Random drug testing at pain clinic worries

[gydget1932]

I just wondered if anybody can help me..the pain clinic I go to for the past year has been wonderful, but recently they started Federally required random urine tests.  I was surprised and scared on the first one since I had taken a xanax the night before, but on the next visit, they said that they saw the xanax, but didn't care..they cared about that they saw norco (generic vicodin) on my test and said that it was probably because I am on methadone and oxycodone for pain and sometimes norco gets mixed up with them they said, but yet, they wanted me to pee again because they siad it was random urine test day again (and they were testing others...how lucky I am..sigh).  I got all scared and told them I didn't want to pee again as they could just look up my "Cures?" or whatever that D.E.A. thing for CA is and see that I am not getting opiates from anybody else.   They calmed me down and said I was in no trouble at all and not to worry and that this is common for a false vicodin to appear on a methadone test because apparently methadone is a mixture of many common opiate pain killers, just without the buzz or whatever.  My doctor said he is just worried because there seemed to be more norco then oxycodone and I do admit I have a small bottle of old norco I take once in awhile for my post-cancer pain when the oxy's run out and I just happened to have some early yesterday (and late the first test), but now will not want to take anymore...if I don't take anymore of my old norco, and they do another test later and there is no norco this time, will they be suspicious?  

I am so scared and so lost...I can't believe they can even not just find "opiates" but can find all the EXACT drugs one is taking.  I am really scared.  They are so nice at the front desk and say I am okay and not to worry, but they told me that before I did my first one and told me it was ONLY for the drugs I was taking and yet they tested for every drug in the world.  Sigh!!

And so I wondered, are they lying to me...they told me as long as my urine test was the same again this time, everything was alright and they really thought I was overreacting but I have kids to worry about.  I take no illegal drugs whatsoever.  Has this ever happened to anybody else here?  I am freaking out.  My pee should be the same as last time and they said that if that were true, I really have nothing to worry about...in fact they just said I have nothing to worry about period pretty much, BUT when I asked them but then, what WOULD get me in trouble, she would change the subject.  I guess they might mean if I had other illegal drugs or stuff like that.  What if I stop or run out of my norco, which I will soon, and then it is not in the test?  So much anxiety...I am going crazy with fear..and what will they do to me...just dump me as a patient?  Right now, they seem nice to me and I am an old customer and I am almost best friends with their doctor.  I figure if they do find a way to "catch" me, I will just tell them the truth, becasue I am really not seeing any other doctors for those meds.  It is just an old bottle from online a long time ago.

Sorry this is so long...let me know what you know if you know..:-)

Gydget

[gydget1932]

Thanks to all..it is hard dealing with this horrific pain for 30 years, pain that is like being electrocuted every ten seconds and screaming from it, and the back pain also, and the messy messy meds that go with it.  BTW, I had never said that I ever refused to take ANY of the tests and did them both and the doc did not ask me anything about anything yet but just went into the methadone spiel about the norco w/o even looking over at me and I could not help but not say anything at that point, but, when or if he does, I will tell him the total truth.  He is a really really good doc and really seems to care about me and his other patients and spends a lot of time with each of us as well.  This just seems to be a wierd thing going on all of a sudden.  Probably he is being watched.  It is not fair on good docs like him.

I hope you are you feeling better EmilyPost? I have felt that pain before and it is unspeakable!!

Take care ya'll and have a good summer,
Gydget

[tree26]

The receptionist is going to know if you are ok or not.  Your Doctor or Nurse would.  I think by you Freaking out so bad and refusing to take another test, withholding information you are drawing more attention to yourself.  Why are you getting meds from a online Dr?  Do you think your Pain Doctor would understand that or approve?  You should be honest with your doctor.  Believe me they have heard it all.  They know when something is up or not.  If your  meds are not working good enough for you , you need to let them know.  Honesty is the best way.  And if they ask why you had other things in your system I would tell them you had a hard day or night and you found this old bottle of yours and took one because of the pain...that you only had a few left.....you should have told them that when it first showed up.

Good Luck

[lifesaride]

uh, just an observation but, DO YOU HEAR YOURSELF?

[gydget1932]

THANK YOU SO MUCH...I AM FEELING MUCH BETTER and you are right..I AM SO anxious about all of this!  And to broknback...you are on a thought I am REALLY needing a straight answer to...... so you are saying this is probably what I thought it was at first also, just a "diversion drug test"?  but I just don't know WHY he tested for a bunch of OTHER drugs I am NOT prescribed from him if it is just a "diversion test",  I am also worried what he will say on my NEXT visit...Oh God.  Sigh.

   I also don't know what his deal is with the Feds and don't know what he will be REQUIRED to do to me as they are not being very clear about what is going on..making me sign something that was supposed to only test my two drugs and THEN of course, they tell me afterward that they had ALL drugs tested on me and all the other patients.  Now I feel lied to and really not so sure these people are on my side anymore.

No illegals..I have a bottle of xanax I get from a different doc ONLINE..I hope he won't flip about THAT becuz I HAS to have my xanax at bedtime.  :-)  The norco is all gone now for good.

BTW, thanks for everybody caring so much and I wouldn't mind more tips or knowledge about this if anybody comes up with more.  The receptionist says I am okay but that is what she said last time. Will let you know what happens.

Love you all,
Gydget

[sadinmichigan]

I agree that you should relax..I know thats easier said than done..but here in Michigan the pain clinics and methadone clinics have to do random drug tests once a month. And exactly as stated by ID...you have to have the drugs that are being prescribed in your system.and no others!! including  THC..they don't kick you out here though..You just would lose take home privledges for methadone. If you have a rx for xanax then you should simply be able to show them and have it documented. however, be careful taking methadone and xanax together..Norco is a brand name of hydrocodone..as is vicodin ,lortab,But the ingrediants are the same,just different manufacturers. I doubt that they can actually tell you what brand that you are taking..and when I was in the methadone clinic i never had a false positive for any other opiate other than methadone.I did have a false negative for methadone??go figure..but they do so many urine tests that mix ups can easily occur. I would say you freaking out about it would make them more suspicious..relax..I doubt they will toss you..

[broknbck]

this drug testing is becoming more and more common. they are just making sure that you are taking the scripts they are giving you and not selling them. it is not a witch hunt to check up on if you are taking other things. they are trying to get a grip on all the scripts out there being sold.

[EmilyPost]

Ok. This just makes me so angry for you! I just wanna give you a huge HUG and tell you it's all going to be ok and not to worry. However, I'm not liking the Not Answering the Question Attitude of the nurse. And I'm not sure what the half life of generic vicodin actually is.

I will say this; if this is your pain management clinic and you are having to take something else in addition to what they are giving you, I think you need to tell them about the unbearable BreakThru Pain that you are experiencing from the CA.

They need to help you manage your pain. You didn't do anything wrong, because the drugs you had are the old drugs, and you happened to have some left which you used for breakthru pain.

I do agree with AvisG and think you shouldn't take anymore of anything unless they give it to you. You've recieved really excellent responses. My heart just goes out to you. I am just so very sorry you are having to worry about your kids and having pain and at the same time dealing with random drug urine tests. I would say that your anxiety needs to be treated, and talk to them about THAT. They are making you anxious, and everyone knows anxiety causes pain and then pain causes anxiety. So something is missing in the "pain management" circle if you find yourself needing old meds.

I'm on Day 11 of a cold turkey withdrawal from Tramadol and I'm wearing SUNGLASSES inside my house now. Lovely! And to think they told me that this wasn't an opiate and didn't cause withdrawal! I guess at least if Mick Jagger stops by to give me advice on quitting he won't feel out of place wearing his sunglasses inside. There's always a little laughter ya know? That helps.

I would say that the pain management people need to re-evaluate your case and re-examine you and come up with a tweak in your plan. I don't like to hear that you are in a clinic that is causing you so much stress. They have a responsibility too you know!

My very very big bestest whitest light to you!
Emily

[gydget1932]

Well, thanks...I really do not need the norco and that is the stupidest thing of all and the funny thing was that I was WAY MORE worried about the xanax, and then of course, it turned out that he was more concerned about the norco but made no eye contact with me when discussing it at the last minute with his med assistant at the front desk on my way out and then they apparently made me pee again just because it was random day AGAIN, my luck since I had changed my appt. I didn't see the doc again..maybe he was afraid to make eye contact with me because we have been friends for a long time and he was about to bust me or going to attack me verbally on my next visit?  Please tell me that can't happen..what can he ask me or not?  I want to just be honest, tell him the Norco is gone, but I am taking the xanax from another doc,  but not have to say more.

Also, they told me that they were being watched by the Feds or something and that they had not been following the law by pee-testing everyone and so it was nothing personal.  I would be happy if they did just knock me off if that had to happen..but I really really have loved this doctor AND his nice nice staff.  I won't be able to get off the xanax for quite awhile...I have been tapering that, but the norco is gone now and should not be on any more tests and he mentioned it might have only turned up "because norco is in methadone"????????????  Does anybody know about false norco positives coming up with methadone confirmation urine tests?  And yes, the drugs he HAD given me were on the test.  I am taking them.  I am just going to be honest with him and tell him the norco is gone and I got the xanax from another doc, but ONLY if he really gets nosy about these subjects.

It is a shame all this garbage from the government concerning pain management is getting in the way of a great patient/doc relationship, which has taken me years to find with this guy...now that he is so busy with the urine tests and too many patients, etc., it doesn't seem the same anymore.  I have been with him over a year now and really love it at his office.  I hope we can work any problems with my pee tests out.  One more problem is that I am getting the xanax from a doc online and have the bottle but that might get ugly.  So far, with any problems I have had, he has been so understanding and seems like he has seen it all, even though he is a fairly young doctor.

Okay, enough muttering...I am feeling a bit less worried...just don't want to get secretly attacked again on my next appt...last time they told me on the phone my pee test was fine and then did this again to me.  But they didn't seem too concerned even though I had to pee again for the random day again..I hope it just stays that way.  I asked the girl about five times that if my pee test comes out the same as the first, will I be okay and she insisted yes, but she is also the one that said my pee test was fine before I went to my second pee test.  SIGH!

Thanks,
Gydget

[avisg]

You should just be honest with them it is going to come up on your drug test show them the bottle ,They can drop you as a paneit .I would not take any more narco.  Do not take anything other then what the doctors there have perscribed.Most places if you fail too many tests they will have no chioce but to let you go.

[Id_Complex]

Hey Don't sweat it.  If you are taking something that is not prescribed I would go ahead and stop before it does become a problem with them.  I'm in louisiana and I know around here they will drop you if you have things in your system that are not prescribed to you.  Mainly what they are checking for is that you are taking what they are giving you.  If they write you oxycodone and you don't fail for oxycodone then obviously you are selling them.    Just make sure anything in your system is prescribed to you and everything prescribed to you is in your system.  No worries