false negative for morphine but false positive for vicodin!!

[precious_woman]

I am really glad that I found this forum...I am currently in as state of shock over what just took place at my own pain management doctors office. I have herniated lumbar discs which have also caused nerve damage, degenerative disc disease and buldging cervical discs. I have been on morphine for about 4 years, extended release and instant release. Last month the doctor gave ALL patients a urine test and when I got there today he said "we have a problem"...I was shocked and asked "what?" He said "the results of your urinalysis are in and they came back negative for morphine and positive for vicodin, I can only write you one months prescription and you will have to find another pain management doctor"... I was shocked!! I said "No way.. there is a mistake!!! I take my morphine like clockwork!! Every 12 hours!! I get home from filling my prescriptions and I take out 4 seven day pill containers and label them with each date... I put each days dose in each date and they go into a lockbox. I have not and did not take any vicodin!!" I insisted he retest me. I know there is a mistake. He said "no, it's a $900 test" he also added "the problem is not with finding the vicodin but with the morphine coming back negative"... HOW?? I insisted to him that the lab must have transposed the two drugs... but he refused to retest me and has now released me from his care!!! Does anyone know how this could happen?? I always, always take my morphine as prescribed!! I did NOT take any vicodin because it violates my contract that I have with him!! (as well as I don't have it nor do I like it!!) I don't know what to do! I even had a tooth extracted a week before that urinalysis and did NOT accept any pain meds from the dentist because it would have violated my contract with him!! The only other things I have taken are fioricet which is prescribed by him for migraines,  "benadryl" which he told me to take every night because I never get a full nights sleep due to the pain. Also "Orajel and anbesol" for the tooth extraction pain. I am also a large coca-cola drinker!! I am literally in a state of shock because I know these results are wrong!! any help would greatly be appreciated!!!

[Tuckamore]

Hello Precious,

Welcome to the Pain Mangement Forum. I am so sorry that this has happened to you. Unfortunately it happens much to often. As said vefore you will never know why this happen. There are stastics that say these drug screens are wrong up to 60% or more of the time. All you have to do is be on this forum for awhile and you will see numerous posts like yours. It's always sad.

Unfortunately you have no recourse. There is no protection for the PM patient, no second chance. One failed drug screen gets you booted out the door of the PM Clinic. The lab eill only give you the number results. They will not admit there could have been an error.

I know this is difficult but please don't waste any time, you need to begin looking for a new PMP.  My heart goes out to you. Please keep in touch and let us know how you are doing.

Take Care,
Tuck

[precious_woman]

Thank you all so very much for your support. It's greatly appreciated. The biggest problem here is that I am in the process of trying to find a primary care doctor. Since I moved back here I saw one doctor whom I did not like for two reasons...#1) he answered his cell phone during the appointment and continued to carry on a conversation in arabic for 5 minutes IN the room!! (he could have said "excuse me" and left the room for that) and #2) he said "do you think with all the surgeries you have had in the past you are addicted to narcotics" ... I was so shocked at that comment. But I felt I handled it appropriately by telling him "no, I am permanently disabled. I only take what is prescribed by pain management and I have a contract with my pain management doctor that states I am not allowed to accept ANY prescriptions for any pain medications at all from any doctor other than him. I ONLY take what is prescribed to me and I take it exactly as it is prescribed".. This "new primary care" doctor was supposed to set me up with "pain management" here in Massachusetts but when I checked the doctor out that he referred me to online, it turns out to be "physiatry" (been there, done that when I was first injured) it wasn't until the physiatrist sent me to pain management that they put me on time released meds that actually helped relieve the pain. Like my doctor says, I will "never be pain free, they can only do the best they can to help make it tolerable"
I am going to call my pain management doctor back tomorrow and ask to speak to him directly. After researching on the internet and seeing that a urinalysis is not even 60% accurate, I was not there to witness my own urine sample collected or marked with my name (they had me "leave it in a box in the bathroom" and also from what I can tell I am entitled to request a second test OR a blood test and I was denied both! I doubt he will comply but I guess it's at least worth the phone call. I will also call the pain management clinic he has referred me to. I don't know, I am still very, very upset and being disabled it's not easy to fight a fight thats all due to some sort of mistake or error!! Again,  thank you all so much. It helps to know there are people out there who have been through the same thing and/or understand.  

[TrayCee]

Sorry to say but...IMO youre wasting your time calling the Dr that discharged you. Also sorry to say that your not "entitled to request" another UA.  As long as he gave you a "legitimate" (I use that term loosely) reason and 30days of meds hes well within his rights.

Put this mess behind you and look for a better Dr. BEFORE your meds run out.  You may want to consider weaning yourself off the meds with this last script incase you dont get new Dr. before the meds run out.

I sincerely hope everything works out for you.   I dont know what your religious beliefs are but...Never underesitmate the power of prayer

[Tuckamore]

If it makes you feel better to call your PMP than do it. Don't be surprised is he refuses to even take your call, It happens all the time and unfortunately that is the usual procedure.

And think about it? Do you really want a PMP that no longer trusts you and that apparently uses faulty procedures to collect urine samples for drug screens? I certainly would not.

You are correct there are some statistics that say that urine drug screening can be as high as 80% but you will never get a PM Clinic to admit to that. They have to rely on something. They are monitored by the DEA. If they continue to prescribe narcotics to someone that fails a drug screen they risk losing their license. Please do not think that I am standing up for the PM clinics, I'm not. These are just the facts as tough as they may be to swallow. I am sincerely sorry that this has happened to you.

I encourage you to also look for another PCP. In my opinion you ran into a very uneducated and unprofessional physician. There are good ones out there.

Again best of luck and please keep in touch.

[precious_woman]

Thanks guys. I am not so sure it will make me feel better to call him... but I am going to anyway. If for no other reason than to point out the collection procedure they used that day. I have been suffering from a severe migraine all night and regardless of what I try I can't seem to relieve the pain and nauseau (sp). I have that appointment with physiatry next week and I have the number to the pain management clinic that my old pain management doctor gave me. I don't know..... I am still shell shocked. I honestly thought I read somewhere that I had the right to request a second urinalysis and/or blood draw. Does anyone know if a problematic gall bladder would cause false negatives or false positives? about 6 months ago they went in and looked at my gall bladder and said there was a problem with the bile duct that leads from the gall bladder to the liver. (I think that's what it was). But after reading the post above about how he was "within his rights" I am feeling discouraged.  Because even if I were to "wean myself off my meds" then I would be 100% bedridden and in excrutiating pain!!

[JoshuaY46013]

If you call him, what are you going to say?  That your test was wrong?  The doctor doesn't have to give a client a second chance, if he even suspects you're using the medicines in the wrong way he can discharge you, no questions asked.  His ONLY obligation is to supply you with 30 days of medication.  I suggest you call another pain management facility instead of the discharged facility and schedule an apt.  They will not prescribe you anymore medication nor will they take you back because of stuff you read from the internet.  

I don't agree with the way these tests are collected, but this is the way of THAT doctors office.  If you're not careful, you'll add more information to your file and no doctor will want to take you.

I'm so sorry and I hope you get this sorted out, good luck to you.