False negative drug screen

[colleen1212]

I am taking a low dose of Percocet 5-325 3x's a day, for chronic back and neck pain from a MVA. The problem is that even though I take it the way I should, I have had 2 negative drug screens.  What can cause this. Please help.

        colleen1212

[Jaybay]

It all depends on how much money the employer (or whoever it is that is forcing you to take the test) wants to spend.  A very good friend of mine works for a drug testing company, and there are many different panels the clients (employers) can choose from.  Some only look for alchol or marijuana; others look for everything they can afford.  

Since your meds are legally prescribed, there shouldn't be a problem.  Usually when you go in for testing you are questioned about what prescription meds you take, so if you listed the percocet, it wouldn't count as an illicit chemical on your test.  Also, the percocet is short-acting, so the level in your urine may have been too low for detection at the time you took the test.

[rainwater]

   HAVE YOU EVER TAKEN ONE BEFORE YOU GO IN TO BE TESTED? THERE ARE SO MANY SCAMMERS OUT THERE THAT IT IS HURTING US BY WAY OF PAIN MEDS...THEY SEE SO MANY DRUG SEEKERS THAT I'M SURE IT DRIVES THEM NUTS, I WOULD HATE TO NOT BE ABLE TO  TRUST MY DR. BUT THAT'S HOW THEY'VE BEEN TAUGHT TO TREAT US B/C OF THE FED GOV.. AND PAIN MEDS....

[colleen1212]

    I am a nurse so I do know why the Doctors are the way they.  The answer is no I had not taking one before the test. I never know when the tests are to be done.

                 colleen1212

[Ouch2Ouch]

Percocet is a synthetic opioid. In order to have a positive U/A a lab test called a GC/MS or Gas Chromotography/mass spectrography has to be done and the time from the last dose needs to be considered.

[mr.lucky66]

No it is a semi-synthetic opiate and always gave me a opiate postive. all the best

[Sara393]

I am on a pain management program. The doctor just started testing for the presence of the prescribed medications, to my astonishment the results came back negative. We then three days later did a serum level and the same results. I swear on all that is sacred to me I am taking my medications as prescribed, but now because of thses tests I have been "cut off" I am having horrible withdrawel. I am trying to set up a lie detector test in order to prove that I have not in any way diverted, misused, or any thing else other than take my medications. I am so upset and I just can't understand how they could be negative when I AM taking all the medications. I am at the point as to why try any more. I have RSD I don't know if anyone here has this but it is impossible to live with. What can I do? I can't fo back to this kind of pain. The medications were the only things that kept me functioning.

HELP someone Please?

Sara

[babydm29]

I just went to the Dr yesturday and the same thing happened to me.. I went last month for a drug test and when I went to the Drs. this month He flat out refused to give me my meds saying that my drug test came back negative for any of the meds that I was perscribed. I like you take my meds all the time Unless I know that I have to drive and I told him that. But he still didnt want to hear it. I also have RSD and been on these meds for 3 years I have NO IDEA why they are not in my system. Im gonna end up going threw horrible withdrawl soon and Im scared to death.  Im on Methadone and Vicodin and He just Cut me off after one test comming back Negitive and I dont understand how it could. He called me a lyer and told me to never come back to his office. But there is no other Pain clinic in the area. WHAT WOULD CAUSE THE RESULTS TO COME BACK NEGITIVE when I TAKE THE MEDS????

[sandee1818]

With so many people having this problem I have been doing some research....

It seems that these test have cutoff levels as in some are very sensitive while others are not sensitive enough to detect the drugs.



Dear triciatx-ga;

Thank you for allowing me an opportunity to answer your interesting
question. I am not a medically trained physician but I am a law
enforcement laboratory technician who routinely handles evidence
including specimens for drug screens.

A drug screen is a complex thing and the higher tuned (more sensitive)
it is the more complex it becomes. You see, drug screens can be
adjusted to detect various trace amounts of many different types of
drugs. Some test react positively for the presence of drugs
(substances or derivatives) only if those traces appear in the test
medium in certain volumes. For example, a person on parole may be
given a test for marijuana (cannabis, hash, etc) that will respond
positive if the test medium contains traces above  a certain “cutoff
level” where the cutoff level is very low (10ng/ml possibly) . Whereas
a person applying for a job may be given a test for marijuana
(cannabis, hash, etc) that will respond positive only if the test
medium contains traces above a certain “cutoff level” where the cutoff
level is very high (50ng/ml possibly).

There is some recent history with false results as is evidenced by
studies conducted by the Veteran’s Administration (VA). For example,
the VAGLAHS Outpatient Pain Program (OPMP) utilizes a standard Drug of
Abuse (DOA) immunoassay and Biorad High Performance Liquid
Chromatography (HPLC) Remedi-HS. These tests are used to monitor for
medication compliance. In 2004  as many as 44 % of patients tested
were found negative for opiates despite patient prescribed opioid
medication. The VA concluded that the DOA test was not sensitive
enough (in other words the cutoff was too high to detect the presence
of opioids commensurate with what the VA considered minimum
requirements)
.‘Result of Urine Toxicology in VA Patients Treated In a Pain Clinic’
http://www1.va.gov/hsrd/about/national_meeting/2004/abstracts/2047.htm

[sandee1818]

I think my above post is saying that the test these Dr's are using are not the best for our situation. In order to test positive for our meds we have to have the required amount in our system that the test requires in order to test positive. If one test requires only trace amounts then surly there will be no problem, if one test requires that a high level be detected then we will have to have that level in order to test positive. Now to me this is outrageous that the Dr who orders these test can order the test that requires higher levels of the drug to be present in order to be positive, therefore some will and have failed these test. There is a member here that is a lab tech and can answer far more questions about this I will see if we can get him to reply.

[IWonder1]

Hi all
I just posted this a while ago before I saw this one. I thought I would add it to the comments of this post as well.

I've been on pain meds for over 3 years. I take about 250 mg of OXY a day. I recently moved so I'm looking for a new Dr. I found one and took his initial drug test. The results so he claims are NOT what they should be. He accused me of diverting some of my pain meds. Even though I tested positive he said that the results showed that the levels of drugs did not coincide with what I am prescribed/ taking. Is this possible? Do they have the ability to detect the actual amounts consumed in urine? Aren't their a lot of variables involved that can influence this? For Ex. When I know I have to drive to the Dr.'s I do NOT take my meds that day until after I get home. Could this be why my levels were down? I always take my meds EXACTLY as prescribed, and believe me I need them. I would NEVER give them or sell them to someone else. Please help?
Thanks
IWONDER

[babydm29]

I also would NEVER sell or not take my pills. The only time that I dont take my meds is like you when I know I have to drive. I have RSD and 4 hurnated disks in my back and a few deteriorating tisks.(how ever you spell it). And Like you Im in too much pain to not take my meds. But my (OLD) PM dr said that I dont take them and he stopped seeing me cause my drug test(urine) came up Negative. Im so upset about all of this. I havent been on my Methadone since weds. now. cause he wouldnt give it to me. And now he will not even see me anymore. My PCP did give me the vicodin that I was also taking but he said that he isent allowed to write the Methadone or he said that he would. I have been going threw withdrawls and I feel like ****. So I ended up calling the