does-time-you-take-daily-methadone-affect-a-peak-and-trough

QuestionsCategory: Questionsdoes-time-you-take-daily-methadone-affect-a-peak-and-trough
Jules Williams asked 5 years ago

Hi I\’m new to this site and I\’m glad to find it so I can get some real answers. Long story short, I had a bad addiction to opiates and after many of attempts to stay clean, I had to start methadone maintenance treatment. I\’ve been clean for almost 4 years now. My question is I\’m on a 140mg once a day dose. Now I have earned 2 weeks of take homes at a time so I only go to the clinic twice a month. Anyway, I usually take my take home dose between 12:30pm-1:30 because it just seems to work better for me. So the other week, they told me I had to do a random peak and trough and was told to be there by 7am to take my blood then come back at 11am to take my blood again. Now I told her at that time I usually take my med around 12:30pm to 1:30pm everyday. She said just take it around 9am the day before you do your test. Long story short, I didn\’t end up taking my dose tve day before the test until about 10:15am. Anyway a week later the doctor called me in and said my peak and trough was elevated above where they want it to be. I think I was like 68 points high on the trough and like 130 high on the peak. But I told the doctor that I usually take my dose late. So she let me go 11 days and I had to come to the clinic before 9am everyday and they retested me on the 12th day at 7am and 11am. My question is do you think it was elevated the first time because the change in times was so much different. Also I\’ve been on the same dose for 3 years now. Shouldn\’t they have tested me before now. Why would they let me stay at 140mg for 3 years and all the suddenly think I\’m on too high a dose. I don\’t get high or tired or anything really. It just keeps me from withdrawals and it makes me not want to use anything. I also have a script for vaginal Valium for a condition I have and I don\’t know if that might be making the test show higher than normal. Can you help me out so I can kind of know if the first tear was because I\’m used to taking my dose so later vs 7am. Thank you very much!!!

1 Answers
Jeffrey Fudin Staff answered 5 years ago

Sorry for the late reply, but somehow this just popped up.  Here are the answers to your questions…

  1. Do you think it was elevated the first time because the change in times was so much different.YES
  2. Also I’ve been on the same dose for 3 years now. Shouldn’t they have tested me before now. YES
  3. Why would they let me stay at 140mg for 3 years and all the suddenly think I’m on too high a dose.
    I have no idea – you’d have to ask them.
  4. I don’t get high or tired or anything really. It just keeps me from withdrawals and it makes me not want to use anything. I also have a script for vaginal Valium for a condition I have and I don’t know if that might be making the test show higher than normal.
    This would have no effect on the test.