Methadone

How long the effects last and the drug stays in your system depends on how much you’ve taken, your size and what other drugs you may have also taken.

To kick in

The effects of methadone can start quickly.

How long it lasts

Methadone can last several hours.

Methadone can show up in a urine test for 2 to 5 days after using.

How long a drug can be detected for depends on how much is taken and which testing kit is used. This is only a general guide.

Methadone prescribed to people trying to come off street heroin is usually a green liquid that is swallowed, but it can come in tablet or injectable form.

Methadone is a synthetic opiate manufactured for use as a painkiller and as a substitute for heroin in the treatment of heroin addiction. It has similar effects to heroin but doesn't deliver the same degree of buzz or high as heroin.

A patient who is addicted to heroin will often be prescribed methadone to take instead of heroin and the dose of methadone is gradually reduced over time. This means that the patient can give up heroin avoiding acute withdrawal symptoms.

In treatment of addiction, methadone dose is usually aimed initially at preventing the withdrawal symptoms that would otherwise develop when street heroin is stopped. The methadone dose can subsequently be reduced by agreement with the patient until the user is off the drug completely.

This allows people time to tackle their psychological addiction and to stabilise their lifestyle. There may still be some problems with opiate withdrawal symptoms, depending on how fast methadone is withdrawn but this substitution treatment is much less severe than going 'cold turkey'.

Because methadone has similar effects to heroin, you can easily become addicted – especially if you are taking methadone to get ‘high’. You can build a tolerance to it, needing higher doses to get the same effects; and can develop marked withdrawals, particularly if its use is stopped suddenly.

However, if methadone is used appropriately as part of treatment of a painful condition, there is much less chance of becoming addicted. The patient is usually monitored by their doctor and the dose of methadone is reduced over time as the painful condition improves.

Like drink-driving, driving when high is dangerous and illegal. If you’re caught driving under the influence, you may receive a heavy fine, driving ban, or prison sentence.

If the police catch people supplying illegal drugs in a home, club, bar or hostel, they can potentially prosecute the landlord, club owner or any other person concerned in the management of the premises.