Comments By Kal-el T.

In your original post you asked...

What can I do?

Many of us gave you the best advice possible. You've refused to take it. The FMCSA gives you one path to take if you want to get into this career after a failed drug test.

You are all hung up on your own integrity. You'll have to get over that and go through the SAP process. It's the only way I know of to deal with this problem.

At this point, doesn't look like I have a choice. I want to drive. That is my only chance in hell of being able to do so. I don't think I have any other options. I'm still waiting for my DAC report, not sure how long that takes to hear a response from. It's not on the Clearing House, just waiting to get back my DAC report.

Anyway, I have taken enough of everyone's time. I have a few life choices to make. Thanks, everyone.

Kal 'el;

IMHO, you've NOT been a 'waste' of anyone's time. Somehow, with all you've been through; I do believe that when you get this sorted out and it's all resolute, your conundrum can & will be a help, to future drivers, stopping in here.

Please keep sharing your (unfortunate) journey. Let us know how your DAC comes back (you can get a free one from HireRight) DAC History Report, and what the protocol/enrollment, etc . . . entails with the S.A.P. program you'll be entering.

Thanks, and always best wishes;

~ Anne ~

ps; Again, I'm sorry. I've got empathy, as I mentioned, re: my late ex husband. I'm closer to your plight than many/most. Mine ended otherwise, however.

Update: Got my CDL yesterday and will be working by the end of the month for a damn good company driving OTR. All the nay sayers obviously didn't take Karma in to play. Somebody up there was looking out for me after all and my career will move forward despite the positive test that I did not earn. As I said before, nothing is going to stop me from achieving my goals. :)

In your original post you asked...

What can I do?

Many of us gave you the best advice possible. You've refused to take it. The FMCSA gives you one path to take if you want to get into this career after a failed drug test.

You are all hung up on your own integrity. You'll have to get over that and go through the SAP process. It's the only way I know of to deal with this problem.

At this point, doesn't look like I have a choice. I want to drive. That is my only chance in hell of being able to do so. I don't think I have any other options. I'm still waiting for my DAC report, not sure how long that takes to hear a response from. It's not on the Clearing House, just waiting to get back my DAC report.

Anyway, I have taken enough of everyone's time. I have a few life choices to make. Thanks, everyone.

Kal-et unless you had Walter White hiding in your basement and cranking out meth having your home tested is a waste of money. A quick google search will show that when someone smoking meth it is extremely unlikely that it contaminate anything. Someone would have to be cooking it. And even then it sounds like it has to be quite a bit. And if that was the case you wouldn’t necessarily get high from it but suffer side effects like headache, irritation of the lungs etc.

Doesn't matter anyway. Got my results back today and tested positive for meth. It was clearly not a botched test the first time and since I have tested positive on my test that I paid with my own cash for, I have no choice but to admit that I have had meth in my system. What I don't know is how much, when, or if it was a tiny amount over a long period of time since the test dates back 1 year. And worst of all, I have nothing at all to prove my innocence because all of the evidence proves that I did indeed at some point within the past year have meth that passed through my liver. In other words, I'm screwed. I tested with a 6378 pg/mg and 500 pg/mg was the cut off. That is quite a bit over the limit of positive marker.

However, when I had asked them how much that exactly is, as in, how much meth would have to be in my system to test that number, they simply told me that they can't tell if that is a method that was delivered all at once, or if it was a method delivered over the course of the past year. So I am no better off now than I was before.

The lab tech told me that the only way to find out when and how much, was to go to an actual hospital and have them run tests on me, and the price for such tests is in the thousands. My ex insists that I tested positive due to oral sex, yet I have found absolutely nothing that backs that up other than information out there that states that addicts will get their "fix" by ingesting bodily fluids of other addicts to save money on the drug. I won't get specific, because quite honestly, it's disgusting. Other than Doctor Oz apparently stating that you can test positive through oral sex (or so I have been told) I can find nothing that supports it. So I am no wiser now than I was the day I found out that I had tested positive for meth.

So I guess I had just better get used to being treated like a drug addict and move on with my life. People who know me know better, but like I told them, it's not about what you know, it's about what you can prove, and at this point, I can't prove anything. If this were a judge ruling my case, I would be deemed guilty.

I won't be wasting any more of your time, folks. Unfortunately I am unable to prove myself. I maintain my innocence, but I cannot prove it. I apologize for wasting everyone's time.

I will post this information, for a scientific basis of the drug testing process, since this topic has garnered such attention. It may be of use to members of the forum or future visitors. I won’t provide any basis on the situation the poster is in. I am not an expert and certain details may be inaccurate.

In the world of drug testing you have urine and hair follicle testing. Both are conducted with your standard immunoassay testing, which is a enzyme response test. Stick and card tests, such as COVID rapid response are immunoassay. This does lead to false positives given that molecules with similar structure may react to the enzyme (lock and key mechanism).

Once a positive immunoassay is acquired, it is then reviewed in a confirmatory test using liquid or gas chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS/GC-MS). This process will properly identify what compounds are detected, referenced to a database of chemical signatures matching the compounds. At this point, medical staff at the lab should contact you and inquire about any prescription and OTC medications you are on. This aids in narrowing down what is being detected.

Every drug will excrete its own profile. For example, Sudafed may seem similar to an enzyme in immunoassay, but not in gas chromatography. It will not identify as an amphetamine. It identifies the metabolite it actually is. You may be on Adderall, which actually is amphetamine salts. Adderall has a different metabolite profile than methamphetamine. That, along with your dosing and documented prescription history will correlate to the results. A hair follicle test can be broken down into sections to identify use over time, such as in one month periods. Hair on your scalp grows an average of half an inch per month. The lab will also retain part of the sample for retesting purposes. The hair is also thoroughly cleaned to remove outside contaminants.

During this review process, there is not just one, but several people reviewing your case. An instance of this failing would be errant negligence in analysis or processing of your sample, although it is possible.

Providing your own test will have little to no value in defending your case. Most likely, the remaining lab sample is your best bet.

That's the off thing, they flat out refused to allow me access to that sample or even have it sent to the lab that I went to. Thing is, I don't trust them at this point. They told me I was guilty of something that I am not, and then when I asked them for a retest, they said, and I quote, "It would just come back the same, it will cost you $200 out of your own pocket and even if you do contest the results, you are going home anyway."

They pretty much shot me down the very instant I proclaimed my innocence. Since they did this, I no longer trusted them. I was being railroaded from retesting and sent home no matter what. This is why I wanted my own choice of a lab, and I picked a reputable lab who does lab work for Federal Court cases. If this too comes back positive, then I have to accept that I had meth in my system at some point within the past year. At that point, it will be a matter of finding out how I got it in my system, since I don't do drugs...like at all, nor have I ever felt like I was on anything. So if it was in my system at some point, I never noticed any affects from it. That is what makes it hard for me to accept that I had possibly been poisoned. But if I was, I won't be able to prove that without a confession.

Apparently these tests aren't as accurate as they claim, considering 7 police officers from the same police department has went through this very same thing, luckily they were able to prove their innocence, although the article I read never said how.

As far as my new test not proving anything, well, that's not what my lawyer told me. Especially since we are looking at a year time table here, not just 90 days.

One thing I just thought of:

Do you take the MAO inhibitor Selegiline? It would be used for a mental health and while it generally doesn't have the dietary restrictions other MAOIs need you'd probably know if you were on it.

There are a few other meds listed here as well. I'm guessing you've already found similar lists but it not it's worth a shot if you are taking any med that causes a false positive.

https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/urine-drug-screening-minimizing-false-positives-and-false-negatives-to-optimize-patient-care#:~:text=While%20rarely%20used%2C%20the%20monoamine,amphetamine%20and%20l%2Dmethamphetamine%20metabolites.&text=Minimizing%20the%20use%20of%20these,risk%20of%20false%2Dpositive%20results.

I don't think so. Advil, cigarettes, caffeine are the only three things I put in my body. About 4 or 5 months ago I used XeunciM, which is an off brand Mucinex, it has something in it called, Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide. But that triggers a false positive for PCP, not Methamphetamine. Still looking in to having my home tested, but even if I discover that I have meth on my walls, carpet/floor or belongings, that won't prove me innocent. Sadly, the ONLY thing that is going to prove me innocent is a negative test result. Another positive test result will tell me that I was poisoned, and I will never be able to prove that in a million years unless she does it to somebody else and we end up collaborating with one another. Otherwise, I will have to give up my crusade and be extremely more choosy about who I let in to my life. The last part I have already done.

A positive hair follicle result is not reportable to the clearing house...yet. The major carriers have petitioned FMCSA to consider this as the only known test indicating life-style use of a banned substance. We all know how slow they are with amending policy.

The controversy also revolves around the perceived invasive nature of the test. Perhaps Covid has exacerbated this. It’s difficult to filter true factual information from the self-serving (yes, commercial/promotional/special-interest) information. In the last two days I’ve invested many hours reading up on it... I feel no more educated now than I was on Friday. Frustrating to say the least.

Y’all may think myself and a few others have been unfairly hard on the OP. I’ve been on this site a long time...I’ve seen the horrors of DUI and drug related crashes... I’m jaded and hardened from offering advice and trying to assist people that were less than truthful with us, supporting recreational use of drugs for truck drivers. I recall more than once getting caught up in a trolling ruse. Making it difficult to trust the motives of a complete stranger.

Although it will take compelling evidence, if I’m wrong about the OP; everyone knows me well enough, I’ll offer an apology.

Not trying to persuade you to believe me, just offering something I just found to be a bit educational. By the way, still awaiting the results of my retest.

https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna9069626

I actually remember this, vaguely ... thanks for sharing.

Yeah. It's a mess. (Are you sure you didn't take Sudafed / Vicks' Inhalers?!?!)

I'm awaiting your results too, man. Did you get the GC/MS test???

~ Anne ~

Oh, the reason that article may be relevant to me is because my hair is almost jet black. I am not black, but my hair is.

A positive hair follicle result is not reportable to the clearing house...yet. The major carriers have petitioned FMCSA to consider this as the only known test indicating life-style use of a banned substance. We all know how slow they are with amending policy.

The controversy also revolves around the perceived invasive nature of the test. Perhaps Covid has exacerbated this. It’s difficult to filter true factual information from the self-serving (yes, commercial/promotional/special-interest) information. In the last two days I’ve invested many hours reading up on it... I feel no more educated now than I was on Friday. Frustrating to say the least.

Y’all may think myself and a few others have been unfairly hard on the OP. I’ve been on this site a long time...I’ve seen the horrors of DUI and drug related crashes... I’m jaded and hardened from offering advice and trying to assist people that were less than truthful with us, supporting recreational use of drugs for truck drivers. I recall more than once getting caught up in a trolling ruse. Making it difficult to trust the motives of a complete stranger.

Although it will take compelling evidence, if I’m wrong about the OP; everyone knows me well enough, I’ll offer an apology.

Not trying to persuade you to believe me, just offering something I just found to be a bit educational. By the way, still awaiting the results of my retest.

https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna9069626

I actually remember this, vaguely ... thanks for sharing.

Yeah. It's a mess. (Are you sure you didn't take Sudafed / Vicks' Inhalers?!?!)

I'm awaiting your results too, man. Did you get the GC/MS test???

~ Anne ~

There are only 2 bad habits I have and only 2 medications I use along with a small bit of alcohol.

Cigarettes (yes, I'm a dirty smoker, lol) Caffeine (Sorry, but I love Big Red) Alcohol (not even 3 drinks at a time, it just gives me headaches if I drink more than that and I can count on one hand how often I drink a year, sometimes I go multiple years without drinking at all) Advil (only when I get headaches, which is about once a month on average) and on one single occasion, I took an off brand Mucinex called XeunciM, 1200 mg. for dry mucus in the lungs after my daughter got me sick with a nasty cold.

That's it. Bad eating habits I suppose, I do love my Arby's Beef & Cheddar, lol.

As far as the test, it was the most expensive one they had available. I can't remember which test it was, all I know is that it was a hair follicle test taken from my right underarm (the first test was taken from my left, so now it looks like I have lady underarms, lol) except with this one, they shaved it with sheers instead of cutting it with scissors. So this one should have an even longer date period that the one prior to it since the hair they took had more length than the previous.

I will let you know which one for sure when I get the results back, I'm sure the test type will be listed somewhere.

A positive hair follicle result is not reportable to the clearing house...yet. The major carriers have petitioned FMCSA to consider this as the only known test indicating life-style use of a banned substance. We all know how slow they are with amending policy.

The controversy also revolves around the perceived invasive nature of the test. Perhaps Covid has exacerbated this. It’s difficult to filter true factual information from the self-serving (yes, commercial/promotional/special-interest) information. In the last two days I’ve invested many hours reading up on it... I feel no more educated now than I was on Friday. Frustrating to say the least.

Y’all may think myself and a few others have been unfairly hard on the OP. I’ve been on this site a long time...I’ve seen the horrors of DUI and drug related crashes... I’m jaded and hardened from offering advice and trying to assist people that were less than truthful with us, supporting recreational use of drugs for truck drivers. I recall more than once getting caught up in a trolling ruse. Making it difficult to trust the motives of a complete stranger.

Although it will take compelling evidence, if I’m wrong about the OP; everyone knows me well enough, I’ll offer an apology.

Not trying to persuade you to believe me, just offering something I just found to be a bit educational. By the way, still awaiting the results of my retest.

https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna9069626

Kal-el I could be wrong but I’m fairly certain this failed drug test will be on your alcohol and drug clearinghouse profile. I’m pretty sure you have to had registered for that before you took your drug test for CR England. Like it or not that program was designed to prevent people from doing the very thing you are trying to do. It will not matter if you try to apply for a company that does urine test only. They will check your clearinghouse and see you failed a hair follicle.

Thankfully hair follicle testing does not go to the DOT. At least not yet. From the research I have done, hair follicle testing is pretty controversial, there are too many false positives and too many variables that can produce false positives for the drug administration to approve it for the DOT. Some of my terminology may be wrong on this, but the premise still applies. I don't mind hair follicle testing, in fact even after what happened to me I am in support of it. I just feel there needs to be a viable process to prove your innocence if you test positive from the hair follicle test that does not get you kicked or charged until the test can be substantiated. Right now, this does not exist to be best of my knowledge.

I am on standby at the moment while I await the results of the new test. Not much that I can do until then. Right now I am on my own because there are no institutions out there that helps people in my position. So it is all on me and me alone to prove my innocence. If it turns out that I cannot prove my innocence, well, I will just have to stick with companies who do urine tests only until I get passed the last known possible date that I could have been poisoned/drugged (Isn't it the same thing?) which was when I took the EPO out on her and got her out of my home, which was Sept. 21st. Thankfully there are companies out there who do not do hair follicle tests, although I am in full support of screening out anyone who could be a danger to the trucking industry, I do wish there were other methods you could use to prove your innocence if you test positive. As of right now, retaking the same test seems to be the only one available, but that still doesn't help anyone who might have been drugged or exposed somehow without their knowledge. I don't think there is a way to prove that outside of a confession from the guilty party.

So right now, all I can do is wait and see what the results come back as and accept my fate either way. I have driven myself to tears over this, literally. So right now I am just clearing my mind and patiently waiting for the results.