This is just so frustrating!

Haven't been on in a while, like the new look. I went just by Tamy before but anyway....I have had two job offers in the last week through temp. agencies. I will start out by saying I take mood stabilizers, ADD meds, nerve pills and several over the counter meds that I don't have to get from the pharmacist, just off the shelf, allergies, headaches and acid reducer.

Anyway, the first one I went to the orientation and at the end they did the urine test....no big deal.....till he (the owner of the temp agency) called me back and told me I tested positive for OPIUM & METHAMPHETAMINES. I literally had to ask what they were....I had no clue! He said if I wanted to take a second test I could, I would pay and if it came back clean they would reimburse me. Not a problem. Went Monday morning and took it and they sent it to the lab, still wasn't back yesterday. I talked to the lab, and found out that (by this time i had taken the other temp agencie's test) neither one of the agencies requested an MRO (medical records officer) to call me.
The second agency called me Monday and I tested positive for methampheamines....she sounded surprised that she needed to request an MRO and would have to get with their workman's comp. office. But i lost that job by yesterday.
I've tried calling around to health agencies but no one seems to know anything and from what one man at another agency said temp agencies are doing what they want, there's one in our area that even charges $5 just to sign up with them as a "service fee".
I can't take any meds to the clinic to show them what I take, the temp agencies look at me like i'm cross eyed when I tell them and tell me to tell the clinic. Now that I am getting jobs they are being taken away because no one wants to listen or just pay the extra for someone to call me and verify what I am taking. I am losing my mind!!!!

anyone have any ideas????

As long as you have prescriptions from a doctor, they can't hold that against you when hiring. Also, it is really none of their business what these meds are prescribed for. Sounds like the temp agencies need to revisit the regs in HIPAA. All you need is a note from your doctor saying these drugs were prescribed to you.

well i just called the clinic where i had them done. no i cannot take a note in from the doctor saying what i am taking, that is what the MRO is for if the company sees necessary to get. she said basically because of the hippa law that agencies and companies are discriminating against the meds i take so basically i am taking that to mean i am being discriminated against because i am bipolar. she suggested i call my doctor that prescribes my lithium (the big problem) and have it changed. after being on it for more than 2 years.....yeah. is this really happening?

That is discrimination. You should check into it further with the EEOC in your area. Here is a link that will provide more information, as well as help you locate an office in your area. Good luck!

http://www.eeoc.gov/

Certain food like poppy seeds can test positive for opiates.

the only thing i can think of is we had McDonald's last week before the first test. Nothing out of the ordinary........can't stand poppy seeds but might not know if I was even eating them if i didn't see them.

I find this odd. It's not that I don't believe you, I do. I am thinking that someone is either lying or the drug test clinic is too dumb to look into it.
First of all you tested positive for amphetamines AND an opiate. These two things are totally different chemically and they should have known, even if they never do drugs, that both of these things are unusual together.

Second, there are lots and lots of things that can give you a false positive for them. alka seltzer, pain medications, anti-anxiety drugs,asthma medications, and lot's of other things.

The third question to ask is, are you maybe diabetic and don't know it? If you have diabetes you can sometimes test positive for opiates AND amphetamines at the same time. I would think they should ask but they can't do a test because no one is paying them too.

trust me, it's as bizarre to me as it is to you. Opium? I am a total needle phobic and why in the world (although it's been explained to me that people do it all the time) would I even think about doing something illegal if I'm trying to get a job? makes no sense to me. if someone wants to try and make sense i'll lay it out because it's all making me manic by now.

Lithium: 1200 mg daily
Ritalin: 20 mg daily
Lorazepam: 6 mg daily
generic Equate brand Zantac
generic Equate brand Allergy relief 20 mg (allergies have been nuts lately)
generic Equate brand Excedrin Migraine

off the shelf or from the doctor....... false positives?
I will be getting releases from my doctors to send to every temp agency i am signed up with though.

METHAMPHETAMINES - Allergy meds, Excedrin and Ritalin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methylphenidate

Tamy70 wrote:trust me, it's as bizarre to me as it is to you. Opium? I am a total needle phobic and why in the world (although it's been explained to me that people do it all the time) would I even think about doing something illegal if I'm trying to get a job? makes no sense to me. if someone wants to try and make sense i'll lay it out because it's all making me manic by now.

Lithium: 1200 mg daily
Ritalin: 20 mg daily
Lorazepam: 6 mg daily
generic Equate brand Zantac
generic Equate brand Allergy relief 20 mg (allergies have been nuts lately)
generic Equate brand Excedrin Migraine

off the shelf or from the doctor....... false positives?
I will be getting releases from my doctors to send to every temp agency i am signed up with though.

If you aren't diabetic then it must be your diet or the medication.

Zantac is known for giving a false amphetamine positive. A lot of pain medications have opiates in them.

By the way, they generally can't tell you what drugs you have done from a piss test. They can tell you that you tested positive for an opiate but they don't know which one. For example, they can tell you that you tested positive for MDMA (the active ingredient in Ecstasy) but they can't tell you that you tested positive for ecstasy itself).

Here's one site that shows what medication can show false positive in drug testing. There are a lot more sites out there. Just google false positive drug test to bring up the sites.
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview/id/784817.html

Just scroll down till you still the list of medications.

Meth amphetamines positive test results would be from the Ritalin. they test for opiates, not necessarily opium in itself. opiates is what is in pain killers like oxycodone, (percocet) or oxycontin, have you had to take any of these for say like a tooth ache or surgery or something? There are many cold meds etc that can also cause a false positive. You should check with your pharmacist and ask if any of the OTC meds you are taking would cause this to happen. What I would do is bring the temp agency copies of your prescriptions along with a letter of medical necessity from your doctor to have on file for future tests. your ADD meds will always come up on the standard drug test for employment, but certainly should not prevent you from getting a job unless they are discriminating. I am sorry you have to go through this, it is an invasion of privacy IMO. I dont think they should be testing for Lithium?? Did they say they were? Lithium is not a narcotic, therefor its none of their business.
Good luck I hope it works our for you.

Drug tests shouldn't be legal anyway. There are all kinds of things that they can find out from a drug test that isn't drug related.

Companies have always used drug screening. In some way, I do support it. But, credit checks and security checks? That's just going a bit too far.

My problem with drug screening is that it's an invasion of privacy and as long as people don't come to work stoned what difference does it make what someone does in their own home? They don't do tests for alcohol but if someone came to work drunk there would be the same issues. It's an effort to legislate morality.

Tamy ~ I'm was an HR person & hope to be again soon ~ have worked with MRO's in the past to get things cleared up ~ the reason they won't let you bring the med's into them is because they don't know lithium from tylenol & now a days labels can be made on computers etc..... it's not that they don't trust you they are covering their butts ~ hopefully you have the opportunity to talk to the MRO which is a medical review officer & is usually a MD I don't think I've ever talked to one who was not ~ if you are not given that opportunity nor an explanation ~ yes it is discrimination ~ it's not right ~ over the years I've had people on many med's that can cause a positive ~ and yes the HIPPA privacy law is on your side ~ they can not ask why you are taking it only the MRO can you don't have to explain to anyone except the MRO ~ and lastly I don't know who said poppy seeds can test positive ~ they really don't it's an old trick big time ~ one would have to eat about 5 pounds of poppy seeds in order for it to test positive ~ I attended a workers comp seminar years ago & it was one of the sessions they had ~ drug testing & they actually had 10 people eat different amounts of poppy seed torte and then a bunch eat just poppy seeds & they also had 4 different types of drug screening also & not a single one tested positive ~ now a days the most accurate test is the hair test ~ oh I hated that one because we HR people had to do it & send it to the lab ~ hope this helps you & that you will get one of the jobs! don't give up!

Is it legal for them to test for lithium? I have never heard of testing for that for a job.

I don't know about that. I have little faith in a seminar from people that do drug tests. That sounds like they were giving you ammo to use against people who may test positive to shut them up.

I remember an episode of mythbusters where one of the guys ate 3 poppy seed bagels and tested positive after 30 minutes.

You can say that the experiment was fabricated but I could say the same about yours.

Over 80% of positive drug tests are overturned in court.

They're not allowed to test for lithium since it's commonly used for bipolar disorder (manic-depressive disorder; a disease that causes episodes of depression, episodes of mania, and other abnormal moods).

Companies could actually get successfully sued by applicants because they are not allowed to test for specific drugs.

lendmeflight2 wrote:I don't know about that. I have little faith in a seminar from people that do drug tests. That sounds like they were giving you ammo to use against people who may test positive to shut them up.

I remember an episode of mythbusters where one of the guys ate 3 poppy seed bagels and tested positive after 30 minutes.

You can say that the experiment was fabricated but I could say the same about yours.

Over 80% of positive drug tests are overturned in court.

Iagree with you on the drug tests being overturned in court ~ it's true ~ and I also am on their side ~ I don't believe in drug testing & think it is wrong but it is part of my job ~ as for the seminar ~ it wasn't a seminar like that ~ it was more about what where & why type & this part of it was just an experiment ~ it was very imformative & real it wasn't to disprove how people will try to pass them ~ as for the poppy seed issue ask a doctor they will tell you ~ I'm just telling it from experience ~ I wish Tamy well and hope it works out for her

thank you to everyone, i appreciate all of the ideas and support you gave.

I haven't taken any kind of pain meds for teeth or surgery in the past at all.

I also have not heard from anyone today which i would assume since they sent my samples out to the lab monday and tuesday they would have heard back by to day, maybe the other one may not be back until tomorrow.. but i haven't heard from the agency that was surprised I was asking for her to request an MRO to call me when they got the results.
I don't mind telling anyone why i am taking these meds.....i have nothing to hide and i would be willing to submit to a hair test any day. I would want the lab to break it down to see what was in my system. it's got to be better than going through this.

I don't believe in pain medication at all either. The only time I do resort to pain medication is if the pain is so unbearable that I cannot stand it. I only take it as a last resort and I try to tough out the pain.

kemcha wrote:I don't believe in pain medication at all either. The only time I do resort to pain medication is if the pain is so unbearable that I cannot stand it. I only take it as a last resort and I try to tough out the pain.

pain meds are a touchy subject for me...3 family members (in laws) suffered from severe drug addiction and the opiates is what got them started. they all overdosed and died from mixing opiates and xanax.

I do know however that some OTC meds can cause a false positive for opiates AND amphetamines and tamy should definitely check into which meds it is that cause it.

Tamy70 wrote:thank you to everyone, i appreciate all of the ideas and support you gave.

I haven't taken any kind of pain meds for teeth or surgery in the past at all.

I also have not heard from anyone today which i would assume since they sent my samples out to the lab monday and tuesday they would have heard back by to day, maybe the other one may not be back until tomorrow.. but i haven't heard from the agency that was surprised I was asking for her to request an MRO to call me when they got the results.
I don't mind telling anyone why i am taking these meds.....i have nothing to hide and i would be willing to submit to a hair test any day. I would want the lab to break it down to see what was in my system. it's got to be better than going through this.

You shouldnt have to explain why you are taking these meds. As long as the doc is prescribing you the meds then that is all they should need for proof. You dont have to tell them why.
My aunt was on lithium for 15 yrs for manic depression and it worked great for her. she was very upset when they had to switch her to other meds for health reasons. She has been trying to find the right combo of meds to control for quite some time now.
ADD meds are a god send to some people. I know several people that have to take Adderal or Ritalin for ADD or ADHD. I have ADHD but cant take the meds because of a thyroid disease. When I did take meds for it, i was prescribed Adderal and it was like a miracle to me. Good luck, I hope things work out for you!

http://www.askdocweb.com/falsepositives.html

i found this link last week after the first urine test came back positive.......i was really surprised at what can cause a false positive! but again the agencies don't want to hear it.