accused of drug use will be innocent is not so ridiculous after all." source

[truern]

When I drug tested for my job I had to list all medications I was on so they'd know if I tested positive that one of them could be the culprit.

For the record: that was the one moment in my life when I *knew* what a criminal must feel like. Having to leave all belongings on the bathroom sink and pee in a cup with someone right outside the stall was embarrassing to say the least. :imbar

[truern]

Is anybody else picturing their TEETH after eating that?!?

[PEBBLES1]

It really depends on what you tested positive for. Did you watch them seal it infront of you, if not than you may have a case. If you tested positive for drugs no, however, if you have tested positive for Xanax or codeine as long as you have a script or the bottle with your name on it then you should be ok.

[BabyLady, BSN, RN]

Not all drug companies ask for the medication list up front, in fact MOST don't...this is to protect you with regards to HIPAA because even if you are taking a drug and have a valid prescription and the drug may show up on a drug test..if you take it PRN and haven't taken it in a long time, then most likely you my or may not test positive.

I have lost count on the drug tests I have been asked to take...I have never, ever been asked what my diet was or what I have eaten..

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

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.

Well, I had a very good friend test positive for eating poppy seed cake. It was loaded with them, but it was certainly positive for opioids. It was so cute, too, because her bewilderment was so ingenuous.

She re-tested after a few days of no poppy seeds and came up clean.

[Bortaz, MSN, RN]

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)..

Hey now, I did that job for 15 years, all drug free.

[Divemaster]

LOL.. I think there are some jobs where you gotta eat "poppy seed cake" just to go in.

(This is a joke..I don't condone the consumption of seeds...lol)