Why a Methadone Drug Test?
You may need a drug test for methadone if an employer requires it for a job position. Athletes and sport professionals are also usually tested for drug use. So are people who have gone to rehab centers to overcome addiction. Emergency rooms often do a drug test if you’re in cases of injury or overdose.
If the date of drug testing for the presence of methadone is near, you should definitely be prepared. Find out how long methadone is detectable on different drug tests in this infographic. Then, we invite your questions at the end.
Drug Name: Methadone
Drug Class: Analgesic / Opiate
Street Names: Amidone, Fizzies, Wafer
How Long is Methadone Detected?
Detection actually indicates the period of time from last dosing of methadone. However, drug detection times for methadone are extremely variable, especially in urine testing. The amount of time methadone metabolite remains detectable in urine greatly varies, depending on the amount and frequency of use. Following this logic, single, small methadone doses are generally detectable at a lower boundary, while chronic and long-term methadone use typically results in detection periods at the upper boundary.
Chronic users, physically inactive users, and people with a high percentage of body fat are prone to longer methadone detection periods. Additionally, individuals typically metabolize a drug faster once a tolerance to it is established. Moreover, drug detection times are also affected by the type of specimen, testing method, and cutoff levels.
Methadone Drug Test Detection
How long does methadone stay in your system?
Detection of methadone in your system depends on what drug test is used. While drug testing can reveal any drug presence or its metabolites in a specimen, these tests have different detection windows. The methadone drug test detection windows are as follows:
Urine: These types of tests show methadone presence from 3 – 30 days after the last use.
Hair: Expect methadone to show on a hair test around 30-90 days after the last time you took it. Hair tests detect drug presence for quite a long period of time and require only 1.5 inch of hair sample to determine drug presence.
Saliva: Saliva tests detect methadone presence for 7 days after the last intake.
Blood: Methadone detection window for a blood tests is 1 around day.
Factors That Affect Methadone Detection Windows
The actual time methadone remains detectable in a sample will depend on some or all of the following:
- The amount of methadone taken.
- The frequency of your methadone use.
- Your individual methadone metabolism and general health.
- The amount of fluids taken after using methadone.
- The amount of exercise after you took methadone.
- Genetic variations that affect your response to methadone.
NOTE HERE: Drug detection times in urine, blood, and saliva are an average and can vary greatly by individual. The information in this methadone infographic should be used as a general guideline only.
Methadone Detection Timelines Questions
Do you want to learn more about drug testing and the detection timelines? Download our FREE e-book The Definitive Guide To Drug testing to learn more.
And, if you have additional questions about methadone detection timelines, feel free to post them in the comments section below. We are happy to help answer your questions personally and promptly. If we do not know the answer to your particular inquiry, we will refer you to someone who does.
Reference sources:
NCBI: Optimum Methadone Compliance Testing
VDMME: Drug Free Workplace
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