My random UA drug test at pain clinic tested positive for alcohol and I dont drink

[Distressedinpain]

Hi I am a 43 year old disabled nurse. I have been in pain management therapy since 2007 with the same office. I have been with my doctor, an absolutely wonderful man, since he started in the practice in 2009. I have multiple pain issues and take several medications. My doctor thought that I might be experiencing opoioid induced hyperalgesia so we decided to do a taper starting last month. So far things were going well. I saw my doctor this last Monday. But at the appointment I was hit with a bomb. I had a random drug test in his office 2 1/2 months ago. All of my previous random drug screens were negative. I have seen him 3 times since I took the test but suddenly on Monday he said my drug screen was positive for alcohol. I was devastated because I do not drink, not even occasionally. I do not even cook with alcohol. Now I feel that I am under suspicion. They did another random drug screen on Monday but now I feel that he is not going to have the confidence in me that he used to. What should I do? I do remember when I took the test that there was a gentleman being screened in the bathroom next to me. Could the chain of custody been broken? This many months later do you think that they would still have some of the urine to rescreen it  or would the sample be too old to test? I  feel that I have no recourse. The doctor did give me my months worth of meds but also told me that I cannot drink while taking the meds. Of course I cant drink while taking the medications that would be absolutely stupid. I also know that there are so many patients that self medicate that my statement that I dont drink just blew by him. I have been so upset this week. I cant sleep. I want to call the office and talk to someone again but I figure that will  only feast the fire. Do I just wait till my next month appointment and ask about the new screen and again tell him that I dont drink and please recheck to see if it was somehow a false positive. I know that the DEA requires the doctors who give out powerful narcotics to comply by giving their patients drug tests and it makes the doctors look bad when patients have positive results. I feel that if I was told right away about the positive screen that I could have had them retest it right then. I would love for this this just to be a bad nightmare but it isn't. I feel so humiliated.

[trixy71]

Yes, there are all kinds of things that contain alcohol that I didn't even know about. I was reading the ingredients on something (I can't, for the life of me, remember what it was) but it was some sort of snack, it said it contained 10% sugar alcohol. I was floored! Chances are, if it wasn't cold medicine you were taking, then it was something you consumed. Hopefully, things turn out OK for you.

Personally, I don't buy into the "hyperalgesia" theory, but then again, I'm not a doctor. In just my personal opinion, I think doctors try this just to see if a person can handle not having pain meds and if they can, then the docs can justify not giving them anymore. But like I said, that's just my personal opinion and I could be totally wrong. Good luck to you and let us know how things go for you.

[BetterGetBetter]

I don't know how sensitive the alcohol portion of your drug test is, but lots of things from Vanilla extract, to Salad Dressing ("red wine vinegar"), to mouthwash, etc., may contain alcohol.

[Toni_Paugh]

Hi. Maybe it was in a cold or allergy medication you had been taking.

[Life360_Dave]

Hi, yes this makes no sense at all. Obviously its an error. Just retest at the next appointment and put this behind you. Your doctor knows you so have faith in your doctor patient relationship.