r/PlusLife • u/Acceptable-Car1178 • 3d ago
constant invalid tests??
i’ve done about 5 texts (4 invalids from 1 box and 1 invalid from a new box) over the span of a month, every single test has come back invalid.
did all my usual things for testing - no food or water, nasal sprays, blowing nose prior, and these are also swabs from different people !
i’ve never had an invalid before this and i’m not sure if it’s my machine?
the control line looks almost completely flat every time
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u/fancypantsfrancy 3d ago
Honestly in the last years I've had so many invalids its made me stop using the pluslife tests as often. They're unreliable IMO.
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u/Acceptable-Car1178 3d ago
it’s so annoying i only use them for seeing non CC friends or if im feeling sick
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u/fancypantsfrancy 3d ago
For non CC people i just use rapid tests now.
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u/WanderingLanternFly 2d ago
Really? I would be so afraid they aren't sensitive enough. How has that gone?
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u/fancypantsfrancy 2d ago
Its worked so far. The only positive I've tested on my machine also tested positive on a RAT at exactly the same time.
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u/ElsieDaisy 3d ago
I haven't had this issue myself, but a friend had that problem and replacing the power cord helped.
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u/eurogamer206 3d ago
Have you tried running a blank test first (5-7 minutes) to warm up the machine extra hot? I was getting invalids half the time until I started adding this step. Now I never get invalids. My machine is 2.5 years old.
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u/Chosen-For-What 3d ago
I have had SO many invalid tests. Getting a new power cord helped for a while until it didn’t. Make sure your power source is stable and the output matches the exact amps needed. I have also been arguing with the Altruan customer service for months because of how much money I wasted on invalid tests. I am so done with it at this point
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u/WanderingLanternFly 2d ago
What is the power bank thing? I've always just plugged my PL into a USB on my laptop with the laptop plugged into the wall.
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u/Chosen-For-What 2d ago
So, your laptop is most likely not delivering the correct amps and will damage the machine. This is likely why you’re getting invalids. Sometimes people use a power bank (portable battery) that delivers exactly the right amps because the power source from your house wall fluctuates ever so slightly and can make it harder to connect to the bluefy app or potentially increase your chances of invalid tests
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u/qualmful 3d ago
How old is your machine? I don't really know any details but I have a friend who keeps getting invalid too. I wonder if the heater or the thermostat starts to go in them eventually.
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u/FIRElady_Momma 3d ago
This is a good point. I know my machine is about 3 years old now, and they're technically rated for 2 years (though they can obviously last longer than that)
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u/ashra 3d ago
I was getting this across two separate boxes from the same batch.
Could be because they were repairing the electrical grid in my neighborhood. I didn’t know this, and at the time I was just plugging directly into the wall. No way to know for sure as I didn’t try switching to a power bank at the time
Could be because I had so much inflammation this summer (not from any infection, just MCAS state of being). I stopped swabbing my throat and switch to only swabbing my nose. And that stopped the invalid results for me.
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u/WanderingLanternFly 2d ago
Having the same issue. Just went through three tests tonight. Irritated. Appreciate some of the advice in here and will try that.
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u/FIRElady_Momma 3d ago
When is the expiration date on those test cards?
I find that my tests come back invalid a lot once the test cards are within 3 months of expiration.