Urine
Methadone
A urine test for EDDP, the breakdown product of methadone. Shows whether methadone was actually taken in the past few days.
€ 53,00
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Metals, toxins and medication · Urine
Methadone, EDDP (urine)
A urine test for EDDP, the breakdown product of methadone; shows whether someone has taken methadone in the past few days.
At a glance
- Measured in urine
- In 2 test panels
- No special preparation
Explanation
Methadone, EDDP (urine): what is measured?
Methadone is an opioid that is mainly prescribed in the treatment of addiction to heroin or other opioids, and sometimes for severe pain. The liver breaks methadone down into, among other things, EDDP, which leaves the body in the urine. This screening test is an immunoassay that looks for EDDP, with a cut-off of 100 µg/l. Because EDDP is only formed in the body, a positive result shows that methadone was actually taken and not just added to the urine.
What can it detect?
- Intake of methadone in the past few days, with or without a prescription
Result
What does the result mean?
Positive result
A positive result means there is EDDP in the urine above the laboratory's cut-off: methadone has been taken in the past few days. Methadone stays in the body for a long time; according to the Farmacotherapeutisch Kompas, it takes 19 to 55 hours for half of it to disappear, so the test usually stays positive for a few days after the last dose. Anyone taking prescribed methadone correctly tests positive. A positive result shows that a substance is in the body; it is not a diagnosis and says nothing about dependence, the amount or the time of use.
Negative result
A negative result means no EDDP was found above the cut-off. In someone who receives prescribed methadone, this can mean the methadone was not taken in the last few days, but also that the urine was diluted or the dose is low. Heroin, morphine and other opiates are not detected with this test, and a standard opiate test in turn does not detect methadone.
After an abnormal result
With a result that may have consequences, the laboratory has the result confirmed with a second method of analysis. The GP or addiction physician compares the result with the prescribed dose and the symptoms, and adjusts the treatment if needed.
Reliability
How reliable is the test?
The test says something about intake of methadone in the past few days, not about the amount or about health. In addiction care, EDDP is used to check whether prescribed methadone is being taken. The Dutch Society for Clinical Chemistry (NVKC) states that a positive result of a screening test must be confirmed with a second, different method of analysis; a confirmation test is not included in this test.
What can affect the result?
- A screening test can give a false-positive result; confirmation with a different method is needed before a result can carry weight.
- How long EDDP is detectable differs greatly per person, because the breakdown of methadone differs greatly per person.
- Methadone that has only been added to the urine does not produce EDDP and therefore gives a negative result.
- Fluid intake determines how concentrated the urine is; diluted urine can give a negative result.
Who it is for
Who is the test useful for?
Useful for
Useful for a medical question, mainly in addiction care to see whether prescribed methadone is being taken, or when use without a prescription is suspected. In people without such a question, the result adds little.
How common is it?
In 2024, 0.3 percent of adults in the Netherlands had ever used methadone. Methadone is mainly prescribed in addiction care, to a small and often older group of people who are or were addicted to heroin.
Nationale Drug Monitor (Trimbos Institute and WODC)
Drawbacks and risks
- A negative result due to diluted urine can wrongly be read as not taking prescribed methadone.
- A result without a confirmation test can wrongly be used as evidence.
Get tested
Methadone, EDDP (urine): test panels
Methadone, EDDP (urine) is part of these test panels. You order online and have your blood drawn at a collection point or collect the sample at home.
Evidence
Sources
This explanation is based on Dutch guidelines and independent information. It is general information, not a diagnosis. Discuss an abnormal result with your GP.
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