[cali1234]

Hey guys,
I'm in a bind and I would sincerely appreciate ANY help you can offer...

I was in a bad accident 3 years ago..docs put me on percocet..vicodin..etc..my pain was so severe for months. But I always loved how they made me feel, so of course I kept the prescriptions coming even when the pain had subsided..by this point I was physically addicted..and eventually became a full blown addict. I moved on to Oxys for a better high and the rest is history. For about a year I was taking oxys and buying them on the street. Stole money, jewelry, anything i could from friends and family.
I was finally so disgusted by myself that when a dealer gave me some methadone for back up if i ran out of oxys.. I was so happy to take the methadone and feel normal again! I wasn't high and passing out every minute..stopped needing money because the methadone was 1/4 the price of oxys. I could LIVE MY LIFE free of oxys! Methadone saved me...

My problem is this: I finally got my life back on track and have been studying in a medical program and am going to be drug tested in a week or two (we have to go get the urine test done sometime in the next 2 weeks)before we start internships in the hospitals. I do not have a doctor prescribing methadone, and my program would look very poorly on me being on it and being a recovering addict. I CANNOT tell them I am on methadone or any of my past. People are quick to judge when it comes to addicts...

Here is my situation..I was on 40mg and now am on 2mg! I have been tapering myself...I haven't had really any withdrawals just a little trouble sleeping. I need to get to 0mg and fast because I hear methadone can stay in your system for a long time. I am at the point where I need to be off the methadone like TODAY if I want to pass the test...as far as I know..? I have come too far to be kicked out because of 2mg of methadone.

Does anyone have any advice/comments/previous experience with methadone drug testing? Or do you know how methadone stays in your system when it is such a small dose? Please help!

I'm 26 years old, female, 5'7 130lbs

[cali1234]

I forgot to add that this last 2mg has been extremely difficult for me to stop taking.. i can't tell if it is mental or physical withdrawal, but it sucks!

Any advise for ANY of this would be very appreciated! Thank you

[Robert_325]

I don't know how long you were on 40mg or how quickly you dropped to 2mg. Those are critical factors for answering your questions. God bless.

[newyorkgal]

It would be good to know what kind of test they were using. The standard 5 panel test (NIDA-5) doesnt even test for methadone. (Pot, coke, PCP, opiates [other than meth]and amphetamines). Methadone does not show up as a regular opiate like heroin or morphine does. There is a specific test for methadone, not on a standard 5 panel. If they use the 10panel test however, methadone IS one of the drugs they do check for. It stays in your system on average 5-7 days.

[cali1234]

I have been taking methadone for about 10 months.. i was on 40mg for a couple months, then down to 20mg and then 10mg. and have been on 5-10mg for the past 6 months. I have decreased it to 2 for the past month or so.

The urine screen that they are doing is at least a 10-panel. It is for a hospital employment pre-screening so it is pretty extensive. I have the form to take to the lab that says SAP10-50

Let me know if this helps with my question...Thanks guys for your help!!

[newyorkgal]

The SAP 10-50 is the 10 panel screen which definitely does test for methadone I'm sorry to say. If you have a week or 2, you can stop the methadone and it won't won't show up in 2 weeks, perhaps not in 1 week. How to stop taking methadone c/t at 2 mgs. ? That is the problem. My one suggestion would be to switch to suboxone which I don't believe shows up on any drug screening or go cold turkey which will be very hard. I wish you the best of luck and hope someone else has a solution better than mine.