Ultram cost me my new dream job

vanburbian · Jan 27, 2004

Originally posted by MD Terminator
Ultram is a synthetic opioid. Plain and simple.

On a side note, you need to see someone about your hip problem. Taking other peoples meds is not a solution. While I personally see it as you trying to find ANYTHING that would releive your pain, not very many nurses and clinicians would be so accepting. Good luck in finding something that will help releive your suffering.

Dave

Dave,

you are so right, and kellygirl, i have to really, really encourage you to make sure that you see someone soon, and demand treatment for your pain. I would absolutely HATE to see you travel down the same path that I have~ pain not controlled, decide one day to treat yourself, and end up in a really bad place-i.e. addiction, narcotic diversion, license suspension, etc. because, even though it was "just" an ultram, you took it without a valid prescription. a lot of us who have had "addictions" thought the same way...too many of us thought it would be ok to just treat ourselves, and it's not. please, please go and find yourself a decent practitioner, like Dave, and save yourself a LOT of potential grief......

sheri

Owney · Jan 27, 2004

https://allnurses.com/forums/images/icons/icon10.gif

Never heard about Ultram.

I have been an ER nurse for over 20yrs.

I have arthitis, not crippling, and so far, am controlled by NSAIDs. I need not remind you that the anti-inflammatory component is the best way to control the pain of inflammation.

Big Babs,

I have a life-long problem with IBS. My sister had a colectomy at age 7, and one of my brothers had one at age 42.

Tell me more about those IBS drugs. The only things ever prescribed for me were both salicylates; sulfasalazine and Asacol. Niether of them did much unless taken for 10 days. If I had to wait 10 days for each bad bout, I would have long since flushed my GI tract down the commode!

I finally got the best advice from another old nurse who told me her husband was totally disabled by IBS. She suggested I try Motrin until my salicylate started to work. It's great for me, but, I haven't yet wrecked my stomach or liver.

I occasionally take T3s or Vicoden, but right now, since I am not working and have no insurance I can't get any more of them. Besides which I am currently job hunting and I know I've got to be good.

I do take Xanax occasionally on a script from my Psychiatrist. I will take my Rx bottle with me to my next physical.

I do take immodium occasionally. I remember when it became available I thought it was God's greatest gift. I take a lot of nutritional supplements, not herbals. Mostly I take a lot of B12, to deal with the pernicious anemia.

Does anybody out there know which of these I need to D/C for a couple of weeks before my next physical? About 10 years ago, many of the EMTs working for the city were getting busted for cannabis metabolites, and were told that Motrin showed up false positives.

The trick for me is to keep up the folic acid Iron and B vitamins enough so that I don't look so anemic that the doc does a rectal. That black stool would buy me a workup for UGIB. :roll

AnnDi · Jan 27, 2004

Dear Owney,

I would suggest that you do not take the Vicoden at all, and also avoid the Xanax if possible. Many facilities may assume that you have a disability related to taking Vicoden and the Xanax. Although you have a prescription for both, and are used for legitamite reasons, they may feel you would pose a risk for medication diversion. Please don't allow yourself to be at risk for any disiplinary actions against your license. You worked hard for it and you do not want to go through that.:nono:

athomas91 · Jan 27, 2004

MD Terminator...the facility is protecting its patients....She took a synthetic opioid WITHOUT A SCRIPT....that is illegal. I am not trying to be harsh - but thank God it wasn't lsd, ecstacy etc....how would you know.....

if you looked up ultram - you would have seen that it was a synth. opioid w/ the same side effects...after all you looked it up to protect yourself, correct....

in urine drug tests the only opioids that show up (in a the tests generally used by hospitals) are ones that ultimately break down to codeine or morphine derivatives...therefore...percocet etc do not show up...they are hydromorphone and stay that way because they do not fully break down to a morphine derivative that triggers the test positive...drinking water to "flush" your system doesn't make them move out any quicker.

i am very sorry if this one little mishap cost you your job - however the hospital did the right thing - you took a med that wasn't yours and that you didn't have a script for - that is a red flag to some....

Dave ARNP · Jan 27, 2004

Athomas,

I am in NO WAY excusing what has happened. I would have major issues if it were one of my patients who was passing out their drugs.

All I am saying is that we need to be a little more understanding of our own who are in pain. People will do desperate things to get rid of their pain. Thus, the dx of Psudeoaddiction was created.

Dave

athomas91 · Jan 27, 2004

agreed on the pain issue....

i just find it a little odd that a nurse would look a med up to protect her/himself and not see the opioid side of this med...

purplemania, BSN, RN · Jan 27, 2004

I think the problem came from not having a personal prescription for the medication. If you had been prescribed a pain med then it would be ok that it showed up on the drug screen. So it might look like (to someone who does not know you) that you take drugs capriciously. My friend took Oxycontin a few days following an injury, got the random drug screen for employees, but was cleared because he had a script. So sorry you lost this opportunity but I really give you credit for alerting others to the situation. I, too, hope you get the pain under control.

Big Bab's · Jan 27, 2004

Owney, are you sure your relatives have IBS??....cuz what you're describing about them and yourself (bloody stools) sounds more like Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis......I've never heard of any surgeries for IBS, mainly cuz its not a degenerative disease like the other two.........The meds I mentioned are smooth muscle relaxants except for the zelnorm, its pretty new and only for WOMEN with IBS and only women who have the constipation component, so that ones probably not a good one for you, I'm guessing......Do you have a gastroenterologist??...If not, get one!.....they can help you get this under control, without having to kill your liver along the way......If you've got bleeding going on you need to get in and get it taken care of, NOW!!!!.....If I seem forceful its because I'm worried about you AND I now how bad a patients nurses can be, trust me, I'm an AWFUL patient.......So do the same for yourself as you would one of your patients......would you tell them to ignore a GI bleed??...I'm guessing not......So talk to your Dr. and let me know how you're doin'!!....I'll be thinkin' about ya!!:kiss

Owney · Jan 27, 2004

Yeah yeah UC, Crohn's, hemorrhoids, fissures, fistulae, you name it if it's LGI, I've had it, except for a colostomy, which 2 of my 5 sibs HAVE. I have not bled much for a while, so I have to say that most of my anemia is probably pernicious. I take mega mega doses of B12 (6000 mcG/day) PO, along with Fe, Folic Acid 3x/day with meals. I used to be able to get B12 and gave myself 1000 IM Q mo.

Yes, I do have a GI man of sorts. He's mostly a surgeon, so he scopes me from time to time, and fixes my rectum PRN. Very nice fella, and I'm due for another scope job when I have insurance again. I intend to seek medical (nutritional and auto-immune) advice from my chiropractor again when I have insurance.

Thank you for your concern. Please say a prayer for me to get a job soon so that I can put myself back on the road to health.:kiss

redshiloh · Jan 27, 2004

Perhaps I am just obtuse but, how can the prescence of a non-narcotic medication in your urine keep you from getting a job? I thought they just looked for narcotics.

Owney · Jan 27, 2004

No, the tests do not just check for narcotics, they also check for some psychotropics (particulary amphetamines and benzodiazapines), and muscle relaxants.

I am directing my question to all toxicology wanna-bes who might be able to tell me which OTCs and nutritional supplements, (other than herbals) might test false positive for controlled substances.

:)

redshiloh · Jan 27, 2004

OK, but once again, what law is there that says you can be turned down for a position because you are using a non-narcotic analgesic medication?