I hope someone can help me on this. I have been reading through the threads related to this, but I'm just looking for more.
I was just denied a job at an agency because they said I tested positive for COCAINE! I don't use cocaine and have never abuse any drug! When I called and asked for the results they said my level was 202 and the cutoff level is 150.
Currently, I am not working as I left my last job voluntarily (I broke my ribs in March and was unable to continue doing lifting). No, I am not on narcotics.
I don't know how this is happening. A few days prior to this, I was cleaning out my sister's apartment who is addicted to meth and is currently in jail. She got evicted and it was up to my family to get her stuff out! And now, somehow I tested positive.
The agency of course said they are reporting it to the BON. I'm scared and not knowing what is going to happen. I'm in MN so I believe they have to offer you counseling and another chance, but what if I don't have a substance abuse problem and have never had one in my life. It's been a few days and I haven't heard anything from the BON, but from reading on here it says it can take a few months or longer.
I am currently interviewing for other positions (IRTS mental health facility, allergy clinic, telephone case management, and planned parenthood). I am completely at a loss and don't know what to do or even say because I'm sure that the BON is not going to believe anything that I have to say. HELP!
Get a job in the meantime so you will have money for a lawyer and, as has been mentioned, get a hair follicle test. It would not be from coming in contact with meth at your sisters' house, did sis use cocaine as well? I noticed you did not state never using drugs, you stated you do not abuse any drugs which reads as if you use but do not abuse. Did you intend to say you don't use any drugs as I am guessing? They report street drugs but I should think you could do repeat drug test and get yourself cleared before going into diversion. Had a friend who was taking Effexor and tested false positive for PCP but they just had her bring her Effexor as this is a known false positive. I cannot think of anything off hand which would produce a false + for cocaine. it sure would not be meth, totally different drugs. Best of luck to you!
Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
First of all Neats, it's not fair for you to days that I'm superficial. I'm more trying to think that of course the BON is probably not going to believe me. I'm sure they have heard every excuse in the book before. I'm not an addict and I don't use drugs. I was simply making the comment wondering if it would just be easier. I have no idea how this works nor did I have any idea about the cost.
Tell the truth and you don't have to worry who believes you. Copping to something you didn't do in hopes of making things simpler ALWAYS backfires. You've been given good advice. Either there's something you're not telling us or you're going to torpedo your career when you don't need to.
Specializes in ED, Cardiac-step down, tele, med surg.
Can't you get a confirmation test? I take a medication that gives a false positive for PCP on some drug screens, but the confirmation test is always negative. It's happened twice. My test always comes back negative with more precise testing. I can't not take a medication I've been prescribed. Some over the counter meds can cause this too.
Thank you LisaCar for all of your help. So my plan is to get a hair follicle test this week and I will definitely be calling an attorney to at least get an estimate of prices.
It looks like this hair test might cost me $650 too! But I would rather pay $650 than lose my career.
The only thing I left out is that I take Ativan a few times a week for anxiety and sleep. It's is prescribed by my psychiatrist who I see every 2 months. This last season I had a huge burst of allegies and some major breathing problems which resulted in prednisone, Advair, Zyrtec and Singulair.
I have never taken Ativan during the day. And it has never been a problem for me. I'm in therapy a few times a month because I was involved in an abusive relationship awhile ago. I'm sure a few of you are going to jump all over the fact that I take Ativan, but there are millions of people in the world who have mental illness and take medications INCLUDING nurses. I have worked in mental health for 14 years and many people that I worked with suffered from their own mental illness. Stop the stigma.
I agree with many of the comments here - if you are not on drugs fight tooth and nail / why would you offer to go into the program / etc.
I HAVE to say this --- part of that program will be to admit to your problem. "Admitting your problem is the first step to recovery." Just getting out of that program literally means that you have admitted to having a problem. Get it?
Can't you get a confirmation test? I take a medication that gives a false positive for PCP on some drug screens, but the confirmation test is always negative. It's happened twice. My test always comes back negative with more precise testing. I can't not take a medication I've been prescribed. Some over the counter meds can cause this too.
This is what Im curious about. I wonder if they just did the simple mass test or if they then sent the sample out for confirmation gas spectrometry testing.
That happened to me when I was taking Ranitidine/Zantac 150 mg, it was giving a false positive for methamphetamine in my urine event though I stopped the drug for one year already. There's so many over the counter medicines or non narcotics medicines that will make a false positive result for urine dip drug screen. What they usually do with my urine, they will send it out to the lab for further testing and it will always turns out negative. But with urine dip test, my urine will always test positive. I guess, even with non narcotic medicines, the manufacturer or the drug companies will put some form of narcotic derivatives into the medicines to be more strong and highly effective. Although Ranitidine was highly effective medicine with my GERD but I have to stop it because of that. And even while taking some food products, sometimes it will make false positive urine drug screen probably of some chemicals or narcotic derivatives that is mixed with it that turns false positive readings. I guess, hair follicle samples are more accurate way of doing drug screen because by the time it goes to the hair sample, the narcotic derivatives that they put into the food and medicines will have a weak reaction already as it travels to our body then to the hair. Just like Coke, it's an open and trade secret that a form of coca derivatives that is a part of it's ingredients so it's addictive to some people to drink coke all the time.
I copied this excerpt from an article I recently read.
"Laboratory slip-ups are to blame for many of the mistaken test results. But even perfect labs running perfect tests will also find many false positives.
False positives are caused by:
* Nasal decongestants such as Dristan, Neosynephren, V
icks Nasal Spray, and Sudafed, which cause false positives for amphetamines.
* Poppy seeds like those on a dinner roll, which cause false positives for opiates. Even the highest-quality test currently available, the GCMS test, still confuses poppy seeds with heroin.
* Pain relievers such as Advil, Nuprin, Midol, Trendar, or any medicine containing ibuprofen cause false positives for marijuana.
* Antibiotics such as amoxicillin or ampicillin cause false positives for cocaine.
The above list is only a beginning. Most substances which people have in their blood have never been tested to see if they cause false positives. Indeed, even some natural body enzymes cause false positives. According to research validated by the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment, melanin, the natural pigment which makes skin dark, can cause false positives for marijuana."
I HAVE to say this to you TinyRn,I question your integrity and compassion as a nurses. If this is how you talk to people how do you talk to your patients. Get it?
K9lover, ASN, RN
507 Posts
Get a job in the meantime so you will have money for a lawyer and, as has been mentioned, get a hair follicle test. It would not be from coming in contact with meth at your sisters' house, did sis use cocaine as well? I noticed you did not state never using drugs, you stated you do not abuse any drugs which reads as if you use but do not abuse. Did you intend to say you don't use any drugs as I am guessing? They report street drugs but I should think you could do repeat drug test and get yourself cleared before going into diversion. Had a friend who was taking Effexor and tested false positive for PCP but they just had her bring her Effexor as this is a known false positive. I cannot think of anything off hand which would produce a false + for cocaine. it sure would not be meth, totally different drugs. Best of luck to you!