Any nurses or pathologists here can answer a question for me?**UPDATE*

[Tarja]

If he listed the medications when tested, a positive result that is in the range for the dose might be marked negative. It doesn't matter if there is a drug if he should be on it and the level isn't high.

 

[MamaRoo]

I found this:

In studies with Ritalin LA and Ritalin tablets in adults, methylphenidate from Ritalin tablets is
eliminated from plasma with an average half-life of about 3.5 hours, (range 1.3 - 7.7 hours). In children
the average half-life is about 2.5 hours, with a range of about 1.5 - 5.0 hours. The rapid half-life in both
children and adults may result in unmeasurable concentrations between the morning and mid-day doses
with Ritalin tablets. No accumulation of methylphenidate is expected following multiple once a day
oral dosing with Ritalin LA. The half-life of ritalinic acid is about 3-4 hours

in http://www.pharma.us.novartis.com/product/pi/pdf/ritalin_la.pdf

I don't know exactly what he's taking so I can't look up the half life for you, but it's possible they missed the window.​

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
They won't tell me

They say they ran the correct test, but they couldn't have.

Demand a copy of the lab test.

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Quote:
They won't tell me

They say they ran the correct test, but they couldn't have.

Demand a copy of the lab test.

Thank you, I hadn't thought of that

He takes the max dosage allowable by law, which is why i say they have to have given the wrong test. He takes 20mg 3 times a day. It SHOULD show up! This has been a headache.

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Quote:
He takes ALOT. It should have shown. He takes 60 mg per day, and had just taken 20 mg before leaving for the appointment. The blood sample he had just taken his last pill of the day, another 20 mg.

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Quote:
in http://www.pharma.us.novartis.com/product/pi/pdf/ritalin_la.pdf

I don't know exactly what he's taking so I can't look up the half life for you, but it's possible they missed the window.

methylphenidate 20mg 3 x daily. He had taken 20mg about 2 hours before the drug screen though..still 20 mg is high dosage. I wouldn't think it would have been gone so quickly, but I could be wrong. He does have a very high metabolism.

still doesn't explain the blood drug analysis though. It should have been there if they did the correct test. Ritalinic acid...that's the test the pharmacist told us to ask for next time....NEXT time

We have to get this straightened out NOW though. *sigh*


Thanks everyone for all the help!!

 

[Tarja]

If he is taking the medication that close, it won't show in urine or blood yet. Your husband needs to demand a copy of all blood work. They can't tell you due to privacy laws. DS has about a half hour where Ritalin shows up on basic screens.

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Quote:
Even residual will be gone? He has taken it for 15 years LOL! I will have him get all copies of bloodwork tomorrow from the doctors. So what's the window? 30 minutes? So he needs to take it in the office before a drug screen? They just pop these screenings on him whenever and he never knows when, so how would we get around that? this is soooo complicated!!

 

[Tarja]

Wes doesn't show until 2 hours, 15 minutes, then nothing after 2 hours, 45 minutes. His doctor now just checks that his blood work is normal and we adjust dosage by how Wes is doing, can't focus, up the dose, tired, lower the dose.

 

[Cindiloohoo]

OI then it could take foreverrr to get this straightened out