Don’t risk it

A 62 year old long time friend went to court this month for a DUI – driving under the influence.  She’s not a regular drinker, she doesn’t do drugs, she’s as straight arrow as they come. Christmas Eve she had one glass of wine at dinner with friends, and her slow driving back home got her pulled over.  She did the breathalyzer test and was charged with DUI.  Afterward, we had the talk about don’t get caught driving  – anywhere.  But the week after the DUI, she drove 6 blocks to the laundromat since the one in her building was out of service.  She got stopped. So now it’s a DWLS (driving while license suspended) as well as the DUI.  I wrote on Facebook, “It snowballs! Don’t risk it!”

Now she cannot drive, so she must take the bus everywhere.  An injury and subsequent seizure disorder has kept her out of work with a series of doctor’s appointments to attend.  All of which is now a giant hassle because she has to take the bus everywhere or find a ride.  A 2 hour round trip now may take 6 or 7 hours due to bus schedules. So last week she goes for her court appointed random drug test, and her urine tested positive for PCP. Which she does not do. Really.  I told her get another test right away, within 24 hours. She did, with the same lab, and tested positive again.  The lab told her to call her pharmacist, which she did. He said nothing she was taking should cause a PCP positive result. She wondered if she could have eaten something with it in it.

I told her NO, it is a mistake and just get another test ASAP from a different lab. And right away so it doesn’t look to a probation officer like she was biding time for the drugs to leave her system before re-testing.  She had not even been to her initial appointment with her probation officer and could not get her on the phone.  It’s sad, she was wrapped in her story of “it’s not fair” – but fair or not, I told her, it IS and must be dealt with now. I told her to just get to another lab quick. She said she really didn’t have the money to find a ride or pay for a test on her own.  I told her to find it quick.

I made a post on Facebook asking if anyone worked at the Probation Office, to try to see if my friend could come right up there and talk to anyone else.  I gave the story and I learned some interesting things I did not know.  Some of the Facebook comments said:

“Pristique or Effexor may cause false positives for PCP and also OTC cold medications, dextromethorphan, diphenhydramine, ibuprofen, imipramine, meperidine, mesoridazine, or thioridazine. In other words… I’d be getting other opinions and doctor/pharmacist backup.”

“Generally antihistamines, pseudoephdrine, Sudafed, and Chlorpheniramine Maleate, Primatene, dextromethorphan, certain anti-depressants, and diazepam, etc. can cause false positives on a specific type of test for PCP. This has been known for years now. Demand additional testing and sue the company that makes the testing kits. Or maybe some one already has. See for example : http://www.clinchem.org/cgi/content/full/48/4/676″

“I checked with a friend who works for a drug testing company (and has for 15 years). He said he knows of nothing that would cause a false positive for PCP.” (Good example of dangerous mis-information.)

“I just googled “PCP false positives”. Your friend should do the same thing. Antihistamines and also Effexor and many more medicines can cause a false positive for PCP. Tell your friend to research some online and she may find the cause of the problem.”

These were all excellent comments.  My friend does not have a computer (despite me giving her two laptops in the last 10 years). She said the reception person at her walk in clinic who has known her for years told her that false positives for PCP have happened before at that lab.  My friend found a lab within walking distance to her home and went down and paid $45 to have the new urine testing done.  She had to wait 48 hours for the results.

I knew it was a fluke. She got the results back and of course they were negative.  The first two tests from Prevent of Brevard gave false positive results. This would have affected her for life. She does not do drugs. This could have ruined her. Just a heads up.

The lab said Prevent of Brevard must have had a bad batch. A bad batch?? Yes, a bad batch of karma just waiting for whoever vibes there to attract it.  Hard to remember that good people have a hand in attracting the weird stuff they experience.

She says she can’t wait to see what the lesson is for this one (and for the DUI one). Me, too.

Hmmm, stay conscious, do good, harm none.
Is that so fricking hard?
Andrea

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