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Jrock123 · Feb 4, 2015, 04:11 PM

I drank 2 bottles of Champagne on Saturday from around 10am until 8pm and had an ETG on Tuesday at 6pm. So, I was somewhere between the 69-70 hour mark. I am 47 with the good metabolism, drank almost 4 gallons of water on Sunday, normal amounts on Monday, and about 1 1/2 gallons on Tuesday (the day of my test). Also, I took 3 doses of milk thistle detox on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday along with supplementing with Creatine to compensate for the excessive water intake.

From what I've been told by all others I asked, I should be OK. Any opinions on whether I will likely pass?

Alty · Feb 4, 2015, 04:36 PM

No one can tell you if you'll pass or not. You drank two bottles (not glasses but bottles) of champagne. The cutoff for most ETG tests is between 60 and 80 hours, so you're pretty much in the middle. There are no detox applications that work and drinking excessive amounts of water will fail you for dilution.

Having said that, there's a good chance you'll fail. But will you? No one can say for sure. You'll have to wait for the results and deal with it then.

What do you stand to lose if you fail?

Jrock123 · Feb 4, 2015, 05:48 PM

Well... I have been on probation for just more than a year with about 11 months to go, so the probation thing is my concern I guess. I haven't drank over the past year and this one was on a whim.

I haven't had a missed call in, missed test, failure, or dilute since I've been on probation, but I'm concerned over this episode. Not sure what they would do given the clean history, but it's created some anxiety to say the least.

Alty · Feb 4, 2015, 06:27 PM

Sadly we really can't relieve that anxiety. It is what it is, the test will either fail you or pass you, and there's really no way for anyone to determine which scenario will play out. I'm afraid you really won't get a reliable answer online. You'll have to wait and see, and if you get lucky and pass, you have to learn and move on.

Good luck.

Jrock123 · Feb 13, 2015, 01:37 PM

I passed! Also, I had paid for my own test the day before just to see how accurate the ETG's are and I passed that one at 44 hours as well. Whew...

talaniman · Feb 13, 2015, 01:44 PM

Glad you passed. When's the next one? Going for 30 hours between the test and the last use?

Jrock123 · Feb 25, 2015, 07:57 PM

I have two a month, so I'm not sure when the next one is. They are typically on the 2nd or 3rd, and then somewhere between the 20th and 23rd. I think it's possible to pass at 30, but that's cutting it really close. I think a realistic detection time is somewhere between 36-48 hours.

Curious to hear how the test went. Hope you passed!

johnlukeh · Feb 26, 2015, 07:54 AM

I was online 5 days ago and couldn't find a good answer so wanted to post my experience. I drank a 16oz redhook ipa and took a ua, lab EtG test for alcohol, exactly 36 hours later and just got my test back and passed. I go to a methadone clinic and tests are top notch. There's a lot of people out there who say 80 hours no matter what which is bs. Drinking a lot of coffe and fluids will help.

CravenMorhead · Feb 26, 2015, 08:26 AM

Understanding the metabolic pathways for ETG/ETS production as well as what can go wrong in that pathway is important as well. For example, those who have a history for heavy drinking will eliminate ETG/ETS slower then those who are moderate or light drinkers. ETG/ETS gets produced and eliminated at a mostly constant rate, thus the more you drink the longer you will take to completely eliminate ETG/ETS from your system. As well, due to metabolic variability it is hard to say at what rate you would create and eliminate ETG/ETS from your system. Some people can drink heavily and eliminate quickly while others will have one or two and fail a week later.

The other damning characteristic of EtG/EtS tests is that several metabolites are looked for. Many of these are produced at a known rate and will be present at a known quantity in your urine. A funny characteristic of your body is that it tries to keep a relatively constant level of water in your system, so if you were to drink a lot of coffee, sports drinks, and water, then your body will eliminate more of it. This dilutes your urine. So if you drink a lot of it and then take the test then the amount of known and expected compounds will be significantly less. The test will be failed for dilution because it is apparent that the test subject is trying to cover something up. Think of it logically, this test would be useless if it was so easy to manipulate. The people who use it are paying good money for a test that is accurate and reasonably hard to evade.

The main reason that the test is said to be able to detect alcohol consumption 60-80 after the fact is disuade people from drinking if they know that they're going be randomly tested. Make people think twice and maybe, just maybe, get them to follow the contract that they've agreed to instead of trying to have their cake after they've eaten it.

Which comes down to my questions for you:
1). Why are you trying to drink when you've agreed not to?
2). If you were to fail this test, what are the consequences? Are you willing to accept the consequences if you fail?

talaniman · Feb 26, 2015, 08:32 AM

So your own situation worked out and you think it will be the same for anyone else's. That's BUNK, because humans are unique, and there are MORE factors involved than JUST hours since the last drink. A couple of beers didn't show up above the acceptable level to pass in YOUR pee, but YOUR result are only typical to YOU.

You only proved you know how much you can drink to pass YOUR test. The 80 hours is only an average and can be higher, or lower, depending on many other factors unique to an individual, and his own habits and lifestyle.

I know many people who can't have just a couple of beers. Or even one for that matter. What's your advice to them?

Thats what makes your advice both erroneous and dangerous. You equate your own outcomes as being typical and will work for everybody, and that is simply UNTRUE.

Alty · Feb 26, 2015, 07:42 PM

Originally Posted by johnlukeh

I was online 5 days ago and couldn't find a good answer so wanted to post my experience. I drank a 16oz redhook ipa and took a ua, lab EtG test for alcohol, exactly 36 hours later and just got my test back and passed. I go to a methadone clinic and tests are top notch. There's a lot of people out there who say 80 hours no matter what which is bs. Drinking a lot of coffe and fluids will help.

You got lucky, especially since you drank a lot of coffee and fluids. You got really really really lucky! Pray that your luck doesn't fail you the next time.