New to Monitoring, help!

[lipglossgirl]

So I am new to monitoring. After researching, I see that it's recommended to avoid a plethora of foods and products. What I really want to know is what is the actual likelihood that the use of these would curate a false positive? It is kind of insane to me to think that we as nurses can't use hand sanitizer because hand hygiene is so important. Wouldn't washing after every instance just make your hands raw, especially for years? What is your personal experience? Do you really avoid things like soy sauce? What about alcohol free mouthwash? Do you use perfume? If you don't use sanitizer, what do you use? Basically: has anything other than actually drinking, or a UTI, made you false positive? The list of products to avoid seems almost impossible. What can we use? Please respond! 

[Universe93B]

hppygr8ful said:

I went through a monitoring program years ago, The list  foods to avoid was daunting. At one considered living on Salteen crackers and bottled was. But I just became very careful about what I ate and what cosmetics I used. For hand hygiene I did wash my hands alot. At the beginning of each snift I applied a good moisture barried cream I didn't used hand sanitizer for several years but reccomend Hygiene Clean. They have a great list if affordable hand hygiene products.

My general list of foods yo not eat were

Protein bars

Ripe or fermented fruits

Cinnamon rolls

Honeybuns

Macadamia nuts

Bread (white or sourdough)

Hot sauce

Dishes made with alcoholic beverages

Sugar-free gums

Energy drinks

Fermented soda

"non-alcoholic" beer or wine

Sorry, this list is out of control.  It is ridiculous to assume that you have to avoid 50% of the foods on this planet.  You will only get caught if you actually drink an alcoholic drink.  I ate all of these and at high volumes.  Only thing to avoid would be fermented drinks like Kombucha has they can have a wide range of alcohol content, close to a beer.

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

Nursinggirl17 said:

No I get my nails done every two weeks 

I ate all of these but non alcoholic beers.. I have been testing for 2 years with no issues 

As the small print on some product labels say "Your results may vary"

[Universe93B]

hppygr8ful said:

As the small print on some product labels say "Your results may vary"

hppygr8ful, I'm sorry but you need to stop scaring everyone here.  There is no reason to be scared of getting your nails done or nail polish or 99% of the food you consume.  

I'm very upset at the misinformation that is going on in this messageboard.  

You all can get your nails done at any nail salon or yourself - it's no problem and will not result in a positive urine etg or peth test.  

[Nursinggirl17]

Universe93B said:

hppygr8ful, I'm sorry but you need to stop scaring everyone here.  There is no reason to be scared of getting your nails done or nail polish or 99% of the food you consume.  

I'm very upset at the misinformation that is going on in this messageboard.  

You all can get your nails done at any nail salon or yourself - it's no problem and will not result in a positive urine etg or peth test.  

Fr cause it only makes ppl feel worse we have yesterday for years and ate all these things with no positive test. 

[Nursinggirl17]

I meant we have tested for years with no issues eating these foods 

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

Universe93B said:

hppygr8ful, I'm sorry but you need to stop scaring everyone here.  There is no reason to be scared of getting your nails done or nail polish or 99% of the food you consume.  

I'm very upset at the misinformation that is going on in this messageboard.  

You all can get your nails done at any nail salon or yourself - it's no problem and will not result in a positive urine etg or peth test.  

I never said anything about hair or nails. I goy my nails done on the regular and had my hair dyed once a month. In five years I had two Positive ETG. There's no such thing as a false positive as ETG is only present with exposure to Alcohol exposure. In my case both were from incidental exposure. So something I ate, drank or put on my body. We didn't have peth tests when I was in a diversion program, This is not disinformation as it came came to me directly from the BON in my state. Still ETG due to the numerous ways to get positive test. At one point people in my Nurse support group had met with an attorney to discus a lawsuit against our BON and Also Dr, Skipper who developed the ETG test. I was not trying to scare anyone. Each person will have different results and will have to develope a life style about abstinance from dietary Item, For myself I was not willing to take the chance,  

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

Universe93B said:

Sorry, this list is out of control.  It is ridiculous to assume that you have to avoid 50% of the foods on this planet.  You will only get caught if you actually drink an alcoholic drink.  I ate all of these and at high volumes.  Only thing to avoid would be fermented drinks like Kombucha has they can have a wide range of alcohol content, close to a beer.

The list does not even come close to 50% of the foods on this list. There are all kinds of things you can eat, I learned to avaid highly processed food I baked broils or BBQed chicken, beef and Fish. Used fresh vegetables and made home made salad dressing. 

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

Universe93B said:

  They tell you not to eat them because you cannot use foods as an excuse.  EVERYONE WHO GETS A POSITIVE TEST USES FOOD AND OTHER THINGS AS AN EXCUSE.  (when we know in reality, they drank actual alcoholic drinks).

 

For someone who is concerned about misinformation the above statement is so totally wrong. During the 5 years I was in a moniotoring program I did not have a single alcoholic drink -Not one- and that included so called nonalcoholic beer/wine. and I still tested positive twice. My husband and I went through the whole pantry and never did find the culprit.

[Healer555]

hppygr8ful said:

For someone who is concerned about misinformation the above statement is so totally wrong. During the 5 years I was in a moniotoring program I did not have a single alcoholic drink -Not one- and that included so called nonalcoholic beer/wine. and I still tested positive twice. My husband and I went through the whole pantry and never did find the culprit.

Maybe they mixed up your sample or your results with someone else? 

[Healer555]

hppygr8ful said:

The list does not even come close to 50% of the foods on this list. There are all kinds of things you can eat, I learned to avaid highly processed food I baked broils or BBQed chicken, beef and Fish. Used fresh vegetables and made home made salad dressing. 

What other foods did you avoid? I'm happy to go without to be on the safe side. 

Also what did you consider highly processed foods? 

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

Healer555 said:

What other foods did you avoid? I'm happy to go without to be on the safe side. 

Also what did you consider highly processed foods? 

I basically stayed away from fermented food. I cooked healthy fresh food in my kitchen. By highly processed I mean anything that went through a chemical process to take its form

[Healer555]

hppygr8ful said:

I basically stayed away from fermented food. I cooked healthy fresh food in my kitchen. By highly processed I mean anything that went through a chemical process to take its form

Thank you.  You have no reason to lie.  I know another person who had no alcohol but had a positive etg test. With all of the samples the labs get I think it's absolutely lab error.  

Did you ever take action against the BON?  I think there needs to be major reform.  From " diagnosis " to monitor.  Those of us without a SUD should not have to endure this.  Those with a SUD need more reasonable and rational monitoring.