How Long Does Methadone Stay In Your System Urine, Hair, Blood, and Saliva?
It is a Schedule II controlled substance, meaning that it has a clinically accepted use, but a high potential for abuse that could lead to psychological and physical dependence. Therefore, one should not be very concerned about the safety of taking the medication for a long period of time. In general, if you feel that methadone is helpful to you, it is likely safe to continue taking the medication. When you’re ready to get off methadone, you should not just suddenly stop taking it. The safest way to get off methadone is to work closely with your treatment team.
Some Common Questions About the Drug
- Methadone is offered in some inpatient, residential, and outpatient treatment programs.
- Methadone and its breakdown product EDDP (2-Ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine) can stay in your blood for up to 55 hours.
- The immersive nature of inpatient treatment at California Detox allows you to focus on recovery without triggers or distractions from daily life.
- While standard drug tests often test for opioids, such as heroin and morphine, they don’t always include methadone detection unless specifically requested or added.
In this case, once a person develops emotional stability and a healthy lifestyle, methadone treatments are no longer needed. Methadone maintenance treatment is recommended for at least 12 months, but there is no maximum length for treatment. Individuals who benefit from methadone maintenance treatment for opioid addiction may continue to take methadone for years. Standard urine drug tests involve analyzing a urine sample for the presence of drugs using immunoassay tests that employ antibodies to detect the substances. These tests are rapid, inexpensive, and able to screen for various drugs, including both illegal and prescription medications.
Treatment Options for Methadone Addiction
However, methadone can be detected in saliva for up to two days following the last use. Call to start the admissions process at an AAC treatment center near you, to verify your insurance, or to learn more. We do not receive any commission or fee that is dependent upon which treatment provider a caller chooses.
How Long Does Methadone Stay in the Body?
- While it can take up to 24 hours for methadone to be detected in urine it can sometimes take as little as one hour.
- Methadone maintenance treatment improves overall health and safety and reduces cravings.
- The drug stays present in your system for quite a long time period, which means that it can take a long time to get out of your system as well.
- Any behavior like social withdrawal or an inability to carry out simple daily or work tasks may be indicative of methadone addiction.
- The time methadone can be detected often depends on which body part is tested for methadone.
Addiction shows signs through several irrepressible, yet alcoholism treatment controllable actions. Withdrawals occur when the body has gone without a dose of a substance it now requires to keep functioning. This can induce uncomfortable reactions that can promote relapse into addiction. A methadone false positive can be retested using confirmation testing, which should correct the false positive.
We understand that it may be disappointing to learn that the drug can stay in your body for such a long period of time. If you are currently addicted to the drug, we hope that this information will help you. Research shows that it will remain in your system for anywhere between 2 days and 14 days. The exact amount of time is dependent on a number of factors including your age, physical health, the purity of the drug and the severity of your addiction. It is extremely important, therefore, that you avoid using more than your prescribed dose. It is also crucial that you avoid mixing the drug with other substances unless a doctor has granted you approval to do so.
Talk to a Rehab Specialist
When tested via a blood sample, methadone can be detected in as little as 30 minutes after the last use. It can also remain detectable within the bloodstream for as long as three days. While blood testing for methadone is the most accurate, it is also the most expensive, invasive, and has the shortest detection window. People visit licensed clinics where doses of methadone are administered, and health professionals check for any signs of adverse effects.
Seek Methadone Maintenance Treatment Now
Note that methadone might still be detectable in urine, even after its effects have worn off. This is because methadone maintenance can cause the medication to accumulate in tissues and fat cells, thus resulting in its continued presence in urine. Olaniyi O. Osuntokun is a Neurology & Psychiatry Specialist based in Conroe, Texas, and Lafayette, Indiana. He has extensive experience in treating Individuals with substance use disorders and addiction.
- Methadone is a synthetic opioid that is also known as Methadose and Dolophine.
- She is a licensed marriage and family therapist and has held multiple leadership roles before settling here at Eagle Creek.
- Methadone can be detected on a urine test in as little as 30 minutes after the last dose.
- Whichever mode of treatment(s) you choose, remember that getting some kind of help is the primary goal.
- Research has shown that the half-life of methadone can range from 8 hours to 59 hours.
Methadone Withdrawal Symptoms
This condition is characterized by a number of physical symptoms that last for several weeks after detox. It is a result of having methadone in your system for so long that your body becomes accustomed to it and doesn’t know how to respond without the drug present. This is one reason why doctors need time to figure out the right dosage for methadone maintenance patients when they start out in their methadone withdrawal treatment.