Failed my drug test (UA) but trying to understand the results...Need help!

[bigfoot25]

Here is my brief story with a couple of questions to follow: I was daily smoker and I understand how the levels of nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml) build up on one's body. So I stopped smoking on April 29th with my last hit the previous night around 9pm. I started taking the at home drug test from Walgreens about 3 weeks later. I failed the first one which I thought I would but assumed I was getting close to the cutoff level. I passed my first at home test on May 21st around 11am with no dilution as I had a cup of coffee and 1 bottled water. So I keep testing myself at home which I pass every attempt (2 more of the test from Walgreens & a few strips purchased from another store).
So my test for the job was coming up on May 28th at a Concentra facility which sends out the UA to Advanced Toxicology Network. At this point I have passed 3 at home drug test (Walgreens) and three strips since May 21st so I believe that I am in the clear. One test even used the first void of the day which also showed as negative. I failed my drug test for the job on the 28th and thought that the job must have had a lower cutoff level such as 20ng/ml or even 15ng/ml. Needless to say I have been bummed out since.
The MRO called and told me THC showed up on the drug test and I was so shocked I was speechless at the time. The at home test gave me a false sense of security. So I call the MRO back the next day and one of the assistants tells me that the positive result showed 62ng/ml of THC in my urine.

Here's my question: if the at home test has a cutoff of 50ng/ml and I pass 3 of them with the first passed result a week before the real UA, how was my level of THC at 62ng/ml?
When I called the MRO back I assumed I would have been told the THC level was below 50ng/ml then I would have known the job was testing at a lower level. I do not understand why my results showed the 62ng/ml even though I was passing the at home tests that cutoff at 50ng/ml. Can someone please help me understand the results.

Because at this moment I do not have any faith in the at home test and people saying if you pass those you should be all good. Thanks in advance for any responses.

[bigfoot25]

Any body have any ideas? Would really like to know how I pass 3 at home drug test that that cutoff at 50 ng/ml then fail my job UA. Then told by the MRO assistant that I had 62 ng/ml of THC. I know the at home test are an average of metabolites and the test they used may have only measured the active THC level. BUt I really am not sure. This info can help others with their future test as well.

Burnt Toast if your out there please help me understand this. Just palying. I know you are busy and may not see this post but any help is appreciated. Thanks.

[Dutch Pimp]

I think the THC only test strips would be the most accurate?

[Burnt Toast]

I know the at home test are an average of metabolites and the test they used may have only measured the active THC level. Thats incorrect. THC is present in the urine as a metabolite. ALL urine testing methodologies recognize metabolites only and not active THC.

Theres two possible reasons for your particular situation:

- Fluids were consumed prior to taking the home tests. Fluid consumption dilutes the THCA concentration to where a urine sample can test negative on an assay. The dilution phenomena is only temporary - once the fluids ingested had all been urinated out, the bladder is replensished with fresh THCA-laden urine and thus the donor is back to square one.

- misinterpretation of the home test results.

[bigfoot25]

Well I never purposefully tried to dilute my urine so I can pass an at home test as that would serve no purpose. And my last at home test I passed with first void of the day. I do not believe I misinterpreted the results as I took multiple test and all showed negative. Even got confirmation from my wife who saw two lines on the at home test. And my first at home test showed a negative on May 21st.

So misinterpreting the test is not possible nor did I try to dilute my urine to pass the at home test. Again that would be pointless. I went to my UA confident because of the results from the at home test.

I still have no idea how they said I failed at 62 ng/ml. Thanks for responding - I appreciate it and respect your thoughts on this.

[bigfoot25]

Another question for you, Burnt Toast, or anyone else who might know. If you are close to a 50ng/ml level but still over that amount is it easier to dilute your urine taht at a much higher level?

A second way of asking if I was not to clear on my part would be: If you are close to the 50 ng/ml level but still over by 15ng or so, could you dilute by not doing do much to alter the specimen? such as drinking large amounts of water, taking vitamin B pills, and such.

[Weezard]

Just a thought.
The metabolite is stored in fat.

Did you do any heavy lifting the day before, or running, exercise, fasting?
Anything that causes your body to burn fat will raise the concentration in the urine.

If you have stayed clean, you might want to challenge the results.

Tell them it is simply not possible because you do not use "drugs", and ask for a retest.
That's an honest statement, it's an herb, not a drug. :)

Either way, best of luck.

Aloha,
Weezard

[bigfoot25]

Thanks for the response Weezard. No, I stopped working out for the last week and ate like a beast (for me at least). And, no, I have smoked since then. The company moved on when the results were reported and I needed the comfort. I know I'm weak. Besides I have not put out a resume in a while because I thought I would be working.
I do wonder if the medication I was on the first 2 weeks into May because of a pinch nerve in my neck slowed my metabolism or if that even would have made a difference in the rate the THC left my body.

[Esteban1]

Bottom line thc is absorbed into muscle fibers not just blood & other organs! Most OTC mj testing is just very simple technology. Big corporations utilize highly sophisticated testing techniques that make it very difficult to beat. Can be done but pretty tough nut! "Good night & Good luck"

:wtf:

[bigfoot25]

Thanks for the response, Esteban. And to everyone who either read or commented on my topic. I took my test at different times of the day after going through a normal routine and one test with the first void around 7am (although I did use the restroom around 1:30 am that morning). Never tried to dilute my urine. With my results being 62ng/ml perhaps it was diluted by not on purpose. Nor did I read the results of the at home tests incorrectly. I am educated and can understand simple directions besides that I had my wife look at my results and she also saw 2 lines that would make the test strips negative.

At this point I just believe testing is getting more sophisticated and testing at labs is more specific than the kits you can but from the store. Now I am not saying that testing at home is useless. As a matter of fact it will let you know when you close to the cutoff and sending the vial in for further testing is essential to know exactly where you stand. I just thought after so many negative at home tests that I would pass with no problem.

But the whole you will be clean in 30 days and if you pass a home test then you should be good is not the entire story. At this point I will mail in the vials every Friday until I get below the 50ng/ml mark so I know exactly where I stand, which is what I should have done any way. Live and learn. Thanks again to all who read and posted comments.

[Burnt Toast]

As a matter of fact it will let you know when you close to the cutoff and sending the vial in for further testing is essential to know exactly where you standThis is incorrect. Home tests (as well as the assays used by the labs for the initial screening) are a "Pass/Fail" endeavor only. They have no ability to give a quantitative value. And without a quantitative value, you will not know how close you are to the assays cutoff threshold. All that you will know is that youve either passed or failed.

And the urine testing methodologies used by the labs are not all that sophisticated as they are portrayed to be. The lab will perform an Immunoassay for the initial screen (which functions on the same principle as the home assays, and is a PASS/FAIL endeavor only). If the sample fails the I/A screen, the sample is sent to the GC/MS for confirmation (with a cutoff threshold of 15 ng/ml) and with this methodology, a quantitative value is provided.

[bigfoot25]

Thanks for the response, Toast. I defer to you on this topic and I know you a lot regarding this topic. I am just confused as to way I passed so many test at home when I never once tried to dilute my urine just went through may day as normal, and then finding out that I failed the labs initial screening. I was sure that maybe the job set the cutoff lower than the 50ng/ml mark. I am just hoping to get an understanding to my situation because I was sure I was going to pass.
I really don't know what went wrong.

[Burnt Toast]

I passed so many test at home when I never once tried to dilute my urine just went through may day as normal, and then finding out that I failed the labs initial screening.

If your account is indeed true, not only youve failed the initial screen, but youve failed the confirmation GC/MS as well. You were provided a quantitative value (62 ng), which is a clear indicator that the confirmation GC/MS was performed.


If you are close to the 50 ng/ml level but still over by 15ng or so, could you dilute by not doing do much to alter the specimen? such as drinking large amounts of water, taking vitamin B pills, and such.
Drinking large amounts of water causes the urine specific gravity and creatinine levels to take a nosedive, resulting in a "too-dilute" ruling. Therefore, when going the dilution route, it is important to keep tabs on your creatinine and S/G. This can be done by testing the creatinine and S/G with a validity test strip. These kits are essentially the same as the ones used by the labs when performing integrity checks. They are found online by doing a Google search for "drug adulteration test kits".

[bigfoot25]

Thanks again for your response, Toast. I get everything your saying and it is all correct. But by passing the home test without diluting (again diluting a home test serves no purpose) on more than one occassion had me believing I would pass the lab test. By getting the quantative result from the GC/MS means it was sent there for confirmation for the failed initial screening. Based on my home tests results I should have passed that initial screening. If I failed the lab initial screening I should have failed the at home test but I passed 3 of them with the first on May 21st. My lab test was May 28th (a week later).

So there is no way the company I was trying to work for had a lower cutoff level than 50ng/ml for their initial test?