Expert: Layla Yeganeh - 9/22/2007

Question
QUESTION: I have tried to do as much research on this as I can.  And I am totally confused by the answers I have found.  If a patient takes a 10mg Methadone for chronic back pain, how soon would this medication show up on a drug screen at a physicians office? Does it take hours or days? How long does it generally stay in that persons system?

ANSWER: Methadone can be detected in urine for up to 48 hours. upon first inital dosage. Depending on the duration of drug use, it may be detectable for up to a week. The longer you have been using it, the longer it takes to clear from the body. So about 7 days...

You said a doctors office test. The doctor wants to see if you are taking your methadone.

You should take the methadone within a week of the test, and two days before the test, it will show up.

You should be fine, if YOU are taking the medcations, as prescribed.

Hope this answers your questions...
thanks

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: It is my husband who takes Methadone for cancer and chronic pain. Like I said before, I have done a ton of research about this medication so that not only my husband could understand and be reassured about Methadone, but also so I could read and understand it and its pros and cons.  Is there any really good webpages that deal with Methadone, chronic pain and cancer patients being treated with this medication?  Anything from pros and cons, to side effects, dosage information, general information, ect...?  That can be understood by patients and not confuse the patient/consumer?  I would greatly appreciate any links, or books, or anything.  Thank You!!

Answer
Here are some links about methadone that you might find of intrest.

reveloution health is good, the site is a little hard to navigate, but you should find your way around it.
you can search and drug or condition they have community reveiws of the drug used to treat that condition go to methadone, community review, pain...



http://www.revolutionhealth.com/search/results?src=ww_global_header&ww_category=

another aritcle...
http://www.ampainsoc.org/pub/bulletin/sep00/upda1.htm