[Meta]

My doctor had me do a urine test to make sure I am taking my medications. He said it was a new policy of his clinic.
Specifically clonazepam and methylin. The urine test was negative for amphetamines and benzodiazepines! I had taken my methylin for at least 6 of the last seven days. As far as the clonazepam goes, I had my last dose 48 hours before the test. I ran out because I wasn't paying attention. The negative tests don't make sense to me. Could it be that because I could only get a sample of two ounces of urine even though I drank at least a quart of fluids on the morning of the test? I thought clonazepam would have stayed in my system at least for the 48 hours. I don't know about the methylin, but I would have thought it would have shown up in my urine too.
Can anyone explain these results? I drink two quarts or more of fluids a day. Can this explain anything with respect to the clonazepam. Also has anyone else been asked to do drug testing? I have been taking clonazepam and paxil most of the time since the late eighties and was never asked to test. Started methylin probably about 5 years ago

[winter4me]

I take clonazepam daily, and an SSRI; I have been drug tested at several jobs and neither ever shows up so I don't know that the tests are that sensitive---the first time i told the employer before the test about the meds (as I am an RN and drug test others I know what they look for)----after the first time I said nothing, nothing came up....always negative.

[Grey Matter]

The only time I have been drug tested for psych was when I went into the hospital, and they do a full panel.

Your negative test results sound really quite odd if you've been taking the medication, which I am not doubting you at all. There are a few possibilities,

1) The drug testing kits they're using are very weak and non-sensitive. Most expensive drug tests can catch anything even if the urine is watered down by more fluids then normal. So you could have gotten, easily, a false negative.

2) Benzo's can stay in the body for 7-10 days from single use. And up to 30 from regular usage. So if you're taking them, these results seem really quite dodgy.

I went into the hospital, got drug tested and I hadn't taken my clonazepam for two days (depressive episode) and I still tested positive. I would bring this up to your doctor and explain that you want another test, and if they cannot preform a full panel urinalysis, ask to be given a script to go to a lab where they do this specifically.

I hope it all works out!

[sewerrats]

You get the full monty in mental hospital, they like to no what you got before your settled, and a nurse told me you wont believe the things some people bring in, STD,S the biggest , at work they test for wrekky drugs, but meds don't show up often.

[healingme4me]

Can't say that I've ever needed to take a urine test for meds. Never really been on anything, that it was necessary to monitor. I've had blood work, that tested the anti-bodies when I took an Inter-furon Avonex medication for MS, but that was the fullest extent of monitoring my system.

I do know of some people, that have had urine test for prescribed meds.

There are always chances for false negatives, would your doctor be able to follow up your concerns with a blood draw?

One person, that I know, ended up losing a prescription for Oxycotin over her urine test. I forget, specifically, what led to the urinalysis, but it happened, and the meds in her system, didn't match the prescription given. There's a lot of legal issues, when prescribing controlled substances, so it's of no surprise, that your doctors office, may have a new policy. Could, be insurance reasons, as well, that prompted that change.