Benzos Anyone ever have issues with their benzo not showing up on urine screens?

[DeathIndustrial88]

This happened to me about 9 years ago when I was on papers. Regularly took (at the time) 1mg of prescribed clonazepam, no more and seldom less. Drug test said no clonazepam. The PO asked me why I was being noncompliant by not taking my prescribed medication. I said this must be a mistake, I take it almost every day. They said “oh okay” and never brought it up again.

Thanks for sharing. I know I can't be the only one whose either going through this or has gone through this. But it's terrible.
My doctors were originally like this, but one day out of the blue they decided to do a blood draw.

I thought I'd be fine, as I took it the night before & the day of. And nothing. What's also insane is that my buprenorphine didn't show up. And I take anywhere from 8-16mg of buprenorphine. So how the hell could that not show up? My gabapentin also didn't show up.

Even if I hadn't of taken my buprenorphine for A DAY, it still should have shown up. Hell, I could've probably stopped taking it for a week & STILL should have tested positive for it; How the fuck does that happen? Makes no fucking sense to me.

The only things that showed up were the damn hydrocodone (of course it would), tylenol & THC.

It blows my fucking mind. I even went into my clinic & demanded some one watch me redose & give me the test again. And the nurse on that day said no. And when I asked why else would my klonopin show up, they replied with "I dunno, why don't you tell me?".. Which really rubbed me the wrong way. And then she kicked me out because I was getting "aggressive". It's like uh no, I'm getting pissed. It'd be like me accusing them of sexual harassment & them knowing they didn't do it, but I kept insisting it. They'd probably be pretty pissed too, but no they don't put themselves in other people's shoes. Actually I was in the middle of trying to show her that I had all my pills (cause I brought them with me) when she told me to get out. lol So by that point, yeah I was pretty pissed.

I could easily prove this too by having some one watch me dose & then having them test me an hour later. Yet nobody's given me this option before jumping to conclusions that I must be a liar.

 

[DeathIndustrial88]

I wish I had problems like that but no

I'm not sure this is a problem anyone would wanna have in my case, since it could essentially lead to me losing a very important medication, one that could I could actually die from if they just took it away from me.

 

[SinfulbyNature]

I'm not sure this is a problem anyone would wanna have in my case, since it could essentially lead to me losing a very important medication, one that could I could actually die from if they just took it away from me.

Yeah I can see how your experience would make you feel differently. But the fear that you’re talking about with how you have to worry about losing something important to you because of something that happens that you can’t make logical sense of is what I can relate to. You can lose custody of your child over a false positive. Especially when you didn’t know that your ex was the judges plug. I had a friend that I know for sure wasn’t using or doing anything that just kept failing for stuff. Of course this was a rare situation but as a known opiate addict I feel like my life’s been managed by drug testing so I know how frustrating and scary it can be. It should be black and white but I believe it’s exploited more than we realize for many different reasons. Sorry my response wasn’t more helpful. My comment was a little insensitive but I just hate the idea of drug tests anyways because of my own experience. You shouldn’t have to worry about this because it’s something you should be able to depend on. Hopefully you can figure out what’s making it not show up and find a solution that works for you

 

[DeathIndustrial88]

Yeah I can see how your experience would make you feel differently. But the fear that you’re talking about with how you have to worry about losing something important to you because of something that happens that you can’t make logical sense of is what I can relate to. You can lose custody of your child over a false positive. Especially when you didn’t know that your ex was the judges plug. I had a friend that I know for sure wasn’t using or doing anything that just kept failing for stuff. Of course this was a rare situation but as a known opiate addict I feel like my life’s been managed by drug testing so I know how frustrating and scary it can be. It should be black and white but I believe it’s exploited more than we realize for many different reasons. Sorry my response wasn’t more helpful. My comment was a little insensitive but I just hate the idea of drug tests anyways because of my own experience. You shouldn’t have to worry about this because it’s something you should be able to depend on. Hopefully you can figure out what’s making it not show up and find a solution that works for you

I appreciate your well thought out response, honestly.
Yeah I can see it in both ways. I've definitely had false positives as well. One time tramadol showed up as MDMA, Methamphetamine, PCP & Morphine. lol And my psychiatrist actually wondered for a minute if I actually took all of that, which I clearly didn't. lol

I agree, it feels like it's exploitative. As an opioid dependent person too, these people have no idea how hard it can be for me to urinate on command (from the urinary retention) or in public (from life-long anxiety of using the bathroom around other people). After awhile, it all just feels so arbitrary & invasive having my fluids sucked out of me & checked.

Unfortunately I got a letter from my psyche & they are kicking me out. Because I went in there & demanded a retest & one of the nurses called me a liar. And I got pissed & pulled my meds out & showed them to her to be all like "here, look all my pills are here, what else what I be doing with em". And she acted like I was being insanely hostile & scary toward her & told me to step out. So I just left the damn building. And today I got that letter saying I'm being kicked out due to "threatening & abusive behavior". Which is hilarious. lol I'd say giving your patients the wrong drugs tests for their specific benzo, insinuating that they're a liar & a criminal is pretty abusive & insulting myself personally. I've asked many times for some one to watch me dose & then retest me so that they can see for themselves that something's not right & that it isn't my fault. I've even told them they can call me in any time for a pill count & I will never not have the amount of pills I'm suppose to have, because I 100% know that I'm taking them. I swear on my mother's grave, which isn't something I take lightly at all.

I was coerced into this blood draw too. I've never signed any paperwork there saying I agree to any blood draws for anything. She just dropped it right on my lap one day after years of being there. And I actually told her no that I'd rather do a UA instead. And she was like "Oh cmon, if you just do this one, you won't have any tests for the rest of the year (ironic, since now she's correct since she won't be treating me lol)". I then said I didn't like needles & she carted me off back to the nurses room. Where again I said I did not feel comfortable doing a blood draw. And the nurse said "you don't have to consent". And I was like "well if I don't, it's gonna look suspicious, so I guess I don't really have a choice, do I?"... So I did it. And that just feels really unethical to me.

I feel like after the first time I said I was uncomfortable with it & didn't want to do it, it should have stopped there. Not egged me on & made me fear repercussions if I didn't do it. I doubt there's anything I can do about it now either.

But anyway, yeah, she gave me 30 days to find a new psyche. And it was hard as fuck finding this one, let alone one that's going to be willing to prescribe my benzo. This is a very very scary situation for me. I just lost my sub doc & now my klonopin after being stable on both for almost 10 years. And I'm not even getting a taper plan. I can't believe our healthcare system can do this to somebody.

I've been off alcohol for 10 years thanks to having a benzo & an opioid to take every day. And this is just gonna flip my life upside down in an instant. It's crazy. I've had a week from a hell too with all kinds of other things, so this is just the icing on the cake.

 

[SinfulbyNature]

The thing that gets you is that you have to sign all these papers at any new patient appointment that basically in one way or another give them permission to do anything they could end up wanting to do plus protects their liability in every way…which I understand that because being a dr carries a lot of responsibility but at the same time for the patient there’s also a lot involved. I’ve joked several times that I was gonna write out my own terms and agreements and just make everybody sign them before their allowed to even talk to me in general but people that don’t have the type of issues that we are talking about don’t realize how much this dictates our lives. And I hate the suspicion that arises anytime they sense that you have any apprehension over giving up your blood or pee for testing but people aren’t considering the full potential involved with what the results can mean for someone. I mean these specimens are passed thru many hands sometimes. Once you’ve had a false positive or negative that should have been positive it kinda fucks up your trust over the whole situation. You become more hesitant about just handing over your bodily fluids to just anyone. Which all of this just exacerbates the anxiety you were already being treated for. I feel like people have been chasing me with piss cups my whole life. Being an opiate addict these tests have ruled me and seem to always be lurking over my head as the potential consequences that can always cause me defeat with anything I find myself up against. On top of that…just like our experiences have proven….we can’t even depend on the results being as they should be. But you best believe the one testing us can. I’ve lived my entire adult life as an opiate addict. I became one before I got to become an adult because of over 30 surgeries I had during my adolescent development. I truly believe I have CPTSD over the experiences caused by all the stigma and epistemic injustices. It’s like it’s fractured my identity and I’ve lost my sense of personal autonomy and agency. I’m about ready to sue the whole fucking world on all of our behalf’s. These fears and the stigma are paralyzing and dehumanizing.

I am so sorry it ended this way for you. I’m sure this whole ordeal has been a nightmare for you. I sincerely hope you find a stable secure solution that allows you to be able to focus on life again and not all of this ridiculous stuff that’s not even necessary but still such a thorn in your side

 

[DeathIndustrial88]

It’s like it’s fractured my identity and I’ve lost my sense of personal autonomy and agency. I’m about ready to sue the whole fucking world on all of our behalf’s. These fears and the stigma are paralyzing and dehumanizing.

This hits pretty hard. I relate so much.
Although I've never been through a pain clinic, I went through this with Suboxone for the past 10 years.
I too have been an opioid user (I refrain from the word addict for myself personally, cause I've never like gotten so out of control with opioids that it became self-destructive... if anything it's the illegality of opioids that make them self destructive. Cause as long as I had my opioid, I was fine, but once I didn't have any, that's when I'd drink hard or smoke meth or drink bottles & bottles of robitussin). It's incredibly dehumanizing. Feels like you're on criminal probation...just for needing a medicine. The entire healthcare system needs to be completely changed to stop treating people like this.

Once you’ve had a false positive or negative that should have been positive it kinda fucks up your trust over the whole situation. You become more hesitant about just handing over your bodily fluids to just anyone. Which all of this just exacerbates the anxiety you were already being treated for.

100%
It created such bad anxiety for me, that every time I had an appointment, I'd be anxious as all hell, even if I knew I was clean. And when I'd go to pee, I'd always have trouble peeing in public. It just creates this feedback loop of anxiety & makes it harder & harder to pee every time. lol

Thank you so much for your words & for understanding. It sounds like you've dealt with a lot as well for a long time. I started my opioid journey at 19 & I'll be 40 in a just a couple more years. So almost 18-20 years of opioid dependency. I have no problems being dependent on a drug though as long as it benefits me. I'm sure you know what I mean.

I did have some good news yesterday. My doc agreed to put me back on my pain pills that I was on long before I got on Suboxone. But he said he had to make some calls first. And it's still hasn't shown up at my pharmacy yet. I even msged him & nothing. I was actually SHOCKED that I didn't get the whole "i'm not giving you opioids" spiel for once in my life. But now I feel like I'm in limbo because I don't know if it's actually gonna happen or not. But if it does, it could actually be life-changing for me & give me my quality of life back. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed

I should also have help either tapering my benzo or continuing it with a new psyche, but I haven't bothered to look yet. But my gp said he if it came to me having to come off cold-turkey, that he'd have no problem giving me some to taper with. But we'll see. I'm really hoping my pain meds show up soon, because that'll actually give me the energy, motivation & mental clarity to tackle all these responsibilities I now have on my plate. But until I know for sure if I'm gonna have it, I'm just stuck in limbo wondering. Don't even wanna move or eat until I know that I'm gonna get to re-start a full agonist lol. More anxiety waiting I guess. It felt good to finally be heard by a doctor but now this waiting game is gonna drive me up a wall. I just wanna get on with my life & feeling better again. I can't believe I spent almost 10 years on crappy buprenorphine, but I honestly didn't think I'd ever find anyone to agree to put me on a full agonist.

Buprenorphine gave me stability all those years, not jumping back n forth between withdrawals & waiting. But it's been such a horrible opioid as far as energy, motivation, pain relief & all that goes. It makes me feel numb in a way that's different from full agonists & that numb feeling lingers so damn long that I just feel like an empty shell of who I was before I even started buprenorphine. So there's no way in hell I'm going back to a Suboxone clinic to get treated like scum for an opioid that offers almost no help or relief.

So if anyone out there cares, keep your fingers crossed for me lol I need this med to come through to change my life & help me get up off my ass & go find a new psyche.

 

[matti1987]

In germany people in methadone programs prefer to buy clonazepam on the black market for that reason. I even read someone on a German HR board claiming that they can take up to 1.5 mg before it shows up on the test.

 

[DeathIndustrial88]

In germany people in methadone programs prefer to buy clonazepam on the black market for that reason. I even read someone on a German HR board claiming that they can take up to 1.5 mg before it shows up on the test.

Interesting. Thanks for your input! Yeah, that would make sense if you're trying to avoid peeing dirty for a benzo. And if clonazepam is unlikely to show up on anything, it'd be the wiser choice.

 

[DeathIndustrial88]

Damn,

I am in so much pain today. I am literally close to tears. My GP still hasn't sent over my pain med script. So I feel like I'm in limbo wondering IF or when I'm going to get it. I don't wanna continuously message him either about it, but it's like cmon. I could have used this like yesterday. I have so much shit on my plate now & no stamina or energy or motivation to do it all unless I get put on this med.

I dunno what to do anymore. Our healthcare system is an absolute fucking joke. I think I'd rather be dead than live another 20+ years like this. And I aint' even asking for strong opioids. I'd absolutely be happy on just tramadol. It felt nice to finally be heard & trusted by my doctor, but now I dunno if it's gonna happen or not or what's taking so damn long.

 

[DeathIndustrial88]

My doctor totally cut me off my benzo cold turkey.

Kicked me out, sent me a letter saying she'd refill my meds til Sept 12th. Thought I'd get one more refill then, only to find out she's not even there this week. And the other doctor there (who I believe is also a co-owner of the frickin clinic) said he won't do it because of my recent test results (where it didn't show up). So basically she lied in her letter. I'm sure she knew damn well she'd be gone this week too.

I'm fuckin' livid. Is there not laws against this kind of thing? How the fuck can they get away with cutting some one off a benzo cold turkey?

I called and asked to speak to patient relations & file a complaint. And they said that some grievance person would call me, but I highly fucking doubt it. I can't believe this shit.