Can You Cut The Fentanyl Patch In Half (Page 2)

I asked my doctor the same question yesterday, she said "no", because once it hits the air, the strength starts to dissipate, or weaken. So she put me on the lowest dose, as I hope to get off them and all meds eventually.

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I am worried right now about the WD, have been on 100 every 48 hrs for probably 3 yrs,before that I was on 50. I know I am ammune to them since they hardly take care of the pain, also on 10/325 generic percs,3 a day. It now comes time for the pain pump next week, they will be decreasing the patch after pump is implanted, my new script is for 50's afterward.for some reason I am so scared I am gonna go into WD even with the pump which will have Morphine. I had these horrible WD when they first put me on them, the nurse wrote the script wrong so I went 4 days of going insane. Wish I had of read this last night before I put a new patch on, I would of started reducing myself before surgery myself. I have 3 of these 100's left, next one I am gonna try to reduce ahead of time, 3 left so I will cut them,if I get WD,I will have to wait till after surgery,I have to much to get done this week

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I am in no way being disrespectful but EVERYONE experiences are not the same. I am sitting here with my last patch that should have been changed at 48 hrs. I am on day 4 trying to get to the 30th when I can refill because two of my patches fell off after 1 day. I hate these patches but am very sick. I have never had a migraine when they fall offf,but the doom anxiety, cold sweats,body aches,leg jumps all that started within 2 to 4 hours of it falling off e erything time. I have degenerative disk disease,can barely walk anymore. COPD, Asteoarthritas,asteoporosis,diabetes just to name a few,but I swear my pain was never as bad before starting the patches,and I could walk even if painful. Now I can not walk when on patches barely to the bathroom,but when without them the withdrawl is killing me. I hate this never ending cycle. I stay in my room, barely leaving it or my house. I miss my life. I miss my family.

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I was on Fentanyl 25 for 1.5 years for severe pain from Lyme Disease. I noticed that I was getting sleepy while driving and finally figured out that without the pain stimulus, the Fentanyl was making me drowsy! I tried weaning w/ the pain clinic but went into withdrawal, and of course they were not sympathetic. So, I increased back to the 25 and cut it by 1/4 per week and a half. I think I cut the 1/4 one in half as well but then forgot about it. Zero withdrawals and have been off of it for over a year! I had the Mylan kind which is fine to cut, not the reservoir kind. So, I really have to say that Fentanyl is a bear to get off of if you can't do it in a humane, gradual manner. Doctors should know this and but with the pain freaks in politics making pain management even more difficult, compassion has gone by the wayside. I really hope that this helps.

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I just went from 100 to 50 with no withdrawals at all, new script tomorrow is for 25 fro a month then probably go to 12.50, somewhere along the line on the 25's I am gonna start cutting in half,,i am scared to death of the WD, i had them once when they first put m,me on the dang patches, that once was enough for me

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Have you ever asked about a stimulator? It is a implant they put in your back that's the size of a cell phone battery little smaller,little thicker. But it has wires that come out and wraps around your sciatic nerve. Sending electric pulses that run down the nerves in your legs and replaces the pain with the same feeling as a tens unit. I had a temp put in and it worked AWESOME!! Now I go back in on the 19th of Feb 2016 and start preparing for the permanent implant. Now I will still have a small break through med BUT no more fentanyl patches. I broke my back. L4, L5, and S1. All collapsed on top of eachother. Shattered the 5th. 2 surgeries called microdiscectomy. Now L4 has bulged out HUGE twice and the pain was through the roof. The stimulator has an adjustable strength for more pain during more active times. This is what's helping me for not having to use the patch anymore. If that's the reason for your pain? LOOK INTO IT. Jerry Lewis, ( comedian) has one in his back. They are made in Minnesota, USA. Best wishes for both you crazy cunuck chics. Ride to live, Live to Ride.

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You are dead on regarding getting sick an hour after the patch falls off. Even if you had just put the patch on and it fell off. It takes a long time to build up the drug to any kind strength in ones body. Which means that it takes equally long for your body to decrease the amount in your body. If you got sick, it was for another reason.

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Glad to hear all is well without the patch! I was 5 days without it while waiting for a prior auth. renewal and I felt more upbeat myself. I recently been diagnosed with low thyroid and read that Fentanyl and extended release opiates mess with adrenals and thyroid so I'm weaning off patch too. I'm out of my oxy and waited to run out to begin weaning off patch again. I tried a few weeks ago and my oxy use went through the roof. I did have an overall better sense of well being though. Due to no patch probably. By my refill appt. I am hoping to be through with patch. Funny thing is, I never noticed loss of energy until I was without them and noticed I was my old hyper self. I miss that and can't wait to get it back. The hard part is knowing how wonderful they are for chronic pain. I just can't stand the weight gain and low thyroid effects.

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NOTBUYING, I don't doubt they got sick after an hour of patch falling off. I forget to change mine and suffer no ill effects. At other times I'll forget to put another one on and suffer no ill effects. But sometimes, sometimes if I'm an hour late changing it..I start getting sick. There are times where I leave one patch on for over a week-with no ill effects but yes, sometimes I get sick by changing it an hour or so late, so who knows. I just changed my patch that was dry, and crackled when I breathed. I'm hoping I can go two weeks on this on and perhaps just cheek a bit every other day till its out of my system.

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Hi my questoin is when you cut 50 mcg in half of transdermal patch can i still use the second piece? Does it work like the one i put directly on. Im so confused......

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I have been on Fentanyl patches for 6 months an always have gotten the Actavis brand gel filled.Last week my pharmacy got a differant brand in called Aveva?They are like a piece of Foil.I put my second one on over the weekend.About 6 hours after putting it on i got real dizzy followed by a migraine headache and spacey feeling??This has never happened with other gel filled patches.I was wondering if i could Cut them in half so they aren"t so strong?The other brand has never affected me like these have.I got on patches so i wouldn't have to take so many pills an heard how the patch helps with pain relief.But i sure can't handle feeling like that again.

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I hope you can get to where you want to be!! My best friend died seven years ago. I smoked then. But after watching her cancer eat her alive. I STOPPED!! I've not smoked another in years. Health wise..... You would MEDICALLY be better to stop smoking for any reason. Most especially for your own health!! I wish you success!!

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I want to get off opiates for chronic pain including fentenyl patch.
What will help my pain, tho????

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I have never used a patch a friend gave me and my husband a 25mg so we cut it in half taped it and put it on but problem is we don't feel it what should we do to make it kick in

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Everyone reacts differently I can totally agree. Within an hour I had chills, diarrhea, sometimes vomiting if patch falls off or is at 72 hours. So check your facts b4 calling bulls*** on someone else's medical issues and pain level. I have only been on them for 60 days, dilaudid for 2 years and I would give anything to go back to dilaudid and not have withdrawals like I do with these patches.

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How do I know if my 75 mcg Fentanyl patches are the Mylan matrix that your saying can be cut or the gel pads? I've read the box and instructions in the box and I can't find mention of it anywhere?

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How do I know if my patches are Mylan or gel? I can't find it in the info in the box anywhere?

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Thank you so much! I'm not anti-fentanyl--it was the only med that worked and enabled me to work after my almost life-ending accident where I broke my neck 16 years ago i also have Lupus and RA. . I realized Im dependant, not addicted psychologically. Never a recreational user, not even marijuana. My issue is i am now attached to the medical establishment I detest, as people are appropriating disability and using our meds on the street. Because of this I have had doctors be very nasty to me, way past the line I'd even consider a co-worker to go. I'm a Ph.D canidate, and am currently working on a field study of my development that one of the most prestigious universities has agreed to publish, if completed. My old pain management group has shut down--I called the doctor on his cell--not only would he not speak to me he would not acknowledge I was a patient--the entire point of getting those records was to show pain management I was a model patient. I'm also very concerned for my non-narcotic Humira--it's incredibly expensive and I can no longer pay high premiums, and doctors are hesitant to prescribe due to cost. Everything is about money. I'm trying to divorce myself as much as a person in my condition can.

SO, I looked up cutting patches online and found this. I waited until I was in semi withdrawal and cut the 100mcg patch into one 75mcg and one 25, put on the 75. I feel pretty alright! My goal is to get to 25, maybe with Dilaudid as needed, or maybe just dilaudid, maybe morphine. Not sure. Just less dependant on this damn system! I even had to take sick leave once because the house I share with my husband was burglarized and vandalized--all our meds were gone. So, I bring my police report to the doctor, and say hey, if you don't believe me you can call the officer in charge, my house was a crime scene! She looks back, sneers, throws, I mean THROWS the card and report at me saying I COULD'VE FORGED IT!!! Obviously this could be easily figured out by one phone call to the police! Then she says 'we don't refill 'lost or """stolen""" medications, you'll just have to wait, and refers me to a psychiatrist. I'm a Christian scientist, so that didn't sit well with me, especially as my religious beliefs had already thoroughly been discussed. So, I'm thinking surgery, nerve blocks, epidurals...slowly get the hell out of this satanic beaurocracy. My stomach is cramping, but not like yesterday when the cramping was violent. Can anyone tell me how long before going down again? Should I go straight to 50, or 62.5? Please let me know. Thanks!
Ayasha

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I hope you feel better soon. My son was in Iraq.. Thank you for your service. I will soon be cutting down from 10 years of Milan fentanyl patches. I am determined to get off. I have RA and severe back arthritis. I have been treated mostly well, but this past spring, As a nurse for 30 years, I was badly treated by a cardiologist after I had emergency pacemaker surgery where ther was extreme swelling bruising and nerve impingement. I have worked with addicted patients for many years and have never treated my patients as badly as the electrocardiologist treated me when I had an unusual postop pain situation during the postop period. I had heart block and SA node "sickness." I was appalled at how I was treated and I am, for this reason and others, ready to try my life with RA without these Mylan fentanyl patches. I am going to so the cutting patch technique as my patches are no reservoir. I will be doing this with the help of my doctor and I hope she agrees. I had some Clonadine once, a bp med! And it made me sick so that is not an option as a help to WD symptoms. Best wishes to you and please wish e luck also,. It's frightening to get off, but worse to stay on.

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No way. I feel withdrawal pain withint an hour and after 2 hours I curl up in a ball.
50mrg for 4 years

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I was on 75 µg of fentanyl for over six years. I am going on 2nd year of weaning off all this crap. I get terrible withdrawl symptoms. I have use the Mylan patch which I have been able to cut in half with no problem. I am now down to 16 µg every 48 hours. Over the years I noticed the patch wearing off in about 48 hours. It never lasted to 72 hours. I would break out in the hot sweat have heart palpitations shaking twitching and not able to sleep. I can't wait to be completely off of does fentanyl patch. I will be taking Norco for pain and acupuncture and topical cannabis cream. I have taken clonidine several times due to an increase in blood pressure from the with drawl. I hope this information helps you and if you have any other questions feel free to ask. I have been dealing with chronic pain for over 30 years, I am a nurse and an advocate for patients in need of info. I have been given several different antidepressants for pain but none of them have help the pain. Effexor actually increase my body temperature and I had terrible sweating episodes from taking that. My doctor suggested Cymbalta and I declined. I am On no anti-depressants at this time and I am not in a fog anymore. I would just highly suggest that you read up on any of these antidepressants that can "help your pain also. Sometimes the side effects of these medications aren't worth it.

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