Need help with false positive Etg testing

[valiegirl]

I am looking for information from anyone who can help me. I am in a recovery program in Michigan called the Health Professional Recovery Program. I went into rehab in December 2004, and joined the program shortly after to help continue my recovery. I am proud to say that I have been sober since I entered rehab. I went into rehab for my addiction to marijuana. I also drank, but not heavily. In the past year, I have had several positive Etg tests. The first two I was able to pin down to the use of mouthwash and Crest Night Whitening Gel. Due to my positive tests, I went into Intensive Outpatient Therapy again and just completed the 12 sessions last week. Before I entered IOP, I requested to take Antabuse for my own state of mind, and to show that I was willing to do anything to show how serious I was about my recovery. I also was put into corrective action at work due to these tests. Now I'm going through another positive test. I tested Etg positive on December 6, 2005. I just found out about on January 11, 2006! Why does it take a month to get positive results back? I had to quit my job on Friday, because the next step of action was termination after signing other correction forms at work. I felt that it would look better to quit, than to be fired when I went to seek future employment. I talked to my addictionolgist about me being on Antabuse and having a postive test. He said that some people can take Antabuse and still drink without any bad effects depending on the dose of the medication. I take 250mg daily, and I weigh 108#. His response was "you've been drinking, the tests do not lie". I also have been suffering from anorexia/bulimia for the past 25 years, and am currently seeing a therapist weekly, and am in an eating disorder support group weekly. I've been to my doctor at U of M and have blood tests done to look for any problems that may be causing these positives, but nothing was really out of the ordinary. I had been searching for information about these positive tests, and I found this forum. I read a post about alcohol being in soy sauce and teriyki sauce. I went to a web site for soy sauce, and it does contain alcohol. However, it is not on the label! The company says it does not place it on the label because it does not contain enough alcohol to legally have to put it there. My family eats chinese food at least 1-2 times per month, with soy sauce on our food. Since Etg tests for a direct metabolite of alcohol, could any amount of this cause the tests to be positive. I was aware of other foods that contain alcohol, and have been very diligent since my first couple of tests to watch lablels for alcohol containing products. I talked with my addictionolgist that day about my positive test, and the fact that I've been taking my Antabuse. He said that some people do drink while taking Antabuse, and do not have any reactions. He said, "the tests do not lie, you've been drinking". My HPRP group also does not believe me. They keep saying "stop denying the fact that you've been drinking, and be honest with yourself". I know in my heart and soul that I have not been actively drinking! I am very proud that I have been sober for a full year! I am not about to tell someone that I'm drinking, when I haven't been. This past year has been very difficult for me mentally as a result of the positive tests. I'm having increasing problems with my eating disorder because I'm now afraid to eat anything for fear of the product containing alcohol. I am looking to all of you for help of any information you can provide to me or point me to. I cannot keep going through this.

[saveh99]

go to
http://www.ethylglucuronide.com/
sign in at the egroup at the bottom of the page. There are many of us there.

[HUBERT.GRAHAM@VERIZON.NET]

I am looking for information from anyone who can help me. I am in a recovery program in Michigan called the Health Professional Recovery Program. I went into rehab in December 2004, and joined the program shortly after to help continue my recovery. I am proud to say that I have been sober since I entered rehab. I went into rehab for my addiction to marijuana. I also drank, but not heavily. In the past year, I have had several positive Etg tests. The first two I was able to pin down to the use of mouthwash and Crest Night Whitening Gel. Due to my positive tests, I went into Intensive Outpatient Therapy again and just completed the 12 sessions last week. Before I entered IOP, I requested to take Antabuse for my own state of mind, and to show that I was willing to do anything to show how serious I was about my recovery. I also was put into corrective action at work due to these tests. Now I'm going through another positive test. I tested Etg positive on December 6, 2005. I just found out about on January 11, 2006! Why does it take a month to get positive results back? I had to quit my job on Friday, because the next step of action was termination after signing other correction forms at work. I felt that it would look better to quit, than to be fired when I went to seek future employment. I talked to my addictionolgist about me being on Antabuse and having a postive test. He said that some people can take Antabuse and still drink without any bad effects depending on the dose of the medication. I take 250mg daily, and I weigh 108#. His response was "you've been drinking, the tests do not lie". I also have been suffering from anorexia/bulimia for the past 25 years, and am currently seeing a therapist weekly, and am in an eating disorder support group weekly. I've been to my doctor at U of M and have blood tests done to look for any problems that may be causing these positives, but nothing was really out of the ordinary. I had been searching for information about these positive tests, and I found this forum. I read a post about alcohol being in soy sauce and teriyki sauce. I went to a web site for soy sauce, and it does contain alcohol. However, it is not on the label! The company says it does not place it on the label because it does not contain enough alcohol to legally have to put it there. My family eats chinese food at least 1-2 times per month, with soy sauce on our food. Since Etg tests for a direct metabolite of alcohol, could any amount of this cause the tests to be positive. I was aware of other foods that contain alcohol, and have been very diligent since my first couple of tests to watch lablels for alcohol containing products. I talked with my addictionolgist that day about my positive test, and the fact that I've been taking my Antabuse. He said that some people do drink while taking Antabuse, and do not have any reactions. He said, "the tests do not lie, you've been drinking". My HPRP group also does not believe me. They keep saying "stop denying the fact that you've been drinking, and be honest with yourself". I know in my heart and soul that I have not been actively drinking! I am very proud that I have been sober for a full year! I am not about to tell someone that I'm drinking, when I haven't been. This past year has been very difficult for me mentally as a result of the positive tests. I'm having increasing problems with my eating disorder because I'm now afraid to eat anything for fear of the product containing alcohol. I am looking to all of you for help of any information you can provide to me or point me to. I cannot keep going through this.

ALL OF THE ABOVE HAPPENED TO ME. I HAVE BEEN TREATED TOTALLY IN AN UNETHICAL FASHION, MIS-INFORMED, LIED TO, THREATENED,AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN THINK OF WHEN ALL ALONG I HAVE BEEN IN TOTAL COMPLIANCE FOR OVER A YEAR. THE ONLY THING AT THIS POINT I CAN SAY IS..." MALPRACTICE ANYONE !!!??"....ETG TESTS ARE COMPETELY UNRELIABLE FOR ALCOHOL DETECTION. I HAVE DONE MUCH RESEARCH AND HAVE COMPILED A LOT OF DOCUMENTATION. TALK TO ME !! I HAVE UNCOVERED A LOT OF INFO THAT IS VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF LEGAL REMEDIES WHEN IT COMES TO THE WIDELY PRACTICED UNETHICAL AND ILLEGAL METHEDOLOGY COMMONLY PRACTICED BY SUBSTANCE ABUSE HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS NATIONWIDE. ETG TESTING IS BEING USED TO LINE THE POCKETS OF 'FOR PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS'. ENTRAPMENT IS THE NAME OF THE GAME AS LYING BY OMISSION AND CIRCULAR LOGIC IS USED TO JUSTIFY THE THE OVERALL 'WELFARE OF THE CLIENT AND THE PROTECTION OF PUBLIC INTERESTS'. THIS ESPECIALLY TRUE IN COURT MANDATED TX PROGRAMS. AS A CARING HEALTH CARE PROVIDER I AM TOTALLY OUTRAGED. TALK TO ME !! I AM GATHERING THE GOODS TO TAKE ACTION...HUBERT.GRAHAM@VERIZON.NET

PS AVOID LIQUID NEUTRICEUTICALS/HEALTH FOOD SUPPLEMENTS, ANY FOOD THAT CONTAINS VANILLA, COMMERCIAL BAKERY GOODS, AND ANY FOOD PRODUCTS THAT CONTAIN EXTRACTS....THE LIST GOES ON AND IT WOULD BLOW YOUR MIND.

[CRNAspa]

No laboratory test is ever 100% accurate. Since labs hire human beings, and humans are known to make mistakes every now and then, there is always room for error. Other factors can change the EtG results. The excerpt below is from the Medical Laboratory Observer.

"Using regression analysis, this study shows that age, gender, marijuana use, kidney disease, and total grams of alcohol consumed 30 days before sample collection are the variables that most significantly influenced EtG levels. Another recent report warns that urinary-tract infections may lead to false-negative EtG results.31 Regarding sample storage, when urine is stored at 4°C in airtight tubes, EtG concentrations remain relatively constant, but storage of ventilated vials at room temperature for five weeks results in an average of 37% increase in EtG.32"

Also, the Alabama Medical community received this advisory when dealing with EtG positive results...

"The following updated advisory has been developed in response to questions from monitoring programs and regulatory boards regarding EtG testing:
- No laboratory test is 100% accurate. Clinical correlation is always important.
- Some individuals appear to produce more EtG for a given exposure to ethanol than others. This is probably associated with a known genetic polymorphism in the human UDP-glucuronyl transferase enzyme system. The exact limits of this variation are not known.
- A positive EtG is not necessarily proof of intentional alcoholic beverage consumption. Low level positive tests are known to occur due to incidental exposure. The cutoff for possible incidental exposure vs. intentional use has not been accurately established, due to many factors including; amount of
"incidental" exposure, individual metabolism, hydration, kidney function, etc..

For the above reasons it is advisable, whenever possible, to refrain from taking action against an employee or licensee based on urine EtG testing alone. When a positive EtG test is reported, if alcohol use is denied, we encourage the use of clinical evaluation by a Medical Review Officer and Addiction Medicine specialists to more fully assess the meaning of a positive test. We encourage Boards, Courts, and/or Employers to include expert opinion involving thorough clinical evaluation to help interpret positive test results."

Feel free to contact me for additional information.

[paigecampbell]

I also tested positive although I did not drink. I have had very serious repercussions which is too long to go into. Some info for you: there is a class action lawsuit re the etg testing. The attorneys are in Phili, Pomerantz, Perlberberger and Lewis, 215-569-8866. This suit is going on in many states that still have the etg testing. I'm in Ca, and they have raised the postive level to 650, which still is not high enough and I just heard they are now doing another test to confirm when there is a postive. Dr. Skipper will testify as expert witness if you have to go to hearing (he was set to testify at mine, but I setteled with the board instead). He wrote an article, its on the internet, regarding the high levels caused by inhalation of vapors.
You also need to know that in administrative law, even if your attorney convinces the judge, the board does not have to listen and can revoke your license if that is what they are moving to do in your case.
This is what happened here in Ca. to a pharmacist. This was a month before my hearing, and I got scared and when they offered me a deal I took it. I am now suspended for a year and have an additional 3 years probation.