I am with a new pain management group and I guess didn't realize how strict they have become about alcohol use. I have been in and out of pain management care since 2003 for chronic pelvic pain, fibromyalgia, chronic myofascial pain, back pain etc. Anyway the first time it showed up in my urine the doctor asked me about my drinking and I told her around 2 drinks 2x a week. Which is true. She didn't say anything further, but now I am being put in with the nurse practitioner and she will not reschedule me for my next medication appt. until I see their addiction specialist, who does not take insurance and costs $135. Anyway, I am supposed to go see him tomorrow and I forgot all about it and went to a wine tasting on Friday night. I know these alcohol metabolite tests can go back 80 hours so about 4 days. I have been taking Milk Thistle & Niacin, but don't know if that is enough. Should I try to reschedule my appointment to later in the week. I do not over drink or drink right after taking my pain meds, so I am very responsible about it. I wait 4-6 hours after last dose to drink. I would welcome any advice please? I don't want to get kicked out of this pain group. They have been really good to me until this. Thanks!
Pain Management and Social Drinking Question?
Question posted by mfpdfibro on 14 Dec 2014
Last updated on 30 August 2022 by Texasaaa
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4 Answers
I’ve been taking hydrocodone for about 12 years. Recently (2022) They asked me to sign an agreement and list all my illnesses.
There was a huge amount of print that your supposed to read. Since my wait was long I was scanning it (lots of legal jargon etc - does and don’ts.
All of the sudden I ran across a paragraph about absolutely NO drinking with my meds. First time ever that I have seen anything related to alcohol.
What a let down. I enjoy about 3 drinks a week. I am not an alcoholic and alcohol keeps me off of drugs like Xanax.
So now what to do? I continue to pee in the bottle once every 3 months. They’ve never said a word about finding alcohol in my system.
I’m not willing to give up alcohol for an over aggressive federal plan because others can’t control themselves so we will see. I don’t live far from Mexico
and have always wanted to live there so that may be an option as I have serious Psoriatic Arthritis and sometimes a couple drinks occasionally soothes the soul.
I’m 72 and have lived an extraordinary life. I’m not worried about this killing me as I don’t have that long anyway. I’d rather die happy than be controlled by an overzealous government.
I do not have a criminal record and sir don’t want one but they need to pick on the criminals in this world not old happy great grandfathers.
Same in AU, due to a history of drug use, I am also subject to random testing which is no big deal. They've just made my drug authority less strict due to strict compliance for 4 years or so.
Those alcohol metabolite tests can go back 80 hours. But that is detecting a bottle of spirits at 4 days. 1 beer/glass of wine is okay so long as it was about a day previously. Look up urine eTG and you will see a whole pile of information on this test.
Good luck. :)
Thats the thing that I can't find on line. They don't mention how much needs to be consumed for detection in your urine. As I mentioned before I am not a heavy drinker, just an occasional user and it keeps showing up in my urine tests. It obviously can't detect the amount or they would obviously have no concern. It's simply no use allowed, period. Thank God, I was able to reschedule with the addiction counselor until Thursday where nothing will show up. I would advise anyone in the states to make darn sure they have not drank any alcohol, not even a sip within 80 hours/ 4 days to be safe before going to pain management Dr. Used to not be an issue, but sure as he'll now is.
Believe it or not the eTG test is being called into question in a number of states as it cannot give an analysis of when the alcohol was consumed and in what quantity. Labs usually have a cut off value of 100ngm/L. The test is so bad it will test positive for alcohol 6 hours after using an alcohol gel hand cleanser and the same result for a bottle of whiskey 4 days prior. I made up a table to calculate alcohol values (after I gave up drinking) and realised there was more chance of a false positive from soy sauce in my food than anything else. It has taken 18 months to convince my Liver/Transplant doctor that I have quit drinking. Now I'm too healthy to qualify. :)
Yes, reschedule, and be sure not to forget again, they are beyond strict these days. Best not to combine alcohol with pain meds anyway, a spot check will cause you to lose your meds.
Sounds like some kind of way to make money. You have to see a specialist, who by the way doesn't take insurance. My pain dr has only ever asked me once if I drink and I have never heard anything else about it. And they won't schedule you until you see him. Therefore they are leaving you to have withdrawal and this seems ok with them. I checked my lab slip, my pain dr doesn't even check for it.
Related topics
alcoholism, pain, fibromyalgia, alcohol, chronic, pain management, management
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