Fentanyl Can I Just Go Cold Turkey When Quitting (Page 5)
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My doctor has had me on the 100 fentanyl patch for 1 year now. He is going to take me off it. Can you just stop taking it with out side effects or withdrawals. Please tell me the proper way to get off this patch. Please help me, I have the doctor appointment tomorrow and want to know what to say. So far it sounds like his plan is just to take me off cold turkey. I am scared of withdrawals. I am a mom of 5 kids and need to be ok. Please help.

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You truly seem like a wonderful person. Thank you for everything you have shared; it has helped reduce my anxiety about going off the patch tomorrow and has given me insight into things I should be bringing up with my new doctor. God bless you!

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Sending prayers your way. I hope things have changed drastically for you since your post. ><3

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I've been in 100 MCG changing every three days for a few years now. {I started at 25mcg maybe six years ago.} Yes, I find it extremely helpful to keep my old patch on for about a half hour after putting the new one on... I have an appointment with a pain specialist tomorrow. He is stopping the patch cold turkey, putting me on oxycontin to help with the withdrawals for a few days and then putting me on Suboxone. I am terrified. Good luck.

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Hi there, I can absolutely sympethise with you and your husband, I was using the dreaded patch Also and had to quit it but I knew the day was coming so I started folding a bit if the patch under a little each time I put a new one on, cutting it can be lethal so don't do that. If he has to go cold turkey he will suffer as I did in the finish when I ran out, he will feel like his skin is crawling and at times will think he's not strong enough to cope its a terrible thing, all I can suggest is that you give him as much live and support as you possibly can in the meantime, once he gets through the first couple of weeks if will start getting easier and when it does he will thank god that no one was able to prescribe any to him. I'm not sure if you have rehab clinics over there but if you can get a hold of some methadone tabs they will help with the initial withdrawals.,lots of water and I was even advised to try and get some marijuana (illegal in NZ) maybe worth a try I didn't but I've heard it can help a lot. Good luck and god bless you for reaching out, you are an amazing woman to do this and be so supportive of him.

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My husband has been on the fentyal patch for 19 years 100 mcg, he has to quit cold turkey is Dr is no longer in business and no body will take libility for him, not even pain clinics. This is his 2nd day. It is bad. He was told by the pain clinic yesterday he has to be off them for 30 days before the can treat him for his pain or anything.It is bad when a dr does not care if someone dies because they are afraid of being sued...

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I've been on 100mcg patch for five weeks. I woke up and saw ripples on it where it had come off! Then half was off. I have been throwing up all day. My doctor said if I take it off, to take a percecet. I have acute lymphoblastic leukemia. I got the patch because of an extravadation injury may 16 2014. Nothing was helping with the pain. My wife's sister suggested fentanyl and the doctor said yes. I want off now. I took it off at 3:30 p.m. today. I took one oxycodone right when I took it off. How long will my withdrawals last.

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Do going to na meetings help ? I was clean and sober 15 years but surgeries and ms made medication a necessity but the tolerance is crazy. I think it lasts two days but I keep it on for three just in case plus put a new one on. I have three left then quitting Bc I feel like a prisoner and slave. I have Valium ambian and muscle relaxers if I need them that will help right? Currently I'm wearing seven fifty mg patches with band aids to keep them on I can't remember when three days are over but this is dangerous and abusive. Unfortunately if I have a melt down I know my dr will give me more. He doesn't care 15 patches and 189 ten mg norco every month. I have a family I love it has to stop I'm Scared I won't quit ;-(

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I also overlapped overnight when applying new patches (150 mcg every 48 hrs.) I think it made me lackadaisical (?) about taking the old patches off. One night I'd applied the new patches and just as I was going to take the old ones off, the phone rang in the kitchen and there was macaroni cooking that I needed to stir and then my daughter called and I ate dinner and went to bed. The next night she called me again as usual and later she said I sounded fine. Again I went to bed and luckily a friend from church who had been trying to reach me all the next day came to my house, rang the doorbell multiple times and finally went to my neighbors house and talked her into unlocking my front door with keys I gave her. My friend said I was lying face down on my bed, one arm dangling and she thought sincerely that I was dead...2 more hours and I would have been....my kidneys were failing and my oxygen saturation was only 70%.....she called my daughter for permission to call and ambulance.... called my sister who lives nearby....and that sweet sister spent 5 hours in the emergency room with me vomiting as well as the "other" end.....then I was given lots of diagnostics....then admitted into the drug detox floor, where I became very combative, so combative that I demanded to leave....and fought the aide and nurse off, backed into a corner and pulled a chair in front of me.....my sister had just gotten home when they called her to tell her what was going on and get permission for 4 point restraints....my sister said she was not the person to give that (in the background I am screaming "They're trying to kill me....help me!"....so they call my daughter and she gives them permission (I'm still screaming for help)....when I realized what they were going to do I gave up the fight and lay down limply on the restraint table and they proceeded to give me a Haldol injection...I thought they were trying to kill me still....then I woke up in a hospital bed with a "sitter" beside me and the withdrawal continued...I remember vomiting once more.....then nothing but three days of hallucinations, being spoonfed lots of jello and lots of bedpan experiences as they were hydrating/flushing the drugs out.....my sister and brother alternately never left me alone from 8 a.m. til 9 p.m. That's what family does I found out the hard way. when I finally woke up I had restless leg syndrome all over my body for the next 5 days in the hospital as we waited for a bed to become available in a rehab facility.....which turned out to be a lock down psychiatric hospital....it was jail with meds and trips to the cafeteria 3 times a day, the unit with scary, violent men ate in the cafeteria the same time as we did....I was in a wheelchair as my legs were deconditioned topping off many other health issues...my roomate is hard to describe so I won't...one day a young schizophrenic gal asked me to jump out the window with her....another woman asked me if I'd ever been in jail like most of the other women....I was given my regular meds, which are many plus some antianxiety medicine and a sleeping pill...the bed was like lying on a rock...I begged for a foam mattress topper and the 3rd day I got one....that 1st 3 days I slept a total of 5 hours...I was a zombie....it took 8 more days of more sleep, 3 regular meals, practice walking pushing the wheelchair in front of me...alert visits to the psychiatrist and discharge team...on the 8th day I asked the doctor if I could go home as my family was having a reunion of sorts and more of my siblings were visiting....he agreed to discharge me on the 11th day....I'd never been happier to see my sister and brother when they came to pick me up....18 days of hell....I was lucky to be alive and I thought happily about sleeping in my own bed and seeing my little Yorkie....at first my sister thought I was trying to commit suicide....THAT is also in my permanent medical records....one night she came to visit me in the jail cafeteria during the 1 hour scheduled for visits and she told me she didn't believe that anymore....I was home a week before my daughter arrived from the mid-west where she lives to stay with me a week, go to all the doctor's appts. the psych hospital had scheduled...she grilled my pain management dr....and didn't like the answers to her question, nor his quip that he'd been taking care of "mama" for 14 years and she didn't need to worry.....my daughter told me I had to choose between pain medicine and her....my sister told me to get a hobby so I could stop thinking of the pain....I cannot believe I went through all this at age 65....I have fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue,chronic pain, myofacial pain syndrome, spinal stenosis at C5/6 and L 7, with extreme osteoporosis of the entire spine and left hip and left shoulder, multiple serious surgeries throughout my life, including one in 1999....I went under anesthesia and woke up and I was never the same.....disabled at age 52....other people have worse....I'm blessed with supportive family and friends...I have a comfortable home.....a positive attitude....and no more pain patches......my opiate receptors are reset.....as well as my pain receptors. My advice to you is stop overlapping your patches....this could happen to you as well. God bless!

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CINDY , I KNOW RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE , I HAVE DETOXED 5 TIMES, AND COLD TURKEY AT THAT, I HAD A GOOD PARTNER WHO STOPPRED ME FROM JUMPING , OFF THE 18th FLOOR, I CONTORT AND AND TWIST AND SIEZE UP, ETC,I BANG MY BODY OFF THE WALL, AND HAVE COME CLOSE TO DISLOCATING MY SHOULDERS,, PLEASE TAPER DOWN, SEE IF YOU CAN FIND A COUPLE OF STRIPS OF SUBOXONE AND TAPER DOWN THAT WAY, I WILL PRAY FOR YOU , AND YOU ARE COMING OFF DUE TO MONEY ,, RIGHT,, MAKE A SIGN AND GO DOWNTOWN AND WATCH HOW MANY PEOPLE HELP YOU, YOU WILL BE SURPRIZED

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I need to go cold turkey how many days were you sick and were the first few days the worst?

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Hi Cindy I have to do cold turkey as well wondering how long you were sick for in total.
Thanks

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Granny,
I would suggest that before you stop taking fentanyl that you at least consult with your doctor first. You didn't mention the underlying cause for taking it in the first place but I always tell people that you have to go into this prepared. If you suddenly stop taking fentanyl you will of course have to deal with the withdrawal issues and the nasty stuff that goes along with fentanyl withdrawal but if you still suffer from some other issue, you will need a gameplan to deal with whatever that is. There are many great alternatives to narcotics. It is important though that you are prepared and have done some homework on alternatives.

I apologize as it has been some time since I went through my fentanyl recovery so I don't have any sites at the moment to point you to. Here are a few tips though.

1. With the aid of your doctor, there are some medications that can significantly help with the withdrawal symptoms which I'll be straight with you, can be severe. I used a med called clonodine which is actually used to lower blood pressure but it is a wonder drug is a small pill. It helps SO much but must be taken in moderation. I would also suggest something like Xanax or other anxiety med as it will help you rest and also help get your mind off of the fact that your body is dealing with so much.

2. I remember taking a lot of baths. I used epsom salt and would soak for about 30 minutes or so at a time. It is very theraputic and I think it actually helps remove the toxins from the body..

3. Here is a big one. It is important that you find someone to help during this time. Seriously, there would have been no way that I could have done it on my own and I thank God that my wife was there for me. Whether it was to help me to the bathroom the first couple of days, or to bring ice chips or gatorade or just someone to tell me they love me and gave me encouragement when I wanted to give up.

4. I new that it was going to take some time to get through this so I tried to sleep as much as possible. This was very difficult as I also quit Ambien at the same time. That is another drug that is hell to get off of. Anyway, rest is important. Music also helped me a lot. I am a Christian so any kind of music that is uplifting will help.

5. I would also suggest that once you are through the first several days of the worst of it, that you try and get up and start moving around. Don't let your body stiffen (for lack of a better term) up. Honestly the sooner you get up and moving around, the faster you will get your body back to normal. After a couple of weeks I joined a gym. I was not healthy but I was determined to try and get myself back to normal. Take it slow but convince yourself that you will soon be back playing with those grand kids.

I wish I had more advice. Do some searches and you will find a lot of good info out there. I would suggest a google search with something like, "fentanyl withdrawal recovery help forum" I always put forum on the end of my searches because so much of the results are businesses and that is not what you need. You need personal experiences from others that have gone through it. Using the term forum on the end of just about any search can really help find good information on just about any topic.

Good luck and if I can be of help, please let me know.

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Day 22. Feeling normal again! Finally free of the beast, hallelujah!! Folks, you can do this. Be strong, be committed to your success, and believe that you will feel much better about yourself and life in general afterwards! Sure I'm still in pain, but I can better deal with it with a clear mind. I will hopefully have my surgery soon to take care of the pain so I can get on with my life. Good luck in life to all.

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John could you please tell me what to do or what to read to get off fentanyl?

I've been on fentanyl patch 100 an 25 every 48 hours for about five or six years. Not even sure how long. I have morphine also but do not take as many as prescribed. I have COPD and am afraid I'll stop breathing during withdrawal . Can you hp me figure out what to read at least? I'm 48 year old and need off this crap! Have a new grand baby and want a life at least some even though it will be painful I need and want to be alive and also have parents to take care of in a near future sure. Thanks

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Day 13, Starting to finally feel a little better. I am glad I only took that crap for four months before coming to my senses! I still feel anxious and don't sleep well but melatonin helps for sleep. Been taking vitamin B12 for metabolism support. It does get better, but you'll go through the gates of hell first! Going Cold Turkey is not for the faint of heart. Taper off over time if you can, the WD symptoms are horrendous. Chills, racing heartbeat, abdominal cramps, diareah, crawling skin sensations, full body convulsions, cold sweats, and anxiety. Still don't know how long it will be before I can be normal again but I'm still in the game albeit a bit exhausted. Hopefully I'll get some good sleep soon.

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I wanted to take a moment to share my experience with the Fentanyl patch. I will try not to write a book here but there are some important points I want to make. I had never taken any pain meds until I was 43. I began having pain in my abdomen but numerous doctors and weeks in the hospital never revealed a specific cause.

I started with low does of vicodin but was also told that narcotics do not work well for stomach issues. Regardless, it did help some and I felt better which of course was the, "high" but I didn't understand any of that yet. While at a stay in the hospital I was given dilaudid intravenously for about 10 days while they tried to figure out what was wrong with me. They took out my gallbladder thinking that was the issue. In fact, the pain continued. After leaving the hospital, they prescribed dilaudid orally. I would discover that dilaudid was stronger than vicodin and while it didn't take much of the pain away, I felt better. (See a pattern developing here?)

Here is where the story changes course in a big way. At some point during the few months while taking the dilaudid, I found that it wasn't working as well as is used to. I told my doctor but she refused to continue to prescribe a higher dose for a undiagnosed stomach issue. (She would turn out to be the most sensible doctor I had ever dealt with). I was getting desperate and not completely sure if I was hurting from the pain in my abdomen or chasing the high from the narcotic. I did something I thought I would never do and crossed the line from patient with dependence issues to addict.

I looked up information about dilaudid and discovered that it could be broken down and mixed with water and then taken intravenously. Okay, don't judge here. I had been in a hospital where they were giving me dilaudid through an IV so it wasn't a huge reach to make the connection to buying needles and just doing my own IV's. Okay, maybe it was a huge reach. After all, I had been critical of needle users all my life. The extent of my drug use prior to age 43 was drinking beer on the weekends till I was 23 and married. I had no drug history at all. Yet somehow I was able to rationalize IV'ing myself with a drug that I should have been taking orally. If the hospital could do it, why couldn't I?

The problem with IV'ing yourself with something you should be taking orally is that you become dependent on the higher dose and soon after, it becomes necessary to do it at regular intervals each day. Clearly it was a big problem. I finally told my wife and we decided to meet with a new doctor to see if anything could be done. You likely will not believe what I am going to tell you next but it is the truth. My wife and I met with a general practice MD and I told him EVERYTHING that happened. So I thought one of a few thing might happen. He might tell me there is nothing he can do. He might tell me I need rehab and would work with me conditionally on me getting some help. Here is what I didn't expect. He told me that I would need to stop IV'ing myself with dilaudid and as an alternative he would begin prescribing me fentanyl patches both to help me not IV anymore and continue to treating the pain. Yes, I told him I was still in pain and I was. The problem was that I was also an addict but not ready to own that yet. He didn't mention counseling and I didn't see the need since I was just trying to relieve the pain right? I still don't know how I got away with this when there are so many people with real pain issues that can't find a doctor willing to help. I will admit that I probably contributed to the problem.

Over the course of the next year, I went from a prescription of 75 mcg every 72 hours to a prescribed amount of 200 mcg every 48 hours and of all things, dilaudid for breakthrough pain. That is not a typo. After about 6 months, the doctor had forgot the original issue of why I came to see him and began prescribing the very medication I was misusing before I met him. The good news is that I never went back to abusing the dilaudid. By that time I didn't need the dilaudid. I could call this doctor and tell him that I used up all my patches early for a given month and he would just tell me to come in and pick up a prescription of oxycontin along with oxycodone for breakthrough until I could turn in a new fentanyl prescription to my insurance. Between this and a psych doctor prescribing ambien and zanax, I was a mess. Worse than that, I was killing myself.

Consider this. Most cancer patients are fortunate if they can find a doctor to prescribe 75 mcg every 72 hours. I was taking 3 times that plus pills and the like. I know I said I wouldn't write a book and I still did just to make myself look like a fool to the community at large. The thing is, I want you to know about the potential pitfalls of this medication. I was eventually diagnosed with Celiac Disease and after going on a gluten free diet, life was good. Whatever the reason you are taking or considering Fentanyl, I am not here to judge you. I am simply pointing out that Fentanyl and all other medications in the opiod class CAN have serious ramifications. There are absolutely legitimate reasons why opioids are prescribed. Please use them responsibly and I have all the hope that you will find a longer term solution to what ails you.

As for the original reason why I saw and responded to this forum thread. Many are asking about withdrawal symptoms from fentanyl. Some may tell you it is unsafe. A doctor told me it was unsafe for me to suddenly stop (cold turkey) taking 200 mcg per 48 hours. After I found out what was wrong with me, I wanted off the medication immediately. I was angry both at my doctor and with myself. I did go cold turkey off of 200 mcg of fentanyl. I read up on as many accounts as I could find about the withdrawal symptoms and what I should expect. I knew it would be bad. I had a wife that got me through it. It can be done. Do I recommend it? Probably not for most BUT you have to decide what type of person you are. Some people are patient and can ween down over time and then deal with a small withdrawal at the end. Others may want to get their life back faster or need to go back to work or school in a productive state. I am hear to say that it can be done safely but you will need to do some reading to find out what you will need to do.

Best wishes and God bless.

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I had been taking the fentanyl patch started off at 50 mcg for severe low back pain always following dosage instructions. Eased the pain for a few weeks but soon had to go back to the doctor who upped it to 75mcg which was OK at first but slowly it wasn't getting the job done. I had also noticed the "fog" and didn't care for it. I also caught myself 1st thing in the morning till bedtime thinking about when the next new patch was due. I suspected that I was hooked. I was only on this demonic drug for 4 months before I decided that I was not going to let a drug rule me. So I talked to my doctor about my decision and he got a bit put off I think but I don't care I want off this junk. My last patch came off March 5th and I have been in a living hell since. Still having tremors and chills, Skin sometimes feels like its going to crawl off my bones. I know these will pass but dear god when? Doctor said it won't kill you but I would feel naucious and may feel like a have severe flu symptoms. He offered no other support so in a moment of clarity, I located this forum. I was pretty bad this morning but symptoms seems to have eased somewhat so far. I miss sleep the most so I'm going to try some Benadryl tonight for bedtime. I read in a different post that it would help. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated..

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Thank you so much for the information you have giving me. Last year the tried to bring me down last year . The insurance company cut me off completely. My husband bought those out of our pockets and huge mess trying to get them back. There so stupid, they don't understand what I'm doing. I think I'm going to a pain doctor , they should know how to handle the insurance company. I'm going to try again at the end of the month. Than you so much I thought I have been the only one going thru this.

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This is my 1st post ever, anywhere. I am trying to get off Fentanyl as well. Been on 100 mcg's (48 hrs) for several years now and I'm sick and tired of taking the patch. I have DDD, two failed rotator cuff surgeries as well as an elbow surgery (pain). The shoulder and back pain is the worst. I'm 52 years old, worked a steady job with Ma Bell as a lineman 25 years and wore my body out. Three weeks ago I started cutting my Mylan brand 100 mcgh patches in half. So far so good. I did notice that I started taking more of the Dilauid I'm rx'ed for breakthrough pain. My plan is to keep cutting the patches in half till I'm at 12.5 and jump off this crazy train. I want my life back. My wife and kids need there husband and father back. I have been reading what others have wrote and I see MANY similar stories like mine. I desperately want to lift this fog I am in, I want to be happy once again. Does this sound like a workable solution? I figure two weeks between cutting the dose to the next lower level ought to work (I think?). I just am worried that I will start taking the Dilauid to replace the fent? Any advice will be most welcome. Thanks for listening. Tom in Idaho.

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Hi there it sounds to me like you are one of the best mothers I know, I've also had to come off narcs and it's not easy! I'm still struggling to find my way, four kids who love and depend on me, all I can say is keep it up the withdrawals will subside you have to realise that you are a very strong person to be doing what you are doing. My doc was kind enough to give me methadone to help with the withdrawals and it helps a lot, perhaps you could try this also as the whole process to do properly may take months so you need to be strong. I'd suggest the methadone to help ok so go to your doc asap. My doc is taking the dose down .5 mlg per month so that's how slow it should be to come off safely and without too much depression, I still get panic attacks almost daily but they do go eventually I'm sure. Our kids need us and that's why we continue this fight. I so wish I was never prescribed fentanyl etc i was sore but happier without it. Good luck and my prayers are with you xo

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