Cheating on a urine test? (And hello again)
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Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 80
Cheating on a urine test? (And hello again)
It's been forever since I've posted. I still lurk sometimes. More often when things are happening in my family, but I think now I'm comfortable enough that I am no longer constantly looking for answers and wondering if there are others like me. Still, it's a good feeling to come back.
I got a call from my mom a couple days ago. She told me my brother is back in jail, after crashing his car, then crashing his rental car, and failing a drug test. He spent 18 months in federal prison and was released 18 months ago. This time he was given a choice between rehab and jail. He chose rehab, which thrilled my mom and convinced her all over again that he's a wonderful person. My brother and I are not close and have a pretty rough past, but I've flirted with the idea of reconnecting with him because he has a son the same age as my son. I live seven or eight hours away from my parents/siblings/grandparents because my husband and I knew it wasn't a good idea to be near them. My heart is a little heavy because his son (five) is old enough to pick up on what's happening. My parents and grandparents share the responsibility of raising him and have legal custody. His mother is gone. She's a heroin addict like my brother and was busted and went to prison at the same time my brother did.
Anyway, for years my mother and grandmother have been sucked into taking care of my brother, giving him money, believing his lies, etc. I can't stand it. The last time I saw him was last April when we came to visit. He was still on parole and being drug tested, but I found his behavior extremely odd. I spoke to him on the phone about meeting and getting our kids together, and he sounded messed up. I told my grandmother about it (I didn't want him driving with my nephew to meet me), and she snapped at me and told me I was being ridiculous and that he was being drug tested, and how dare I accuse him of this when he's doing such a great job of putting his life together, blah blah blah. So we did a bunch of almost-arguing and hung up, and I saw him later. He kept making frequent phone calls in private and sneaking away every twenty minutes, same as he always did when he was using and selling... and drinking a lot of Red Bull. I didn't think much of the Red Bull at the time, but I knew he'd never liked sweet beverages. Something definitely seemed off, but I told myself I was wrong, as I often do, because my family has a way of temporarily convincing me that I am the crazy one and that things are better.
So fast forward to now. My mom told me he admitted to cheating his drug tests and somehow using Red Bull and Adderall (he acquired a prescription for "ADHD"--I sound like a bitchy know-it-all, but he doesn't have ADHD and everyone knows it). I read about it on the internet and apparently people who are drug tested do this very easily to get a negative result. I suppose the Adderall was to mask his use of amphetamines, but that part wasn't clear to me. The Red Bull, I read, is for replacing the creatine in a urine sample that has been diluted from the person drinking too much water, thus eliminating traces of illegal substances and making it look like a good sample (still containing creatine). IS IT REALLY THAT EASY? I wouldn't have thought so, but there seems to be a whole order of junkies who have out-smarted the system.
So I guess carelessness is what ultimately made him fail the test. And this sounds awful, but I'm feeling more validated than disappointed right now. I knew something was up and I get increasingly annoyed with everyone in my family denying the signs. I'm always the odd one out--the critical and negative one who stays away and won't spend a lot of time with any of the addicts in my family. I wish he'd get well. But I don't think he wants to. I don't think it's even possible with my mom and dad (stepdad) still spiraling deeper into their own alcoholism, and my mom and grandmother always "stepping up" to do everything for him.
I think where I've grown most in the past couple of years is setting boundaries. I'm strong enough, or serene enough now that I don't have a say-back for all the nonsense, and I let things be. I've become more passive and have learned to worry less about whether people get upset with me for doing what's right for my own family. I'm still learning to trust my instincts, which I guess is what compelled me to share this.
I got a call from my mom a couple days ago. She told me my brother is back in jail, after crashing his car, then crashing his rental car, and failing a drug test. He spent 18 months in federal prison and was released 18 months ago. This time he was given a choice between rehab and jail. He chose rehab, which thrilled my mom and convinced her all over again that he's a wonderful person. My brother and I are not close and have a pretty rough past, but I've flirted with the idea of reconnecting with him because he has a son the same age as my son. I live seven or eight hours away from my parents/siblings/grandparents because my husband and I knew it wasn't a good idea to be near them. My heart is a little heavy because his son (five) is old enough to pick up on what's happening. My parents and grandparents share the responsibility of raising him and have legal custody. His mother is gone. She's a heroin addict like my brother and was busted and went to prison at the same time my brother did.
Anyway, for years my mother and grandmother have been sucked into taking care of my brother, giving him money, believing his lies, etc. I can't stand it. The last time I saw him was last April when we came to visit. He was still on parole and being drug tested, but I found his behavior extremely odd. I spoke to him on the phone about meeting and getting our kids together, and he sounded messed up. I told my grandmother about it (I didn't want him driving with my nephew to meet me), and she snapped at me and told me I was being ridiculous and that he was being drug tested, and how dare I accuse him of this when he's doing such a great job of putting his life together, blah blah blah. So we did a bunch of almost-arguing and hung up, and I saw him later. He kept making frequent phone calls in private and sneaking away every twenty minutes, same as he always did when he was using and selling... and drinking a lot of Red Bull. I didn't think much of the Red Bull at the time, but I knew he'd never liked sweet beverages. Something definitely seemed off, but I told myself I was wrong, as I often do, because my family has a way of temporarily convincing me that I am the crazy one and that things are better.
So fast forward to now. My mom told me he admitted to cheating his drug tests and somehow using Red Bull and Adderall (he acquired a prescription for "ADHD"--I sound like a bitchy know-it-all, but he doesn't have ADHD and everyone knows it). I read about it on the internet and apparently people who are drug tested do this very easily to get a negative result. I suppose the Adderall was to mask his use of amphetamines, but that part wasn't clear to me. The Red Bull, I read, is for replacing the creatine in a urine sample that has been diluted from the person drinking too much water, thus eliminating traces of illegal substances and making it look like a good sample (still containing creatine). IS IT REALLY THAT EASY? I wouldn't have thought so, but there seems to be a whole order of junkies who have out-smarted the system.
So I guess carelessness is what ultimately made him fail the test. And this sounds awful, but I'm feeling more validated than disappointed right now. I knew something was up and I get increasingly annoyed with everyone in my family denying the signs. I'm always the odd one out--the critical and negative one who stays away and won't spend a lot of time with any of the addicts in my family. I wish he'd get well. But I don't think he wants to. I don't think it's even possible with my mom and dad (stepdad) still spiraling deeper into their own alcoholism, and my mom and grandmother always "stepping up" to do everything for him.
I think where I've grown most in the past couple of years is setting boundaries. I'm strong enough, or serene enough now that I don't have a say-back for all the nonsense, and I let things be. I've become more passive and have learned to worry less about whether people get upset with me for doing what's right for my own family. I'm still learning to trust my instincts, which I guess is what compelled me to share this.
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Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: W Washington
Posts: 11,589
it sounds like you are handling all this family dynamic craziness REALLY well. engaged but with detachment. and that you were able to withold the big fat "HA, I FREAKING TOLD YOU SO!!!! " when it was revealed he had been cheating on the drug tests. 
not sure what more YOU can do tho? they're all cheerfully floating down the river of Denial......and you've already pointed out the big huge waterfall in their path.
good to SEE you, i hope everything else is going well!?
not sure what more YOU can do tho? they're all cheerfully floating down the river of Denial......and you've already pointed out the big huge waterfall in their path.
good to SEE you, i hope everything else is going well!?
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Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 379
Most states set the detection threshold so high that the tests have to be done every other day, or even daily, to find a level that sets off a "positive" finding, depending on the substance being tested for (cocaine leaves the system within 24 hours, amphetamines within 48, etc...) That is without any efforts to "flush" the system with excess hydration, so yes, absolutely, certainly, 100% positively, the tests are quite easily "beaten."
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Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 1,254
I noticed Adderal was mentioned, the alkie/addict here has basically admitted to it's use among other things and passed a drug test with in a week or two of using all sorts of crap. He personally knows a doctor and wouldn't be surprised he wrote a prescription for him. He also drinks ALOT of sports drinks .
I've heard the tricks to cheating for years and with the internet cheating a drug test is big business now. As mentioned surprise tests are the only way to increase chances of catching a substance abuser. I've seen it in the workplace where alkie/addict always passed their routine/scheduled follow up test and always failed the surprise test ie an on site breathalyzer or be taken to a medical/test facility for a sample.
I don't know if anyone wants to turn him in but the enablers or those who ignore need to be told the consequences of inaction or validating their behavior by looking at it as casual behavior. At least call them out on it. Looks like he failed anyway-yes addicts frequently make a science, game and/or job of appearing normal. And just like a real job there are certain things you simply cannot forget or mess up on.
Hopefully this game doesn't go on much longer.
Good Luck
Last comment: I'm surprised the drug testers and business do not recommend surprise or short notice testing more often. Olympic and professional sports with extensive testing resources figured this out years ago.
I've heard the tricks to cheating for years and with the internet cheating a drug test is big business now. As mentioned surprise tests are the only way to increase chances of catching a substance abuser. I've seen it in the workplace where alkie/addict always passed their routine/scheduled follow up test and always failed the surprise test ie an on site breathalyzer or be taken to a medical/test facility for a sample.
I don't know if anyone wants to turn him in but the enablers or those who ignore need to be told the consequences of inaction or validating their behavior by looking at it as casual behavior. At least call them out on it. Looks like he failed anyway-yes addicts frequently make a science, game and/or job of appearing normal. And just like a real job there are certain things you simply cannot forget or mess up on.
Hopefully this game doesn't go on much longer.
Good Luck
Last comment: I'm surprised the drug testers and business do not recommend surprise or short notice testing more often. Olympic and professional sports with extensive testing resources figured this out years ago.
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Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: USA
Posts: 574
rehab, detox and maintenance meetings - all make money
If they were in the business of keeping people honest - they would employ every tactic available.
When my exABF was attending meetings ... there was always 'a guy' whom they would go to - he would accept money, drugs or suboxone. Giving them their 'sample' on meeting day.
If they were in the business of keeping people honest - they would employ every tactic available.
When my exABF was attending meetings ... there was always 'a guy' whom they would go to - he would accept money, drugs or suboxone. Giving them their 'sample' on meeting day.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 80
Originally Posted by AnvilheadII 
good to SEE you, i hope everything else is going well!?
And to everyone, thank you for the support. I am recognizing that my own self-doubt is probably where I need to do some work... AND, there are still so many secrets in the world of my addicts and the true story will always be worse than I thought--more severe than I ever imagined possible. I've kept my distance from my family, and because of this I have built a life that makes me proud. But as a result of staying away, I now only vaguely recognize the sound of quacking when I hear it (man, they really do get better at manipulating over time, LOL). I understand now that staying away is not enough, and that I need to be HERE, with support and reminders that my addicts are still addicts, and if they're not clean/sober, they have, without a doubt, gotten sicker, whether I see them every day or once a year.
So thanks. I'll be around :-)
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Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 275
My EXAH passed every single one of his urine tests, never failed one - for parole and for sub/vivitrol program. OMG, there are so many ways to pass it -you can buy urine, you can dilute it with bleach, water, drink special drinks, etc. When there is a will, there is a way. If you think he is using, he is using, end of story 
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