Drug Testing Cluster****

[halflife]

Hi,

Subj: EARLIER FAILED DRUG TEST. TELL A NEW DR. OR NOT?

I have a drug test related dilemma today. After a few years of fairly decent meds (fentanyl 100mcg path & 48mg Dilaudid daily), my Doctor decided I'd be better served by PM as they had better meds. So he gave me the name of one of the few PM centers in the area & off I went. His nurse had told me this was the last Rx I would be getting from him. This Doctor's practice claimed he was Pain Management, but his nurse said he wasn't (?)

At the PM center, first came a psychologist interview, followed by a psychiatrist visit. The psych, who is in charge, told me to go back to my Doctor; he could't help me.

Now, unfortunately I was a bit naive & foolish. Didn't expect a drug test at the psych appointment (especially after they were turning me away). Nor did I have a clue as to the breadth & scope of modern drug testing. Not an excuse, just the reality..

Additionally, the preceding two weeks had created sort of the perfect storm for failing. Being told that I was to receive no further Rx's from my old Doctor plus the statements on the PM documents didn't help. Having extra physical demands (however minor) put on me plus the rigors of having to "perform" for recent medical exams didn't help my pain levels.

So, during that preceding two weeks, I supplemented my remaining meds with 2 hydro from an earlier Rx I had been given by the Doctor & a single tablet of an 8mg OTC Canadian med that I had on hand plus a 1/2 a percocet tablet not belonging to me. There might[/i have been one Soma in there too. All this was toward the goal of stretching my last Rx as far as it could go.


The PM place sent the results of the drug test to whatever doctors I had listed in my medical history so this drug fiend could party no more.


Well, I got a call from the old Doctor's office telling me that this was truly the end for meds. I ended up having to stop abruptly on the Dilaudid which was not fun & have had to wear fentanyl patches as long as a week (though in the end, I ended up getting enough through the end of this month).


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My dilemma? Oh yeah, it's this: I'm seeing another Doctor today who purports to be PM. Do I tell him the sad tale of why I left the other practice?


This time, instead of having records forwarded right go the new canndidate doctor, I had them sent to me. Turns out that in addition to the meds picked up above, there were false positives for morphine & oxymorphone. Also, the Doctor's narrative of the test results paints a picture of a wild man bent on debauchery and drug abuse.


Additionally, after the test results came back, the Doctor had said he'd take me back if I returned in three monthes & tested 'clean'. For reasons unknown, when I had contacted him after three monthes, he told me to find another doctor... However, he notes his "promise" in the chart without explaining why he turned me away three monthes later.


I wondered why previous doctors I had seen turned me away with a variety of reasons since this happened.


Now I can think on my feet & argue well any position I need to. Yet I fear lies will beget more lies & omissions will invite tough questions.


OTOH, the truth seems so strange & opens up gaps of its own.


What to do?


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Sorry, never meant to make this so long, but I'm glad I finally committed it to words. /default_smile.png


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In any case, please take one thing away from this:

If you goto a doctor or ER with any plain related complaint, expect a full-blown test for EVERYTHING under the sun. It's not a matter of "Will they pick this up?" -- They will! That includes aly benzodiazepine, legal herbs, Any SSRI, etc. It's a big $$ industry now.


Very sad, unfortunate thought that the SL valium, which could linger up to a month+ in your system, can wreak havoc on your life should you break an arm this weekend. I know, I sure have been guilty of same. Yes, drug testing sucks.


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[High Tide]

Well, if nothing else your post helped me discover I was confusing oxy-more-fone and hydro as the same thing. I guess my ignorance is why nobody responded on another thread when I asked if Dill~awe~did wasn't the same as Oh~pana, except for the ER effect. Thanks for helping me discover the difference. 

As for what to do, I would explain the false positives as the reason for dismissal. The new doc will just call the old one anyway. I'm hoping you find someone soon, and also hope they find it as deplorable as I do. I know doctors have a lot at stake and can't continue treating people if they find evidence of Dr shopping or diversion, but I've been through it myself. I couldn't control my intake of oh~seas but also know they could offer a second chance or treatment instead of cutting someone off with no warning. I feel like if they will administer stuff that is addictive and forms a physically dependency they have an obligation to offer help. 

It may not be much help at first but if nothing else try a suboxone treatment. From what I hear it might take some time to get the pain relief you need, but many people report is does help them. I'm pretty sure you need to be at least a day away from a strong PK or it can create WD symptoms instead of relieve them. Another alternative, though probably a long shot, but I met my doc from taking a few days rest at the Padded Wall Inn. He agreed to treat me because my PM clinic insisted I see a psych and I couldn't afford both. It's resulted in around a decade of really good care, with many more to follow I hope. 

Let us know how it turns out. Wish you the best, HT

 

[halflife]

Hi High,

Thank you for the kind words!

Sorry to have been MIA. I saw this new Doctor before our lives went awry.

That doctor I saw put me through the paces & the various 'tests' he did to determine my ROM & level of disability took quite a toll on me physically. Anyone who sees me for more than a minute can tell I'm severely limited in what I can do.

He scheduled 3 cortisone injections (what else...) -- the 1st today, Tuesday. Some may think it odd that I'm going forward with this considering my wife's sudden illness. However, for the last 6 months, I've done cr@p -- just being the another piece of furniture sitting here at the edge of a chair, doing nothing but complain how much I hurt. I almost never left the house.

'M' has been carrying me -- now it's my turn to care for her needs.

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Now I took your wise advise & told the new Doctor the circumstances of how I lost my last PM doc of several years -- didn't leave out even 1 gory detail..

The new Doctor wants a note from the old doc corroborating what transpired vs, what I said. Probably because the whole thing sounds so surreal.

However, thanks to what you suggested, I believe I did the right thing. While some may think it selfish to me to be thinking of my sorry "needs", I sinply can't have 6/7 days unable to fuction given the new reality in my life. I think back & recall I could function almost like a human being, despite my obvious disabilities, when the pain part was somewaht handled...

Thanks HT & all who offered support!

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My lord, it took me forever to write this over several sessions!

 

[High Tide]

I'm hoping you'll find it works best to try and be as honest as possible. Even pathological liars get tripped up, so it's easier to remember the truth instead of trying to keep up with all the tales. Nothing is truer than the saying "What a tangled web we weave....". 

I needed to see a shrink anyway, and his insistence on no oh~seas or 'dones helped me get a big monkey off my back. The MS (more~feen sulfate ER) doesn't get me high but does relieve my pain. 

 

[halflife]

First, HighTide, excellent research in that other 'halflifes' thread! I'll devour it when I'm not shaking.

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RIGHT NOW I GOT AN EMERGENCY!!! (Forgive caps).

I need folks' opinions in like 8 hours or less

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PM appt at 6:30PM EDT

During my wife's ordeal, I was a shaking wreck.

Took a few .5 xanax during the week. Also several clonazepam.

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1) Do I admit? Drug test not too likely,IMO, as I had 1 a week ago.

However you never know, DT=Big$$$

2) i have long-time urinary problem where I sometimes don't pee for days ( embarrassed...) doc don't know & I can't get records in time.

3) Do I simply try to pee without success & express embarrassed frustration?

4) can any guy lend me their johnson - quick!

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BTW, I cannot reschedule

Please offer any opinions about the options I listed.

My wife was moved to a cardiac rehab house agaist Doctors advice. Her family believes I'm too diisabled to care for her.

My SIL was named next of kin!!

I'm not being self-serving, but with the strongest pain meds, I can appear almost human, even if it is temporary.

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PLEASE advise with opinions!

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[halflife]

Gentle *bump*

 

[High Tide]

Geeze, my friend I'm not sure. It would depend on how I felt the Dr would understand the situation. I mean, for goodness sake, a guy can only tolerate so much and it 's obvious you have had a lot on your plate to say the least. I only see a psychiatrist and then only a couple of times a year, but I think he would be forgiving if I admitted my shortcomings. 

That being said, I've never had a more understanding Dr in my entire decades long experience seeking help with chronic back pain. Thankfully I haven't had to see any others, except recently for a check up, for over a decade now. That Dr didn't seem too condescending but certainly wasn't someone I would turn to looking for help with chronic pain either. I wish I knew your Dr, perhaps I could tell you something with more confidence. As I said before being honest only helps in most cases. I'm not a very good liar, and telling the truth is a lot easier to remember in case you are subject to a test. 

I wish I could be of more help, but I'm not sure what type of test, or how sensitive it may be. Seeing that your urine will be concentrated you have little chance of passing a UA if it does test for those compounds. And you need to talk to someone about that problem ASAP. I've found taking cari~so~pro~dol makes kidney functions slow down a lot. So if you've been taking them very often stop for a few days and see if it doesn't help increase your "output". It's too late to tell you to drink a beer, even non alcoholic, to see if it helps. But let someone know of that problem too. If not you may well be too disabled to help care for your wife very soon.

EDIT: If you can't pee and don't have time to show him records, what can they do? They aren't going to cath you! So maybe explaining you can't and having them confer with a Dr who can verify is the best thing. I really don't know, I wish I could be of more help, I really do.

 

[halflife]

Hi High Tide,

Thx 4 the input.

This is the 3rd visit to this doc.

1) pee test, I trust i passed.

2) the obligatory19,000 cortisone shotsM didn't help.

3) now he's got the letter from my doc of 4 years Re: the failed drug test (with 2 false positives).

I am trying to take a home drug test, drank a 2 litle coke & a 2 liter seltzer & v8.

+++++

No soma in me, only a couple of xanax & lately more than a few clonazepam (read on 'net clon are hard to detect, but who knows?)

In fact I just took another klon on theory that most meds take take a few hours to turn up in a test. Or so i read on the net....

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BTW, 'M' was moved to a cardiac rehab facility last night & is doing grear. Wants the hell out!

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Thanks so much for ure thoughts

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[High Tide]

I would have suggested water, NA beer or sports drinks. Try like crazy to pee before going and when there get your sample "mid stream". That's what I've read many times.

In the future you can buy a "Johnson" or get a freeze dried clean sample and tape it to you. Shave your inner thigh and tape the bottle top up, with a T shape holding the lid in place and down the length of the bottle. About 2 maybe 3 oz is enough in my experience. Maybe someone, like you, who has more experience recently can tell if they would need more. Anyone noticing a bulge would either be jealous or impressed.  /default_wink.png