Peth test showing .40 without any alcohol in 13 months

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I am a graduate nurse in recovery. When applying for my license I disclosed that I had a relapse in recovery 1 year prior to the application. I felt that with my new way of life through A.A. that I could not live with myself if I was not brutally honest. There was no record of my issues that would have been discovered and I thought doing the right thing was the only way. When I went to the psychiatric exam I figured "what is the worst that could happen?" I am in recovery, attend meetings, work steps and care a whole lot more about my sobriety than any IPN or MD ever will. The hair and urine samples came back clean but the PETH test shows at a .4 which to my understanding makes me a daily binge drinker. I have been told that this is on my permanent record and no matter what I have to live with it. I have maintained my position that I have not had a drink in 13 months and now I just look like a liar. I can think of a million things that I want to do or should say (I am an alcoholic :)) I fear that the more I deny the results of the test the harder IPN will be on me with therapy requirements. I have requested another test for my own sanity. I am hoping that someone made a mistake and I just test clean. I am terrified that I will have to take these tests for the next five years and stand a chance of this happening again. I wonder, does God not want me to be a nurse? Does God want me to put my energy into exposing a test that could be ruining lives? I'd sure like to hear from other's who have any hope, strength and wisdom on the subject. I should get a contract from IPN in the next few weeks. I am studying for the NCLEX and cannot get the lump out of my throat.

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all I found was measured in ng/ml..... what does his .4 mean?

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I also go to AA but I'm not as much of a God guy as you appear to be. I doubt very much that god sabotaged you with a false positive. If you haven't drank then the PETH test is false. If you did then you need to get a lot closer to the God of your understanding and examine your rigorous honesty. In any event, I'd start with a re-test which should rule out the daily drinking thing. Don't give up on being a nurse in any event

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Get an attorney who has experience with the board. Google the class action law suite in Michigan HPRP program. That law firm is also in Florida. The reason is the Peth test is being misused. It does not show daily binge, but USDTL tells people that it shows a binge event before the test. If you are negative on everything then it would be hard for them to give you a contract. USDTL is not big on standing behind their tests. However, the attorney needs to request the litigation package for the test and their validation for the PETH and the Resume for all the USDTL staff who were involved in the testing. It will show the testing that was completed. There is not alot of peer review literature on the Peth. An attorney is expensive, however it is a lot cheaper than what IPN and Affinity will charge you over the next five years. IPN gets kick backs from Affinity so it is to all their advantage to get folks in and keep them in. Just reading this blog there is plenty of evidence that IPN and Affinity is doing some shady stuff.

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Although I appreciate your advise you missed the point. I did not drink, the test is positive. Trust me, in this situation it would be a whole lot easier to deal with if I had.

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My friend got a positive PeTH test after not drinking. She's also a nurse in recovery, been sober for several years. I'm trying to help her investigate the test. Please PM me if you want to swap notes. In her case, the lab tech administering test had no idea how to do it, had never done it. He left the room with the sample in his pocket, unlabeled. My friend had to explain to him how to do it, and to cap it off or it would be invalid (bet she regrets that now!). I'm trying to see if there are any other cases of false positives. She stands to lose her license in California. The cost of a lawyer is incredibly prohibitive, but that might be the only option besides giving up the license. She's so pissed off and disheartened at this point that she's considering the latter.

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Hope your situation is resolving in your favor. As I mentioned above, same thing happened to my friend, very similar circumstances. Got a .39 result, hadn't had a drink in almost 2 years. She asked them to do a hair test to help prove her innocence, and they said they don't do that. I'm encouraging her to fight this injustice, would love to keep in touch. Email me at [email protected] if you want to stay in touch on this. Haven't seen a lot of cases of false positives for Peth, so it would be helpful to keep track of them. Thanks, and good luck to you!

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Specializes in ER, ICU/CCU, Open Heart OR Recovery, Etc.
Get an attorney who has experience with the board. Google the class action law suite in Michigan HPRP program. That law firm is also in Florida. The reason is the Peth test is being misused. It does not show daily binge, but USDTL tells people that it shows a binge event before the test. If you are negative on everything then it would be hard for them to give you a contract. USDTL is not big on standing behind their tests. However, the attorney needs to request the litigation package for the test and their validation for the PETH and the Resume for all the USDTL staff who were involved in the testing. It will show the testing that was completed. There is not alot of peer review literature on the Peth. An attorney is expensive, however it is a lot cheaper than what IPN and Affinity will charge you over the next five years. IPN gets kick backs from Affinity so it is to all their advantage to get folks in and keep them in. Just reading this blog there is plenty of evidence that IPN and Affinity is doing some shady stuff.

Good advice here. I'd definitely look up this law firm and fight it.

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Specializes in ER, ICU/CCU, Open Heart OR Recovery, Etc.

I have heard of false positives for PeTH, ETG, and urine tests. If you didn't do it, find a lawyer and fight it. No matter what they tell you, do not confess to something you didn't do. I state this because I've been there. When it was all said and done, my ETG was actually NEGATIVE and the static I was put through was because my caseworker could not read lab tests properly.

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1st thing which comes to my mind is absorbing alcohol-based products, do you use mouthwash etc...with alcohol? It has been 20+ years since my college days and I was never asked anything along those lines for any job/license except corrections which I was as honest as a 4th step but I have been sober since the 1980's and never arrested (or diverted, my 2nd 'drug of choice' after alcohol was a powdery stimulant.) Did you have an arrest which required you to be brutally honest because in all honesty I knew that judgement of sober alcoholics could be harsh. I would look into any personal care product or food for alcohol content and get rid of them. I still avoid alcohol-based mouthwash (I remember thinking I would small 'minty fresh' if I drank that but that is another story...) and tests can also be false positive. I would retest and make sure you are not inadvertently absorbing any alcohol, I am still curious as to why this would be asked of you as a student unless there was a past DUI, I would suggest to my fellow nurses' in sobriety that there are many still judgmental on this issue which I have found even more prevalent than some other drugs. Cocaine use in past does not even carry same stigma as many think everyone used it in the 1980's; I don't see that my personal life is/was any big factor particularly given I didn't use anything which hospitals 'serve' up. I am not as guarded as I once was as it has been so long and I was not an RN when I got sober but I can sure see from comments (from) other nurses' in recovery that the BON is not anyones' friend, I trust their experience is hideous and remember the big book chapter on rigorous honesty where it cites the man who wanted to disclose all to his boss even though he did not owe for any misdeeds and rigorous honesty would have possibly cost him the job, big book suggests rigorous honesty except when to do so will injure you or others so don't injure yourself needlessly. Anyway retake test and best of luck!

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I am in the California BRN probation program. I had the same issues with the nurse drawing my blood. The sample was not handled properly, and sat in the collection site over the weekend unrefrigerated. And then in transit another two days. I have been actively participating in the program for over 4 years, almost ready to complete and will be forced to cease practice if the error is not found. I just tested positive on this PEth test and I did not drink. The dr at first source is telling me that my level was at a 90 which would have indicated several binge drinking sessions. I went for a Urine the next day and it was negative.

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My friend got a positive PeTH test after not drinking. She's also a nurse in recovery, been sober for several years. I'm trying to help her investigate the test. Please PM me if you want to swap notes. In her case, the lab tech administering test had no idea how to do it, had never done it. He left the room with the sample in his pocket, unlabeled. My friend had to explain to him how to do it, and to cap it off or it would be invalid (bet she regrets that now!). I'm trying to see if there are any other cases of false positives. She stands to lose her license in California. The cost of a lawyer is incredibly prohibitive, but that might be the only option besides giving up the license. She's so pissed off and disheartened at this point that she's considering the latter.

I am in the California BRN probation program. I had the same issues with the nurse drawing my blood. The sample was not handled properly, and sat in the collection site over the weekend unrefrigerated. And then in transit another two days. I have been actively participating in the program for over 4 years, almost ready to complete and will be forced to cease practice if the error is not found. I just tested positive on this PEth test and I did not drink. The dr at first source is telling me that my level was at a 90 which would have indicated several binge drinking sessions. I went for a Urine the next day and it was negative.

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