New to testing recovery trek help

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My husband just started his first job since his license has been reinstated. He had to sign up with recovery trek and we have cleaned out our entire house to prevent a possibile accidental exposure, we read the letter about recovery trek now using a more sensitive test... My question is mainly about vanilla extract he came shopping with me at a whole foods and not thinking we grabbed cold brew mocha coffees in a can we each had one I checked the ingredients after the fact and I didn't see any vanilla extract but it has me wondering has anyone gotten a false positive from vanilla extract I know it's on the list but has anyone eaten something with it and passed ? Or had anyone accidentally eaten vanilla extract and failed ,from what food ? Our sons birthday is next week and I noticed vanilla ice cream is out for my husband... Lastly what is a quality deoderent without alcohol that works as he sweats a lot? This is all so new to us I'm trying to support him and it just seems as if the accidental exposure possiblity is everywhere ? any advice would be greatly appreciated as since yesterday I have read more than I ever cared to know about vanilla extract and alcohol testing ?

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Specializes in ICU, CM, UM.

Hi I noticed you didn't find any help on this thread, I was just wondering what state you were in and how your first few months have been going? I'm new to the forum and sound like we all need to support each other as much as possible...

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Specializes in Psych.

Yes I'm new here too! Hope things are going OK. I sure do have a lot of questions myself 

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I've never failed a test for accidental exposure. The one thing I do is make sure to not inhale hand sanitizer but other than that I live a normal life

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Shorty4444 said:

I've never failed a test for accidental exposure. The one thing I do is make sure to not inhale hand sanitizer but other than that I live a normal life

Do you ask if things are cooked with alcohol? So much is marinated with wine. 

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I do not

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I'm sorry the OP never got their question answered.  But accidental exposure is more overrated than it is discussed.  And not to be mean, but "accidental exposure" is the excuse that everyone uses when they get a positive urine ETG, Peth or whatever.  So the monitoring agencies and case managers usually never believe that anymore. 

I have ate food cooked in alcohol, drank non-alcoholic beer (the 0.5% kind, not 0.0), ate vanilla extract and use hand sanitizer daily multiple times a day.  I have been tested the day after (around 16-20 hours after) each of those exposures and always negative on a Urine ETG with a cutoff of 100ng (that's the lowest cutoff used for medical professions).   Now there is a better chance of a positive test if I did all of those things right before heading to the lab I guess.

Don't worry about accidental exposures and worry more about having a normal life during this stupid monitoring period.  Worry more about "having that 1 drink at a party and then stopping" or whatever other substance might get in the way.

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dry idea unscented roll on is what I used for deodorant for the 5 years I was in monitoring.  I used germ x alcohol free hand-sanitizer, but it was pre covid, I don't know if they even make it anymore, I went to the beauty supply house and they helped me find alcohol free shampoo, but I don't remember the name of it.  I wouldn't even eat beer bread I was so scared to test positive.  Probably paranoia, but I survived it!

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Big Blondie said:

dry idea unscented roll on is what I used for deodorant for the 5 years I was in monitoring.  I used germ x alcohol free hand-sanitizer, but it was pre covid, I don't know if they even make it anymore, I went to the beauty supply house and they helped me find alcohol free shampoo, but I don't remember the name of it.  I wouldn't even eat beer bread I was so scared to test positive.  Probably paranoia, but I survived it!

I use regular shampoo and deodorant.  I use Colgate because it has no alcohol.  I ask if anything was prepared with alcohol before I eat it. I just started using moisturizer again.. I'm paranoid but missed the shampoo and deodorant that are alcohol free and test negative so far.  I'm afraid to have anything but water in a restaurant. No quality of life for me until this ends. 

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Specializes in ICU,CCU,Med/Surg,LTC.

Mind you, my time with my state's program was over 10 years ago and Peth tests were not used but the only behavior I changed in my life is I didn't drink alcohol. I continued to use hair spray, hair dye, alcohol hand sanitizer several times per day, soaps, lotions. I ate foods made with vanilla extract, foods that may have been cooked with wine. I had always used alcohol free mouth wash because I didn't like the burn. I was tested for EtG with every test and I never tested positive. 

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Oh yeah, that's the other thing I forgot to say.  I kept buying the alcohol-free mouthwash but after 2 years now, I just buy what I normally do and what's on sale - if it has alcohol in it, so be it.  I even used listerine (40%) at night and had to test the next morning - negative.  

Again, do things you would normally do, just don't drink alcohol or use the substance you do.  

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Universe93B said:

Oh yeah, that's the other thing I forgot to say.  I kept buying the alcohol-free mouthwash but after 2 years now, I just buy what I normally do and what's on sale - if it has alcohol in it, so be it.  I even used listerine (40%) at night and had to test the next morning - negative.  

Again, do things you would normally do, just don't drink alcohol or use the substance you do.  

To add, we can't eat poppy seeds. 

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