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False-Positives for blood alcohol content.
Here's a quick synopsis of tonight's events. Important note, that this has been an infrequent but consistent pattern of behavior for 4 years. Tonight, however, is a sufficient example.
I heard my partner fall in the bathroom. I ran to her aid and found her laying in the bathtub with a blank stare. I tried to help stand, she fell again. Although this time she just sat in the tub and mumbled nonsense. She eventually fell into this quasi-catatonic state. I called the paramedics. They arrived, she remained catatonic at first. After some gentle coaxing they managed to fish some responses. The responses eventually became what amounts to emotional vomiting - just nonsensical complaints about nothing and everything at once. Her demeanor is radically different than what is usual for her. Expressions were vapid, face haggard and red, she had no posture to speak of, even needing support. I had to put shoes on her. Off to the ER we go.
At the ER, she extremely hostile and confrontational, an extreme departure from her normal self.
Ripping IV"s from her arms, blood pouring. Yet she cannot recall ever seeing the doctor or nurse, her sense of time is off- center, 30 minutes after ripping the IV she asked me about all the blood - she 0 memory of tearing the first IV from her arm. Fortunately, they had drawn her at the onset of this nightmare.
Labs finally return a blood alcohol level of 300.
And so we have the core of our problem - we had not been drinking that night. I was with her from early afternoon (2pm) onward. At dinner she poured me a glass of wine. I didn't drink it, so she may have herself, had a few swallows. I'm conceding that as a possibility because I'm uncomfortable with statements I can't prove. However, i can say with absolute certainty - 1 glass of wine would have been all she could have had because we don't have any other liqueur in the house besides wine and the remaining bottles are still unopened. We spent the evening together and so I know with confidence that there wasn't an opportunity for her to drink that much. A result of 300 is really high and would require a lot more than the "possible" glass of wine.
This is not the first event of its kind. Primary care physicians tell us we need an ER to run labs during the incident, including an iron was a specific request by an endo we saw. But because it looks like just another drunk in the ER the doctors are rude and dismissive - in fact the Dr tonight deliberately disregarded my personal request for an Iron. They won't believe me and I was treated as if I can barely muster 2 polysyllabic words together.
Something else is happening to my partner that's more than alcohol or psychological, and I'm at wits end.
Are there conditions that can magnify even just a small alcohol intake into a result of say ... 300.
Are there conditions that can cause alcohol false-positives?
Could there be little bacteria making moonshine in her colon?
Please don't tell me she's sneaking it. Ive seen an episode occur during a long drive and there was certainly not a chance for her to toss a few back with me next to her.
The only theme that occurs with any ubiquity - her period. In fact, her period was why she was in bathroom in the first place as evidenced by the blood and products and this week she has been complaining that her period is unusually heavy.
Please ... please help me.
I heard my partner fall in the bathroom. I ran to her aid and found her laying in the bathtub with a blank stare. I tried to help stand, she fell again. Although this time she just sat in the tub and mumbled nonsense. She eventually fell into this quasi-catatonic state. I called the paramedics. They arrived, she remained catatonic at first. After some gentle coaxing they managed to fish some responses. The responses eventually became what amounts to emotional vomiting - just nonsensical complaints about nothing and everything at once. Her demeanor is radically different than what is usual for her. Expressions were vapid, face haggard and red, she had no posture to speak of, even needing support. I had to put shoes on her. Off to the ER we go.
At the ER, she extremely hostile and confrontational, an extreme departure from her normal self.
Ripping IV"s from her arms, blood pouring. Yet she cannot recall ever seeing the doctor or nurse, her sense of time is off- center, 30 minutes after ripping the IV she asked me about all the blood - she 0 memory of tearing the first IV from her arm. Fortunately, they had drawn her at the onset of this nightmare.
Labs finally return a blood alcohol level of 300.
And so we have the core of our problem - we had not been drinking that night. I was with her from early afternoon (2pm) onward. At dinner she poured me a glass of wine. I didn't drink it, so she may have herself, had a few swallows. I'm conceding that as a possibility because I'm uncomfortable with statements I can't prove. However, i can say with absolute certainty - 1 glass of wine would have been all she could have had because we don't have any other liqueur in the house besides wine and the remaining bottles are still unopened. We spent the evening together and so I know with confidence that there wasn't an opportunity for her to drink that much. A result of 300 is really high and would require a lot more than the "possible" glass of wine.
This is not the first event of its kind. Primary care physicians tell us we need an ER to run labs during the incident, including an iron was a specific request by an endo we saw. But because it looks like just another drunk in the ER the doctors are rude and dismissive - in fact the Dr tonight deliberately disregarded my personal request for an Iron. They won't believe me and I was treated as if I can barely muster 2 polysyllabic words together.
Something else is happening to my partner that's more than alcohol or psychological, and I'm at wits end.
Are there conditions that can magnify even just a small alcohol intake into a result of say ... 300.
Are there conditions that can cause alcohol false-positives?
Could there be little bacteria making moonshine in her colon?
Please don't tell me she's sneaking it. Ive seen an episode occur during a long drive and there was certainly not a chance for her to toss a few back with me next to her.
The only theme that occurs with any ubiquity - her period. In fact, her period was why she was in bathroom in the first place as evidenced by the blood and products and this week she has been complaining that her period is unusually heavy.
Please ... please help me.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
If it was the urine Ethyl Glucuronide or ETG test then this can test positive even several days after alcohol consumption. It can give false positive tests with exposure to hand sanitizers, after shave lotions, perfumes, medications, hygiene products, cosmetics, foods and other product. Breath alcohol test can give similar false positive result. Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus can cause false positive alcohol tests.
Heavy bleeding could be due to fibroids, adenomyosis, endometriosis, uterine polyps, hormonal imbalance, thyroid problems and bleeding disorders. Maybe she has severe anemia. Also she could be taking some medication that tested positive for alcohol.
The best thing would be to consult a general practitioner or PCP and try and assess what is the cause of her problem. Then proper referral for concerned specialist can take things further and get you proper treatment. Take care!
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
If it was the urine Ethyl Glucuronide or ETG test then this can test positive even several days after alcohol consumption. It can give false positive tests with exposure to hand sanitizers, after shave lotions, perfumes, medications, hygiene products, cosmetics, foods and other product. Breath alcohol test can give similar false positive result. Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus can cause false positive alcohol tests.
Heavy bleeding could be due to fibroids, adenomyosis, endometriosis, uterine polyps, hormonal imbalance, thyroid problems and bleeding disorders. Maybe she has severe anemia. Also she could be taking some medication that tested positive for alcohol.
The best thing would be to consult a general practitioner or PCP and try and assess what is the cause of her problem. Then proper referral for concerned specialist can take things further and get you proper treatment. Take care!
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