If your potential employee or child or ward, whomever, is beyond insistent that the test you just administered came up with a False positive, take a minute to listen, cause a good number of them could be telling you the truth. A large number of myths surround the false positive. For example, it is a strongly held belief (and multiple tests have proved this myth to be true) that something as simple as a poppy seed bagel could cause a false positive on a test. But is the fact that the false positives can be cause by something as simple as your breakfast, or the headache medicine you took last night to help you get some sleep, the real issue? The real issue isn’t that the false positives happen, it’s that too many people would like to deny their existence, the Testing companies. Seeing as how hundreds of millions of tests are administered within the United States alone every year, it’s imperative that we are all aware of the strong limitations that these testing devices have. With so many athlete’s and students and potential employees getting tested on a daily basis it’s good to keep in mind that these tests are not infallible. To complete a comprehensive look at the state of testing and the tests themselves a research study was conducted looking at any and all scientific articles published from 1980 to 2009. The results were quite illuminating. So many false positives from things we encounter in our everyday lives, and yet, you cannot register as a false positive when you’re simply around someone else who is smoking marijuana, you’d have to actually ingest to get a positive result, so don’t be fooled by this excuse.

Life quite often throws you a curve ball and you have to figure out the best way to deal with it. When something as important as a drug test throws you off your game, it can be very frustrating and seriously dangerous to your career. Even when you think you have jumped ahead and completely ready for everything.

-         Good evening. I have got a very confusing situation. You see, I had a drug test last week, and I just found out that I failed. I am not a heavy user, but I made sure that I stay clean for some time so I can prepare for this thing the right way, you know, because it was very important… and now I am not sure what happened. I used to smoke pot pretty regularly, not every day, but a few times a week, and when I found out that I am going to have a test I stopped. I have been clean for almost three weeks, so I got some testers to make sure I was good, and I was pretty sure that it said I was good to go. And I tested myself this morning – now I only have one line. How is that possible?

-         Did you get a good solid line on the first test?

-         Yes, I did. I actually have that strip, and I let me just compare the two… Hold on… Ok, I have a question – on the old one it says “COC” and on the one I used today it says “THC” – what is the difference?

-         Oh, COC means this test is for Cocaine, and THC is marijuana…

-         Uh huh, so I guess I used a wrong one then, didn’t I?

It cannot be stressed enough that in the situations concerning detox products is it very important to know what product you are using, and what that product is meant to be used for.

A scary truth that we have to face in the world of Drug Testing is that false positives are real, and despite what the labs will have you believe they happen more often then we’d like them to. A Study concluded not too long ago that took over 150 over the counter medications and despite them all being easily accessible and used by many on a regular basis, at least 65 of them returned a false positive result in some of the most standard and widely used form of urine drug test. To date there are hundreds of over the counter drugs and medications that can cause false positives and many of them you wouldn’t even realize or think twice about taking. Aleve, Tylenol, Advil, and many other head ache medications often cause false positives for THC.

As an amusing side note, your own body can give a false positive without the help of any medications because diseases that affect your kidney and liver can cause your body to produce similar metabolites that the drug use could leave behind. Make sure the lab knows you have Diabetes, or another form of Kidney or Liver Disease. The truth is though that most labs and employers won’t care that you’re challenging the results by insisting that the results must be a false positive, no matter how much research and proof you show them. Labs aren’t always up to code, and your potential employer can choose to use any lab they see fit to, there are currently no requirements of the labs and employers who use them to set a specific standard, so insist that they ask you what you’ve taken recently, and insist that they do test your sample at least twice before determining the results.

Among the many herbs found in our detox products is an interesting herb called fenugreek seed.  Fenugreek seed is also known as Greek Hay or Fenigreek and is found growing in the Mediterranean.  Mainly used as a culinary spice, fenugreek seed is also used medicinally in countries like Italy, Egypt, and Greece and throughout South Asia. Fenugreek contains many healthy ingredients such as vitamin C, niacin, potassium and a compound called diosgenin which is much like estrogen.   Diosgenin has been found to increase libido, reduce hot flashes, mood changes and other symptoms related to menopause and PMS.

In India and China Fenugreek seed has been used to treat ailments such as arthritis, asthma, bronchitis, sore throats, acid reflux, and skin problems.  It also has been found to improve digestion, help maintain a healthy metabolism, reduce menstrual pain and increase libido and male potency as well as help with breast enlargement in women.  It may also help to lower blood glucose levels and cholesterol levels, so it may provide help for people who suffer from both types 1 and type 2 diabetes.

By consuming about 500mg of fenugreek seed twice a week you can help reduce your blood sugar levels and your cholesterol levels.  Fenugreek seed can be made into a topical ointment for treating abscesses, burns, boils, and eczema.  By grinding the fenugreek seed into a fine powder and mixing with warm water and applying it to a cloth or bandage and applying it to the affected area, it will alleviate the condition.  Gastrointestinal discomfort can also be alleviated with fenugreek seed as well as acid reflux.  By adding a teaspoonful of fenugreek seeds to meals or eating a teaspoonful with water before a meal you can coat your stomach or intestines with this herb and it will alleviate the discomfort associated with these problems.

In the light of recent events, today’s job market is kind of tough. Most people who are currently looking for jobs know that after an interview there will be the need to pass a drug test in order to obtain the position. However, for some people drug test is a novelty, since some fields and professions have not been touched by this necessity.

-         Hi, can I ask you a question? I have a very urgent matter, and I need to get an answer as soon as possible. I got an offer for a job, and I need to know if they are going to do a drug test or not. I already had my secondary interview, and that said I can start next week. Should I expect a drug test then?

-         They should notify you in advance whether or not you have to go through that – those requirements vary from employer to employer, and from state to state.

-         Well, I certainly do not want to ask them that if they do not bring it up. You see, I used to work in this industry before, and there were no tests of any kind. Now someone told me that there is a government requirement for every position, so I am freaking out a little.

-         Federal jobs will usually require a drug test as part of hiring process, as well as positions of drivers, teachers, nurses, etc. In every instance, an applicant should be notified in advance of the necessary steps to obtain this position, so if they did not mention anything to you so far – do not worry about it, especially since they told you that you already got it.

The biggest problem with this system is that if the company you are hoping to gain employment with decides to have you tested for possible drug use before they offer you a job they are not required by any law or regulation to have you tested by a reputable, up to standards kind of lab. The drug testing policies that companies are required to have in place, and required to make you aware of are only about their protection, and sadly not yours. You could test positive or negative, which does not guarantee you a job, nor does it stop them from hiring you simple because you did test positive. Only government agencies are required to use a certified drug testing lab. So unless you’re applying for a job with a branch of our current United States Government, chances are not in your favor for being able to test without worry of a false positive.

While there are many reasons for a false positive there are just too many factors in play to determine what specifically the cause of one over another was. This is the beginning of a series of articles highlighting the truth about false positives. The myths surrounding them and what your chances really are, and of course, a look at some of the most common things to cause false positives. For example, does eating that poppy seed bagel or muffin the morning of a test REALLY mean your test will come back positive for opiate use? Is it true that taking Tylenol the night before a test will mean your sample will come up positive for marijuana? Let’s find out!

If you are required to take a urine drug screen then you are probably familiar with terms like pH levels, creatinine and specific gravity.  These are some of the levels that are measured in your sample to determine if you will pass a drug test.  The specific gravity of your urine is a measure of the degree of concentration of all chemical particles in your urine sample and a parameter of measuring proper kidney function.  The kidneys serve to help your body excrete waste molecules through urination while maintaining a minimal loss of valuable nutrients and water.

The toxins in your body are concentrated in the urine by the kidneys and then removed through urination. Specific gravity is the measurement of the concentration of the excreted molecules.  Another term for specific gravity is urine density.  The normal range of specific gravity in human urine is somewhere between 1.003 and 1.035 and this all depends upon the subjects fluid intake and how well the subjects renal function is.

Testing for the specific gravity in your urine helps your physician to determine your body’s water balance and the chemical concentration of your urine.  If there is an increased level in the specific gravity of your urine sample then it may be due to dehydration, heart failure, shock, diarrhea which will result in dehydration, and in rare cases Addison’s disease.  A decrease in the specific gravity of you urine sample may indicate such conditions as diabetes, kidney failure, severe kidney infection or excessive fluid intake.

Everybody wants to pass a drug test – that is probably the reason you are reading this in the first place. And one more concern that people have in common is not to get caught using anything to aid the passing of the test with flying colors. Naturally, the question of detection of the product comes to mind.

-         Hello, I need a consultation. I recently bought a product from you and wanted to ask you a few questions about it. Can it be detected on a drug test?

-         No, mam, these products are completely natural, and cannot be detected since they comprise of all natural herbs and vitamins.

-         Well, actually I was referring to a shampoo. You see, I used something like this before. That product was a little different from yours, and I was so embarrassed to go out of the house that I rescheduled my test. It made my hair greasy and gooey and it looked just horrible. So my questions is – how is that they cannot detect it? You can clearly see that there is something in your hair? Besides, someone told me they wash before testing it – is that true?

-         Ok, first of all, the shampoo that we carry works on the molecular level penetrating the hair structure; it cannot be detected and leaves your hair looking nice and shiny – you are supposed to rinse and wash it out after a recommended time it was applied to your hair. Secondly, they can wash it or not before testing it – it would not matter because the shampoo stays in tact.

-         Oh, I see! The stuff that I used before was not supposed to be washed out, so I figured all detox shampoo is like that. Thanks a lot!

This question is often asked when Someone provides a sample to the lab and they already know they will come up negative for drug use, but the test comes back with a positive result. How is that even possible you may ask, well the truth is a bit upsetting. But sadly, there is such a thing as a False Positive. When a positive result is achieved, despite the sample tested being actually negative for any drug metabolites.

Now the chances that you would get a false positive result on a test aren’t as high as you might think, and a lot of factors need to be taken into account when being tested before you can challenge the results as being false. For one thing, the quality of the actual laboratory that is doing your drug test needs to be considered first and foremost. There are currently hundreds of labs all across the United States that perform drug tests on their clients, but unfortunately it is less than 100 of these current labs that actually meet all of the federal standards they need to. There are also currently some states that do not have any regulations on the standards and practices of drug testing facilities at all. In a good lab the chance a false positive result would occur is usually only around 4% of the time. In a lab where they’re not careful and up to standards the percentage is much higher, sometimes even over 50% in a few cases.

When you submit your sample for a urine drug test there are a few parameters that are measured besides the presence of drug toxins in your urine.  The temperature of your sample is recorded along with the creatinine level, the specific gravity of your urine and the pH level.

What is the pH level of urine?  The pH level indicates the acidity and alkalinity of your urine to determine if it is in the acceptable range.  The range of pH levels in your sample may indicate certain health conditions so it may serve as a warning sign of potential health dangers for you.  The normal pH range in urine is as follows:  a range from 0 to 7 indicates acidity in the urine, a level of 7 is a neutral range and a measurement of 7 to 14 indicates alkalinity in the urine sample.

The normal measuring range is somewhere between 5 and 8.5. The pH level also indicates the concentration of hydrogen ions in your sample.  A sample with a consistent alkaline pH level of around 7 or 8 may indicate a condition such as a urinary tract infection or someone who follows a strict vegetarian diet.  A sample with a consistently acidic pH level may indicate conditions such as fever, gout, emphysema, diabetic ketoacidosis or kidney stones.  Normal pH levels in urine range from 4 to 9 and values that fall below or above these levels may indicate that the sample may have been altered or adulterated or that the individual may need to seek medical attention