AboutDr Alan Galbraith Expertise I can answer most questions on most drugs. Answers can be given in either technical or layperson terminology. My main areas of interest are psychiatric, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular drugs.
Experience I have been a university lecturer/head of department for almost thirty years, but am now retired. My research interests were alcohol, smoking and cardiovascular disease.
Organizations Institute of Biology, London.
Publications Author of "Fundamentals of Pharmacology" 5th Edition published in November 2007 by Pearson Education, Australia.
Question Hello first I would like to say that the opportunity to ask this question is greatly appreciated. I read a question someone asked you last year RE: exercise increasing THC levels and it caught my eye because my husband is experiencing a similar situation. My husband was formerly a heavy marijuana user and then stopped due to incarceration(before any judgment is made I would just like to say that this was a hard working family man but just in the wrong place at the wrong time). Upon entering the facility they gave him a drug test which of course came up positive due to him previously using marijuana. About two - three weeks later they transferred him to another facility and gave him a second drug test which he also failed and this was also expected because he was a heavy user, but the test read that his THC levels had gone up instead of down. My husband was punished for this and he swears to me that he did not use. Now I know everyone in prison claims to be innocent but I also know my husband we have been together for ten yrs and he swears that he wouldn't do anything to jeopardize him coming back to his family and I believe him because he didn't do anything in the first place. He also made a good point in asking me how would he have gotten it since the children and I are his only visitors on his list. Now I am not looking for any sympathy but my husband didn't do anything to get into the whole incarceration situation in the first place so the possibility of him being punished unfairly AGAIN is something that I must stop if I can. I am not asking you to do it but I did read an article and they are saying that stress and weight loss can increase THC levels in the body and wanted to know where I can get proof of this from. My husband was under a tremendous amount of stress because he was unfairly torn from society, his place of employment and most importantly his family. He also suffered from a bad case of Rhabodomylosis weeks before his incarceration. I know that the woman that asked you a question in this field did so over a year ago but I figure medical topics advance daily and I really need help even if you could just point me in the right direction it would help. My husband honestly didn't do what they accused him of when they put him in there we just couldn't afford counsel and the thought of them doing again is unacceptable to me and unfair to our children. Please answer this question and without judgment please. I promise you that this is one of the rare cases of that of an innocent man. Thanks in advance.
Answer Dear RR
While sympathising and empathising with your predicament I do not see that there is much I can do from afar. It seems that the powers that be in the US are paranoid about drugs and positives are all that mmatters and they never usually take into account false readings and factors that can cause false readings. I a retired now and do not keep quite so up-to-date as I used to so do not know if anything new has transpired. However, there is plenty evidence out there that rapid weight loss causes THC release into the blood giving higher than expected readings. I do not know whether rhabdomyolysis would cause an increase in the release of THC or not.
You really need a good local lawyer and toxicological expert for this case. I wish you all well and that correct justice will prevail.
