[Karri Tansel]

I am a type 2 diabetic. I've been sober 2 years but been testing positive for alcohol in my court ordered urine tests. My sugar has been very high and often have yeast infections and uti's... this is very hard to prove my sobriety and my doctor won't help because although he can verify my out of control sugar.. he isn't familiar enough with the correlation between my diabetic issues and positive alcohol testing... can any one help me? Thanks...

[tickle]

There is a simple answer. The use of hand sanitizers absorbed by the skin or mouthwash that contains alcohol. Both can cause a positive. Diabetics can have a false positive if the urine sugar is elevated and yeast is present in the urine. The yeast ferments the sugar into alcohol.

I think you need a better doctor who can think this through.

[teacherjenn4]

I'm not sure if any alcohol is absorbed by the skin during wiping the vial of insulin before use and cleaning the injection site?

[talaniman]

Beyond treating your diabetes, and documenting it, what help do you expect from your doctor? What consequences has the PO, or courts imposed on you because of failing your tests? People with diabetes and other kidney related diseases routinely fail drug tests. Even more who were unaware of their condition have sought treatment after failing a drug test. Have they set up an interview with your Medical Review Officer?

Please clarify your issue with your doctor. I hope you follow the doctors instructions and get your diabetes under control. That may take time depending on your condition.

Do you test your own blood and keep a log?

[tickle]

I'm not sure if any alcohol is absorbed by the skin during wiping the vial of insulin before use and cleaning the injection site?

Hand sanitizers are alcohol based; wiping the injection site with an alcohol swab would have the same effect of alcohol being absorbed by the dermis and going into the blood stream.

[talaniman]

I seriously doubt that swabbing a finger for a blood test would fail you even if you did it 2/3 times a day everyday as many diabetics do. Further it's small potatoes if you have a documented need to do so for a medical condition that you are being treated for.

A doctor has no real function in the court ordered probation other than provide documentation of treatments, and prescriptions and it's up to a medical review officer to verify those documents and make them available to the courts for further disposition of the client AFTER they have failed a court ordered drug test.

It's not a free pass, but another step in the PROCESS.

Another side effect of diabetes is slurred words and erratic behavior, mimicking being drunk although this is a sign of LOW blood sugar not high.

Any doctor should be made aware immediately however that their patient is under court supervised testing protocols and use this as a guide to what drugs are prescribed for their patience, but basically some diseases such as diabetes don't fall under those protocols like say depression, and psychotropic drugs like Xanax where their are substitutes available especially if it's the disease that triggers a failure and not the drugs for the conditions of that disease.

Still its a matter for the courts and not a doctor what happens to a a client. Most failures trigger a confirmation test that goes deeper into analysis, and where the MRO steps into the process. That''s why I am unsure of what the OP expects from her doctor other than treat her condition, or provide documentation when asked.

https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojp/181103.pdf

[ma0641]

High blood sugars lead to ketoacidosis. Metabolites of ketone (acetone is typical) may be causing the positive. However, if your blood sugar is that high, you are in danger of serious medical problems. ARe you not taking metformin or insulin to get sugar down?