Alex Simmons/RST said:
Can you provide some plausible explanations of how probenecid can get into your system without your knowledge.
Keep in mind that Impey made no indication about any supplements or medication noted at time of test, which lessens the contaminated supplement angle somewhat.
To be honest I am not sure. My reading indicates that probenecid has three basic uses and the first one I think would obviously be ruled out for Impey.
My research (
http://coachsci.sdsu.edu/csa/vol56/rushall5.htm) ,
says,
"Probenecid is used: (1) to prevent gout and gouty arthritis, (2) to control high uric acid levels in the blood that can be caused by some diuretics (therefore it could actually work against some potential and actual masking agents), and (3) with certain kinds of antibiotics to increase their levels in the blood and make them more effective in the treatment of infections."
Did Impey take some medication regarding #2 and #3 without realizing it had probenecid. I don't know. All we have from Impey is a denial as opposed to a possible explanation. But he claims he had no knowledge of knowingly taking probenecid. I think you would agree a lot of people take medication under various names without really knowing what is in the medication.
Probenecid's trade name is probalan. So if someone recommended to Impey he take some probalan for high uric acid because for example he drank too much coffee (caffeine as you probably know is a diuretic) or for an infection, he may not have had any knowledge of it containing probenecid.
The problem is we are talking theoretically because we just don't know the facts and my earlier point in this thread is the anti-doping agencies have to be more transparent as to their findings so we the cycling fans are not spinning our wheels in the Clinic with speculation.
As for the testing detection level, why does the level have to indicate effectiveness at the time the test is conducted? Drugs dissipate over time and may well have been effective earlier.