Narrative:

I'm an medium large transport first officer. I've been with the airline for 5 yrs. I was flying a pattern on 9/mon/90 through 9/thu/90. On the first day of the trip I started getting a head cold. Before I went to bed at phx, I took a package (2 tablets) of alka seltzer plus cold medicine. I was able to clear my ears on 9/tue/90 by holding my nose closed and blowing hard. Before I went to bed 9/tue & wed/90, I told a package (2 tablets) of alka seltzer plus cold medicine each night. My cold was getting worse. I called my crew coordinator from den. I told him that if my ears didn't clear coming into msp, he would have to replace me. He said that they were short of first officer's and that it might be a problem and hoped I could finish the trip. I couldn't clear my ears on 9/thu/90 morning in den when I awoke. At XX30 am mdt, in den, I took a novafed capsule. I had some from 2 yrs ago when I had an ear infection. I thought that they were ok to take while flying. Upon arrival at the gate at msp at the end of the trip, we were met by a human resources person from our company. She told us that our flight was selected for a random drug test. We initiated the paperwork and hurried off to the collection area. After giving my urine specimen, I told the collection person what cold medicine had taken and when and asked where I was to put that information on the form. He said that I shouldn't have taken any of the alka seltzer plus or novafed and that it would give me a positive test. I shouldn't have let the crew coordinator influence me. I believe this situation occurred because I was not properly informed about what medications can be taken while flying. My company and my union need to put out the information better to the pilot groups to prevent this from happening to someone else. As of this date, I have not been informed of the drug test results.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FO INVOLVED IN A RANDOM DRUG TEST IS INFORMED THAT COLD MEDICINE HE HAD TAKEN WILL GIVE A POSITIVE INDICATION.

Narrative: I'M AN MLG F/O. I'VE BEEN WITH THE AIRLINE FOR 5 YRS. I WAS FLYING A PATTERN ON 9/MON/90 THROUGH 9/THU/90. ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE TRIP I STARTED GETTING A HEAD COLD. BEFORE I WENT TO BED AT PHX, I TOOK A PACKAGE (2 TABLETS) OF ALKA SELTZER PLUS COLD MEDICINE. I WAS ABLE TO CLEAR MY EARS ON 9/TUE/90 BY HOLDING MY NOSE CLOSED AND BLOWING HARD. BEFORE I WENT TO BED 9/TUE & WED/90, I TOLD A PACKAGE (2 TABLETS) OF ALKA SELTZER PLUS COLD MEDICINE EACH NIGHT. MY COLD WAS GETTING WORSE. I CALLED MY CREW COORDINATOR FROM DEN. I TOLD HIM THAT IF MY EARS DIDN'T CLEAR COMING INTO MSP, HE WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE ME. HE SAID THAT THEY WERE SHORT OF F/O'S AND THAT IT MIGHT BE A PROB AND HOPED I COULD FINISH THE TRIP. I COULDN'T CLEAR MY EARS ON 9/THU/90 MORNING IN DEN WHEN I AWOKE. AT XX30 AM MDT, IN DEN, I TOOK A NOVAFED CAPSULE. I HAD SOME FROM 2 YRS AGO WHEN I HAD AN EAR INFECTION. I THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE OK TO TAKE WHILE FLYING. UPON ARR AT THE GATE AT MSP AT THE END OF THE TRIP, WE WERE MET BY A HUMAN RESOURCES PERSON FROM OUR COMPANY. SHE TOLD US THAT OUR FLT WAS SELECTED FOR A RANDOM DRUG TEST. WE INITIATED THE PAPERWORK AND HURRIED OFF TO THE COLLECTION AREA. AFTER GIVING MY URINE SPECIMEN, I TOLD THE COLLECTION PERSON WHAT COLD MEDICINE HAD TAKEN AND WHEN AND ASKED WHERE I WAS TO PUT THAT INFO ON THE FORM. HE SAID THAT I SHOULDN'T HAVE TAKEN ANY OF THE ALKA SELTZER PLUS OR NOVAFED AND THAT IT WOULD GIVE ME A POSITIVE TEST. I SHOULDN'T HAVE LET THE CREW COORDINATOR INFLUENCE ME. I BELIEVE THIS SITUATION OCCURRED BECAUSE I WAS NOT PROPERLY INFORMED ABOUT WHAT MEDICATIONS CAN BE TAKEN WHILE FLYING. MY COMPANY AND MY UNION NEED TO PUT OUT THE INFO BETTER TO THE PLT GROUPS TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING TO SOMEONE ELSE. AS OF THIS DATE, I HAVE NOT BEEN INFORMED OF THE DRUG TEST RESULTS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.