How Long Does Methadose Stay in Your System?

Methadose has one of widest clearance ranges of any opioid. Depending on the patient’s physiology and drug history, it may take anywhere from 8 to 59 hours to naturally eliminate Methadose from the body. Urine tests can detect the presence of Methadose between 24 hours and 7 days after the last dose. From the time of last dose, blood tests can detect Methadose for up to three days and saliva tests can detect Methadose for up to 10 days.

Methadose Prescription Facts

Methadose is an oral tablet form of methadone hydrochloride. Methadone is commonly prescribed to help manage opioid dependency. Like all synthetic opioids, it’s also an effective pain reliever. Methadose is long-lasting and has a slow onset. Patients taking Methadose in therapeutic doses for opioid dependency may only need to take one pill per day to manage drug cravings.

Methadose is highly addictive in its own right. Although Methadose is prescribed to treat substance misuse in opioid-dependent patients, it can also cause opioid dependency in individuals who are not already opioid-tolerant. Chances of overdose are high when Methadose is taken recreationally.

The risk of overdose increases dramatically when Methadose is mixed with other opioids or central nervous system depressants. Concomitant use of Methadose with alcohol, benzodiazepines, MAO inhibitors, or anticonvulsants can lead to life-threatening complications including severe respiratory depression, coma, and death.

Methadose Regulations

Due to the dangerous risk factors associated with Methadose, distribution of the drug is tightly regulated by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA). Methadose is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance in the US. In Canada, Methadose is a classified as Schedule I. Methodose treatment is illegal in Russia. Production of Methadose and other methadone products is restricted in most of the countries of the world. The United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 internationally classifies methadone as a Schedule I drug.

Most Commonly Abused Drugs Containing Methadose

When taken recreationally, Methadose is often mixed with other opioids and central nervous system depressants. Concurrent use of these substances greatly increases the risk of severe metabolic complications. Benzodiazepines like Xanax are popular medications to recreationally consume. When taken separately, Methadose and benzodiazepines have significant respiratory depressant effects; if taken together, the compounded effects of these medications can result in severe respiratory depression and catastrophic organ failure. Pulmonary edema and circulatory shock are common in the event of an overdose.

How Methadose Affects the Brain and Body

Methadose achieves its pain-relieving effects by binding to specific opioid receptors in the body. In doing so, Methadose reduces the patient’s perception of pain while providing pleasure-inducing effects of relaxation and euphoria. It’s the latter symptoms that typically drive drug cravings and fuel dependency. Methadose’s long duration of action makes it useful for the treatment of neuropathic pain and decreasing opioid cravings.

Half-Life of Methadose

The half-life of Methadose differs from its duration of action. Metabolism rates of Methadose vary dramatically between individuals by a factor of 100. The mean terminal elimination half-life of Methadose is 22 hours, with a range of 8 to 59 hours in opioid-tolerant individuals.

In people who are not opioid-tolerant, the average metabolic half-life is 55 hours. In opioid-tolerant patients, the average metabolic half-life is 24 hours. In opioid-naive patients, the respiratory depressant effects of the drug can be expressed for extended durations. Complete metabolism of the drug can range anywhere from 4 hours to 190 hours.

Factors That Influence How Long Methadose Stays in Your System

Factors that contribute to Methadose clearance times include the patient’s history with opioids, their opioid tolerance levels, renal impairment (kidney malfunction), hepatic impairment (liver malfunction), body weight, body fat percentage, age, physical status, and genetic predispositions. Genetic variability is associated with the production of specific cytochrome enzymes. Variations in these enzymes can lead to slow metabolism of the drug and a longer half-life.

How Long Does Methadose Stay in Your Urine, Hair, and Blood?

Methadose can remain at testable levels in the body for up to 59 hours following the time of last dose, although individuals with fast metabolisms can clear the drug within eight hours under optimal circumstances. In some patients, blood tests can detect Methadose for up to three days. Methadose and its metabolites may continue to be excreted in the urine for up to seven days. Hair follicle tests can detect Methadone for up to 90 following the time of ingestion.

Medical Disclaimer

The Recovery Village aims to improve the quality of life for people struggling with substance use or mental health disorder with fact-based content about the nature of behavioral health conditions, treatment options and their related outcomes. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers.