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False Positive Drug Test For Alcohol

Posted , 8 users are following.

NotDaDoc
NotDaDoc

Wasn't really sure where to post this.

I recently had my gallbladder removed by keyhole surgery. About 16 hours after being released I had to take a drug test and it came up positive for alcohol. I have passed all my drug tests for almost 6 years and I haven't drank in over 6 years but apparently they think I just decided to start back during my surgery.

I was severly sick to my stomach before hand so there was no way I would drink.

If I was drinking before my surgery they would've canceled it.

There was no way I could stay awake after the surgery to drink and definitely couldn't risk getting sick to my stomach.

If I had drank before going in and taking the test it would've been noticed by the employees.

I've gone over all my medications that they printed out for me and the only thing they contained were benzyl alcohol which the lab claims they only test for methanol alcohol.

They don't give a print out of the topical cleansers they used for pre-op cleaning and post-op cleaning which I know wasn't iodine. If it did contain alcohol did it possibly get in my blood stream upon cutting me open or is it possible that residue was left over and got into my urine sample? I also don't know what is in the glue they applied over my incisions. I literally woke up since coming home from surgery and went straight in. I didn't have time to clean up and I couldn't shower for 2 days.

They recently switched labs which now has me even more worried that this place is a scam. It's suspect that my first test with them has a false positive. They're not working well with us to help determine if something from my surgery could cause a positive alcohol test because if that's the case a retest wont help. If it's not a retest might be able to show it was an error or possibly something else that caused it.

If anyone has an insight or experience with something similar I would greatly appreciate some input.

1 like, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • NotDaDoc
    NotDaDoc

    Posted

    Typo, ethanol alcohol
  • sharon07214
    sharon07214 NotDaDoc

    Posted

    Sorry, I have no insights. I hope someone can help you. What the consequences of this positive test?
  • JulieAnne101
    JulieAnne101 NotDaDoc

    Posted

    Wish I could help. This is quite specialised. Just a thought, of something I know nothing about-Surely there would only be a trace of alcohol from thus test? If you had started to drink again, might there have been a more positive amount? Dunno. Hope you can get some answers somewhere

    Kind Regards

    • NotDaDoc
      NotDaDoc JulieAnne101

      Posted

      They didn't give a print out of the amount they claim was on there.

  • harlan6932
    harlan6932 NotDaDoc

    Posted

    There probably wasn't a " chain of custody" of the blood sample you gave, but there simply may have been a mix up of your sample with another.....

    • NotDaDoc
      NotDaDoc harlan6932

      Posted

      This is something that worried me but at the same time everything that was suppose to be in it was. We have the other two drugs covered. One was a benzo and the other some type of pain reliever. That still doesn't mean someone else wasn't using them and just so happened to get switched with mine.

  • Robin2015
    Robin2015 NotDaDoc

    Posted

    beyond weird and certainly INCOMPREHENSIBLE...6 YRS AND NOT DRINKING....Robin
  • vickylou
    vickylou NotDaDoc

    Posted

    If you definitely haven't drunk any alcohol in six years, if it was me, I would be asking them to repeat the test and to see the exact results which came back from the lab.

    Mistakes do happen in hospitals, nothing is 100% foolproof and I'd be asking about the possibility of samples being mixed up or incorrect labelling.

    i hope you get it sorted out

    • vickylou
      vickylou Robin2015

      Posted

      Yes it is worrying. I've worked in a hospital and can recall at least four cases of patients records being mixed up. Same name e.g. John Smith, date of birth 17/11/64 being correct, but consultant given notes for John Smith, date of birth 16/11/64!! This resulted in the consultant telling the patient that unfortunately his biopsy results showed the mass as being aggressive cancer stage 3 and too advanced for any treatment. All they  could offer was pain relief and palliative care!!

      The error was only discovered when the patient said he'd not got any lumps or mass and he definitely hadn't had a biopsy.

      Frightening isn't it?

  • Misssy2
    Misssy2 NotDaDoc

    Posted

    Did you ask them if any of the drugs you had during surgery would come up as a positive for ethanol?

     

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