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Drug Screening

Methadone in urine: cut-off 300 µg/l, EDDP and a confirmation test

According to Trimbos, methadone is a strong painkiller from the group of opiates, and people addicted to heroin or other opioids can receive it as a medicine, so that they no longer suffer withdrawal symptoms when they stop using heroin. The liver breaks methadone down, and Star-SHL calls EDDP a 'metabolite of methadone'.

According to Trimbos, someone who takes too much methadone can fall into a coma and even die, and in someone who receives methadone for addiction the substance builds up and works for about 22 to 48 hours. Only a urine test shows whether there is methadone or EDDP in the urine.

Unilabs uses a clinical cut-off of 300 µg/l for methadone in urine, under the title 'Methadon (niet gebruikers)'.

Doctor's Assessment Included

According to Trimbos, methadone is an opiate that people receive as a medicine to stop using heroin, and sometimes for long-lasting pain. A urine test shows whether there is methadone in the urine.

  • Unilabs uses a clinical cut-off of 300 µg/l for "Methadon (niet gebruikers)" in urine, Certe and Diagnostiek voor U a limit of 300 ug/L and 300 ng/mL.
  • Star-SHL screens for methadone as EDDP, with a reference of 0 - 100 ug/l.
  • According to Atalmedial, methadone is detectable in urine for 2 to 5 days.

Methadone: what Dutch laboratories use

There is no nationally agreed reference value; this is what individual laboratories publish.

The upper limit runs from 100 ug/l at Star-shl to 300 ug/l at Unilabs.

Reference ranges by group, in ug/l
Star-shl · Everyone · methadone (EDDP) 0–100 ug/l
0 100
Unilabs · Everyone · a limit, not a range · clinical cut-off, non-users < 300 µg/l
300
Certe · Everyone · a limit, not a range · negative < 300 ug/L
300
Diagnostiek voor U · Everyone · a limit, not a range < 300 ng/mL
0 330 ug/l

Source: Star-shl

Source: Unilabs

Source: Certe

Source: Diagnostiek voor U

Each value as the laboratory itself publishes it, retrieved in 2026.

Methadone: what this test measures

At Star-SHL, a methadone result in urine comes from a drug screen with an enzyme immunoassay, in which methadone as EDDP has its own limit, separate from the opiates.

Methadone: why this value matters

Methadone in urine matters because, according to Trimbos, methadone together with other sedating substances, such as benzodiazepines, alcohol or GHB, can be life-threatening.

Methadone: how the blood test works

Referral
No GP referral needed. After the order we arrange the referral through ZorgDomein, within one business day; orders after 17:00 or at the weekend start on the next business day. ZorgDomein emails a barcode, and that barcode is what the draw site needs.
The draw
A blood draw from a vein in the arm, at a partner laboratory's draw site. No home kit, no finger prick.
Where
650+ draw sites run by independent laboratories across the Netherlands. Draw sites

Methadone: when is testing worthwhile?

According to Atalmedial, methadone is detectable in urine for 2 to 5 days after use, and according to Atalmedial it can take considerably longer for a drug to leave the body with regular and intensive use.

Methadone: symptoms of a high or low value

Low Levels

A methadone result in urine below 100 ug/l falls within the reference Star-SHL uses for methadone as EDDP, and according to the NVKC, without recent drug use substances are not found in the urine either.

High Levels

A methadone result in urine above 300 ng/mL is above the limit of Diagnostiek voor U, which also has a separate test, "Methadon in urine bevestiging", with "Negatief" as its reference; according to the NVKC, a positive drug test must be confirmed with another analytical method.

Methadone: causes of a low or high value

What lowers the value

  • Urine collected within 1 hour of use

    In a drug test such as the urine test for methadone, it can happen that nothing can be detected yet when the urine is collected within 1 hour of drug use.

  • Last use longer ago than the detection window

    Methadone is detectable in urine for 2 to 5 days; how long differs per drug and also depends on the extent of use and the person's physical condition.

What raises the value

  • Prescribed methadone

    Methadone is a medicine people receive when they want to stop using drugs such as heroin, and sometimes people receive it for long-lasting pain.

  • Methadone without a prescription

    According to Trimbos, some people use methadone without having received it from a doctor; how many is not clear, but probably very few.

Methadone: lifestyle and this value

According to Trimbos, tapering methadone is wiser than stopping all at once for someone who receives it daily because they would otherwise use heroin, preferably in consultation with a doctor; an unexpected result is something to discuss with your GP.

Methadone: frequently asked questions

What is EDDP?

According to Star-SHL, EDDP is a metabolite of methadone, and Star-SHL uses 0 - 100 ug/l for EDDP in urine.

Methadone: sources

  1. Star-shl, Labbepalingen (referentiewaarden per bepaling), star-shl.nl, geraadpleegd 2026-10-01 (retrieved 2026) star-shl.nl
  2. Unilabs, Bepalingenklapper (referentiewaarden per bepaling), bepalingenklapper.nl, geraadpleegd 2026-10-01 (retrieved 2026) bepalingenklapper.nl
  3. Certe, Bepalingenwijzer (referentiewaarden per bepaling), bepalingenwijzer.certe.nl, geraadpleegd 2026-10-01 (retrieved 2026) bepalingenwijzer.certe.nl
  4. Diagnostiek voor U, eLabgids (Referentiewaarden DvU), diagnostiek.getincontrol.eu, geraadpleegd 2026-10-01 (retrieved 2026) diagnostiek.getincontrol.eu
  5. NVKC, Alles over testen: Drugstest, allesovertesten.nl, geraadpleegd 2026-10-19 (retrieved 2026) allesovertesten.nl
  6. Atalmedial, Hoe lang zijn drugs aantoonbaar in urine?, SP.ARCH/003 versie 001, geldig per 11.11.2021, geraadpleegd 2026-10-19 (retrieved 2026) atalmedial.nl
  7. Trimbos-instituut, DRUGSinfo: Wat is methadon?, drugsinfo.nl, geraadpleegd 2026-10-19 (retrieved 2026) drugsinfo.nl

Tests with related values

These panels measure values from the same category as this marker.

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Methadone

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