Expert: Peter L. - 5/7/2010

Question
i goto centerstone rehab and today they done a mouth swab. i tested positive for amphetamines. i have been clean over a year. i went straight to the VA hospital and passed there test and passed my probation officers test. they both were urine tests. i passed a hair sample test 10 days ago with hair from my leg. i am on these meds. all prescribed from the VA.  Camphor 0.5/ menthol 0.5 lotion. Cetrizine hcl 10mg. Clobetasol propionate 0.05 oint 30gm. Hydrocortisone 2.5 cream. Methylpredisolone 4mg. Omeprazole 20mg. Quetiapine fumerate 400mg. Simvastatin 40mg. and an injection of Kenalog (triamcinolone) 60mg on 4/30/10. why is amphetmaines showing up on the swab but not the urine tests? thank you. joseph holland 9318084245.

Answer
Well Joseph, that's hard to say.  From what I know about urine tests, swabs are not the most reliable method. Maybe centerstone rehab believes they are.

Did you get in trouble due to the positive swab test? I'm surprised centerstone would not have urine testing to confirm the swab tests.  At my program we would never rely on swabs.  In fact, we don't use them at all.  Urine screens are much more reliable, and the samples are retained for further tests if necessary.

Every once in a while a urine test comes back positive where there has not been an admission on the part of the client that there was use.  In some cases, we are inclined to believe the client, and have had the lab report back to us there may have indeed been an error on their end.  But that is very rare.

In sum, it's possible the swab test was not specific enough in its action to distinguish the prescribed drugs you take from the ones that are abused.

Best,
Peter