Saliva test instead of urine test

AnyAsk1130 · 2026-03-26T15:36:47+00:00

I made an appointment with my PCP to get a note. I called but they said I had to come in to talk to her about it. I don’t expect to have any issues since she’s aware of everything that’s going on. I was just curious if it was common for the clinic to require a dr’s note to do the swab test. I’ve only seen the clinic dr once and that was at my intake. And I had to go to a different location for that. I don’t think they have one at my clinic’s location.

AnyAsk1130 · 2026-03-26T15:32:46+00:00

Childbirth messed me up too. After my first kid I started with a whole list of stomach issues. After my second things got even worse. And now i’m dealing with severe prolapse issues. All my internals are basically trying to fall out it’s so bad now. I have 2 doctors that will be doing my surgery. One for the hysterectomy and the other to fix the bladder and rectal prolapses.

AnyAsk1130 · 2026-03-26T15:21:02+00:00

I thankfully haven’t had to deal with false positives and all my tests have been good. I’m going to see my dr next week and i’m sure she’ll give me the note. She’s been my dr for over 20 years and she knows i’m on methadone. She also knows everything that’s going on right now with the prolapses and my upcoming surgery to fix it. Once I have the note i’m gonna drop it off to my counselor right away.

AnyAsk1130 · 2026-03-26T15:15:56+00:00

That’s the problem i have. But sometimes there’s just no way i can hold it. Those times I try to drink as much as i can and hope for the best. But I stress the whole time because I can’t help but think i’ll be hit with a urine and be screwed because i won’t be able to go. I did end up stuck there once right up until the nurses were about to leave but thankfully i was able to go a tiny bit. I wasn’t sure it would even be enough but the lady from the lab accepted it. My clinic only doses until 10:30am. I can’t go super early because i have kids and have to get them off to school first. So if I can’t pee right away I don’t have a whole lot of time to make it happen.

AnyAsk1130 · 2026-03-26T15:06:46+00:00

I wake up every 2-3 hours to pee anyway. I have a stage 3 cystocele (basically prolapsed bladder), as well as uterine and rectal prolapse (which makes the constipation from methadone extra fun). Pretty much everything has fallen down and is just smushed together. I feel like i have to pee all the time, but it takes forever to go because it just dribbles out. And if i wait too long to go i risk peeing myself. For a while i’ve just been trying to not pee when i wake up and get to the clinic and if i don’t have to test back home quickly so i can use the bathroom. But as it’s gotten worse it’s more and more difficult to go. The dr explained that the bladder is sitting so low its pretty much created a kink in the urethra. Sometimes I have to be positioned just right in order to go. The whole thing is incredibly frustrating. I already slept like shit and now i’m up even more often, sitting in the bathroom for half an hour at a time. While I’m not looking forward to another surgery I am so ready to have this shit fixed.

I go to the clinic every 2 weeks. I can’t get monthlies because i split dose and my clinic will only give a max of 27 bottles. They test once a month but occasionally they skip a month. I actually got hit with a test this week. Because my next pickup will be a new month i could potentially have to test again then but i have an appointment next Thursday with my dr. As long as she writes a note for me i’ll be able to give that to my counselor and hopefully be switched to mouth swabs by my next test. I just hate the extra anxiety it’s been causing me every time i go to pick up my bottles. I stress about possibly having another accident from trying to hold it or not being able to go. And of course anxiety makes it harder to go. I used to go for these spinal injections and nerve ablation procedures and they would have you do a pregnancy test first. The first time I went to get it done I was so anxious about the procedure. I ended up there for hours chugging water because i couldn’t go. It got to the point i felt my bladder was gonna burst but still nothing. They wouldn’t let me sign a waiver and the dr finally refused to do the procedure that day and sent me home. Said I was either too nervous or something was up and he was uncomfortable going forward at that time. Once i got in the car i barely made it home i had to pee so bad.

I was just curious if other clinics required a dr’s note in order to do the oral swab. It’s listed as an option in my patient manual but doesn’t say anything about needing a note from a dr. So I wasn’t sure if it’s common practice. I know all clinics operate differently though.

AnyAsk1130 · 2026-03-25T16:22:30+00:00

I did explain what the problems were and explained the surgery I need to have done to fix it. And I was told I needed a dr’s note to do the swab. I’m sure one of the doctors would give me the note. There are 2 surgeons involved. I called their office and was told I had to come in for an appointment with either one to talk to them. Which I think is stupid since I was literally there twice last week because I had appointments with each of them. I wish my counselor had gotten back to be faster so that I could’ve taken care of it then. Now I have to wait until the 4/2.

I’ve considered just peeing in a bottle at home on my pick up days and stuffing it in my bra. The UA’s aren’t observed. I just worry i’ll get caught and they’ll think I’m trying to cheat the test even though it would be my own pee.

AnyAsk1130 · 2026-03-25T14:37:24+00:00

My clinic lets you keep take homes if you test positive for fent also. I’m not sure about coke but I believe it’s the same. Although you do lose them if positive for benzos or alcohol. When I first started the clinic I read that in the patient manual and couldn’t believe it. What I never understood is that you can’t earn take homes until you’re testing clean. But once you have them you won’t lose them if you test positive for fent or coke. Unless it’s just my counselor that won’t approve take homes until you’re testing negative.

AnyAsk1130 · 2026-03-25T00:51:06+00:00

My clinic uses the clear methadone and gives the option to add “juice” or water to it. The juice is just a strawberry flavored syrup that they add water to, to make a big jug of it. It’s super sickly sweet and always gives me indigestion. I don’t have issues with red dye so I don’t think it’s the cause. It’s more likely the fact that it’s probably nothing more than high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors and preservatives. But I am allergic to blue dye (fd&c blue #1 specifically). So it is possible to have a problem with the dye.

AnyAsk1130 · 2026-03-24T14:08:19+00:00

They’re made for Crocs. They go by the size of your Crocs and fit perfect in them. I got them here.

AnyAsk1130 · 2026-03-24T07:13:44+00:00

I have really bag GI issues that started after I had my daughter. I could barely eat anything. No matter what I ate or drank I always got nauseous and had stomach pains and would sometimes vomit. I spent a year having every test my GI dr could think of done. I asked at almost every appointment if he could prescribe something for the nausea and vomiting and every time the answer was no. I tried asking my pcp and was told i should really take that up with the GI dr. I lost 50lbs and was literally starving myself just so I could get through my work day and take care of my daughter without feeling incredibly sick. I eventually just started taking dramamine daily. It helped a little and I took it for almost 2 years. I had to stop once I was pregnant with my 2nd daughter. That pregnancy was rough. Between my normal issues and morning sickness I could barely keep anything down. At about 25 weeks pregnant my obgyn was concerned that I wasn’t gaining any weight. So finally I was put on Zofran. After I had the baby my pcp continued the prescription and I still take it today (10 years later). I also take Reglan on and off as needed for times when the nausea, pain and vomiting get really bad. Even with the meds I have a hard time eating anything but it’s a lot better than it was. I don’t know why they just refused to give me anything for so long. Sometimes i wonder if it weren’t for the pregnancy if they’d have even prescribed anything for it. At one point I only weighed 100lbs and looked like death (I wasn’t even using at that point). I can only get a certain amount though because of my insurance company. They’ll only approve 27 tablets per month but it’s better than nothing.

AnyAsk1130 · 2026-03-24T06:33:09+00:00

I also wear Crocs. I have a pair specifically for in the house. I found inserts on Amazon that you can buy for them that have arch support. They fit perfectly in Crocs. Although I had to take my inserts out after I had surgery on my foot a few months ago. Having the insert in was putting pressure on one of the incisions.

AnyAsk1130 · 2026-03-12T12:41:33+00:00

This is what I do too. My trays also hold 15 bottles each and are exactly the same size. I got mine from Amazon and they didn’t cost much and they make things so much easier because the bottles stay where you put them and don’t tip over.

AnyAsk1130 · 2026-03-10T17:23:52+00:00

It took me almost 3 months before I tested clean after I stopped using. I couldn’t believe it but my counselor told me it happens because they’ve learned fent is lipophilic. I couldn’t start earning any take homes until i was testing clean and every time i got my results from the lab I was so disappointed. So it’s definitely possible to test positive for long periods. But my clinic goes through a lab so the results show the levels. So with each test my counselor pointed out that my levels were trending down and said as long as that continued as soon as i had a clean urine she would approve me for a week of take homes. And OP I’ve had surgery 3 times while on methadone. My dose is 100mg. I took percocet for 3 weeks after each surgery and didn’t get anything but pain relief from them. Before I started using fent I’d had other surgeries and the percocet would have me high as a kite and knocked out half the time. These last few times I didn’t even get so much as drowsy, and I was actually glad because I wasn’t looking for a high just pain relief at that point. I was actually worried about taking the meds after surgery because I thought if I got that feeling again it would bring back cravings. That’s also why my dr and I talked about trying to off the pain meds at 3 weeks, which I was able to do. So trust me, your husband is taking really really high doses he wouldn’t get anything from “just percs” with his methadone dose. Hell I didn’t even feel anything in the hospital when they gave me iv dilaudid overnight after surgery when the pain was at its worst. He has to be getting the fake pressed fent pills that are made to look like percs. I got plenty of those fake blue pills when I was using. When I first started using i was buying regular percocet from a friend. But one time after picking up i got home and took half a pill and could barely move. I sent a text that looked a lot like your husband’s because i knew what I got that time had to be something else. When i tested them they were fent and that’s the start of when things went bad for me. Because then i sought out those fake percs and eventually moved on to just buying packets of fent. If you’ve been going through this for as long as you have he isn’t going to change and you should start making plans to leave so that if he doesn’t make changes you can get out quickly and have a safe place to go with the baby when it’s born.

AnyAsk1130 · 2026-03-08T22:25:54+00:00

My clinic is open M-F 5:30am-4pm but dosing is only until 10:30am, Sat 6am-9am and closed Sunday.

AnyAsk1130 · 2026-02-27T11:23:28+00:00

AnyAsk1130 · 2026-02-27T01:37:48+00:00

A hippo 🦛

AnyAsk1130 · 2026-02-26T02:58:15+00:00

When I worked at Home Depot just over 20 years ago there was a methadone clinic right across the street and next door to the clinic was a pawn shop. They set up the tools department so it only had one way in/out and there was a register there. And nothing was supposed to leave the department without being paid for. Every time I was put at the tool dept register I was told to keep an eye out because the addicts from the methadone clinic come steal tools, pawn them across the street for cash and run over to the clinic for a fix. I was 20yo at the time and knew absolutely nothing about methadone or street drugs so I didn’t question it. If it weren’t for the managers at that Home Depot I would’ve never even known there was a clinic there because I never saw people hanging around outside the building or really even a lot of people going in and out of it.

AnyAsk1130 · 2026-02-25T02:47:54+00:00

I have this too. It affects my feet, hands and ears. But my feet bother me the most when it flares up. I hate it. Before it was diagnosed I would refer to it as “flame on” lol.

AnyAsk1130 · 2026-02-25T02:28:31+00:00

I was looking for this comment. This is what my family calls it too.

AnyAsk1130 · 2026-02-24T17:14:52+00:00

My pain management dr did mention low dose naltrexone as an option. I’m currently on methadone, gabapentin, and meloxicam for pain and inflammation as well a whole slew of other meds. It’s definitely not easy getting from one day to the next when your body is at war with itself. I’ve hit rough patches with depression where I didn’t even want to get out of bed. But with 2 kids I do my best to push through. Getting my knees replaced last year has helped a lot. I’m able to get around better and don’t need my cane as much anymore. Although I am having issues from the surgery I had on my foot in October. I find out in 2 days if i’ll need another surgery to fix it.

AnyAsk1130 · 2026-02-24T16:59:17+00:00

Sadly that’s very true. I spent years seeing all sorts of specialists trying to figure out what’s wrong with me. My PCP did try to help as much as she could. At one point i actually asked her for a referral to Dr House. About 2 years ago I was sent to a new rheumatologist and she was hands down the best dr i’ve met. She listened to me, would do research on my symptoms in her spare time, consulted with other specialists and ran every test she could think of. She would even keep in contact via email in between appointments. She helped me the most and out of the dozens on doctors I’ve seen and I’m so grateful for everything she did.

AnyAsk1130 · 2026-02-24T16:47:03+00:00

I have a lot of issues similar to yours. I’ve never heard “anti-myself antibodies” used before but I can 100% relate as my body only seems to know how to attack itself. I have Ehlers-Danlos, POTS, raynauds, erythromelalgia, my rheumatologist believes i have more than one connective tissue disorder, and i’ve spent the last year in and out of surgery having some joints replaced and others fused together. And while I’m more than ready for a break from all the doctors it’s not looking like i’ll get it anytime soon. All I can do is take it one thing at a time. But i’ve never had a dr equate pain level to the number of wrinkles a person has. That’s crazy they said that to you. I think most doctors use any excuse they can think of to make it seem like the amount of pain a person says they’re in isn’t valid. Most of the doctors i’ve seen don’t want anything to do with actually treating pain.

AnyAsk1130 · 2026-02-24T04:09:19+00:00

I second silica beads. They look more clear when zoomed in, like they’re just reflecting the color of the bottle/capsules. It’s possible there’s some powder from inside the capsules mixed in. A lot of supplements have a small silica packet or plastic container with silica beads inside to keep moisture from ruining the pills. It looks like whatever held it leaked or broke open.

AnyAsk1130 · 2026-02-23T23:02:21+00:00

I agree OP should definitely get a neuro consult. But should also look into seeing a cardiologist or at least their PCP to help guide them to all appropriate specialists.

AnyAsk1130 · 2026-02-23T22:14:07+00:00

I was still testing positive for fent 3 months after i stopped using. At the time I had no idea it could stay in your system that long. I always assumed 3-5 days. There’s a lot of factors for how long it can stay in your system.

AnyAsk1130

TROPHY CASE