Fentanyl Can I Just Go Cold Turkey When Quitting
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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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145

I feel the same way-why were we started on a medication like fentanyl for our severe pain only to be taken off of it and now we have nothing to replace it! They are punishing us-the real patients in need, for the law-breaking-junkies,( i hate using that terminology but its the best/worst i could think of). The Fentanyl really did work, and i know can hardly move on the doseage they've got me on-plus they are going to eventually take me "ALL" the way off of it.

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144

No. You have to be deemed off and by law he must do it.

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143

After reading your response it leaves me with one question--- if the Dr. is going to take you off the medication in three weeks how do you combat this when the Dr. Is the one who writes the prescription.

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142

You should use 50 mcg for a month and then 25 mcg for another month. Then if you have pain pills, take them with a doctor's guidance to help you gradually quit. You can take the 25 mcg with more days between the patches. Normal dosage is every 3 days, try to go 4 days between, then 5, etc, until you have weaned yourself from them. Most importantly you need your doctor to guide you off. They put you in this position, they are responsible for your care.

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141

Absolutely NOT... contrary to these medical professionals...whom none of were ever taking any narcotics, nor were dependent on (addicted these medical Gods refer it to as) any narcotics. You can die from abrupt discontinuing of a powerful opioid like this. My doctor, whom I cannot believe is an actual doctor because of her bull feces act, cut me off Fentanyl patches cold turkey last year about this time...for three weeks I felt like death...she's going to do it again... in fact she just did. I DID NOTHING WRONG. I COULD KILL HER FOR TOYING WITH ME LIKE THIS...but I won't.

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140

Interesting. I'm on 100mcg and I figured out overlapping as well for smoother transition. Sure don't last 3. Been taking for 2 yrs due to 10 broken ribs. The overlapping is necessary for me due to I start withdrawals after 2 days. I am still have a lot of pain and use Marijuana for evening breakthrough. It's hard to believe it is as strong as they say... but with the symptoms I get during transition, I can't imagine how I'll get of one day. I'm kind of a health nut now, but, had to get off just about everything many years ago. I can already tell this may just be the worst one yet. I was taking 10 methadone a day for pain... I thought that was pretty bad to get off too... on my own... 1 pill at a time. Just the twitching and jumping and full on anxiety at times cannot be controlled by any other substance. By the Time I realize a patch may not be working, it takes hours to restore myself. Meditation seems to help... if i can at that point. I couldn't imagine what I'd do if I changed my mind after 1 day to get better. Can't figure out why anyone would take this one recreationally. It's horible to be on, sounds worse to get off. My time will come.

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139

Hey,

Me too, on 75 for 4 years, dr won't let me come off, but I have side effects and it's more powerful than other opiates. I never wanted to be on it for fibromyalgia & joint pain & ms, so I quit six days ago.. feels like the worst flu ever. legs just drive me mad in bed, but I had a good day yesterday, took nothing, but today I was in so much pain I took a muscle relaxer this morning which enabled me to scrub my house clean and then one after as all that exertion my body was too painful. first few days just sleep as much as you can and drink plenty of fluids. I would rather treat my pain as and when I need it rather than a power fentanyl patch. I just want to be free of toxins and just get on with it, but my legs have eased up with just a few pins and needles now and I can't stop sneezing!!! Hope this helps.

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138

Karen i know it's tough I went cold turkey off 100mg every 2 days after almost 7 years , I just got it in my head that I was not gonna let it get me down I totally kicked it in about 10 days very little withdrawal except for my pain now that come back a 100 fold and I just focused on that ( my doc had a cow when he found out told me he would have put me on tramadal to help with withdrawal and something for the anxiety ) but I had very few problems so I didn't bother with it , but if your still having problems you definitely need to talk to a doc get you something to help you

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137

You should be feeling better by now. I went to detox 50mg patch after 10 years and I'm feel better except for insomnia and I'ts only been 11 days.

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136

I went cold turkey off a 100 patch in August. It have now been six months and I am still very very sick. Heart rate problems, anxiety and all the pain I started out with. I was up to a 150 patch for 6 years. Does anyone have any idea how long this withdrawal should last, also lost 25 pounds in 6 days and have not put any back on.

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135

The thing is, most cancer patients are opioid naive and intolerant to opioids. They haven't fought severe debilitating pain for years and years and years. I've known many people with cancer (family & friends). Never known anyone to have it for 12, 15, 17, 19, 20, 22, or 30 years.

Also... the MYTH that malignant pain is worse than non-malignant pain is well... a MYTH. Pain is pain. It's all felt in the brain. Many diseases cause deep seated pain. How we perceive pain is subjective and personal.

One person with malignant pain may require little medication while another may require as much as possible. So, it's highly likely that the woman in this accident required 350mcg to live a somewhat normal life while a cancer patient may require 25 or 50mcg.

Hyperalgesia is actually a rare phenomenon that's being perverted to justify taking away appropriate opioid doses all in the name of the War on Drugs.

Yes. There have been too many OD'S & innocent babies born addicted. However, making CPP's suffer is NOT the answer. Many of us are already very tolerant to opioids and 100 MME simply is not enough nor will it ever be enough.

We can NOT help one group by hurting another.

Even IF hyperalgesia can be applied to all humans ubiquitously every person metabolizes opioids and other meds at different rates and therefore this one size fits all approach is illogical, inhumane and seriously wrong.

Hyperalgesia came to be through one particular study that was done on a few lab rats that were tortured by having their spinal chords cut and tortured. The rats were left to suffer for ten days. Given opioids. Had the opioids taken away. Then, they were touched with what should've been a non painful stimulus and because they went to press the opioid lever it was determined that the rats needed opioids just to handle non painful stimuli. Um. What? Ya. Crazy.

Please, if you're in chronic pain stand up for your rights. Write letters and emails. Look for petitions to sign. Share your feelings online. Let people know you're not an addict, that you're in real pain and that opioids help you to live a BETTER life.

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134

I don't want to scare you. No doctor in there right mind should ever bring you off the dosage your taking abruptly. This is an incredibly addictive drug. I would say worse than heroin. I have stopped taking oxycodone before. That withdrawal was pretty bad. But fentanyl is for me a nightmare. I was taking 90 milligrams of oxycodone to try and help the withdrawal. But it was no difference than cold turkey. Let me get back to the question. The best way in my opinion to detox is. Start lowering the dosage. And you want to go as long as you can stand it between doses. Your going to have to push yourself. And take in as much liquid as you can in small increments. Also put some old sweat clothes on so you perspire as much as possible. One last trick is when you get to feeling like death, try and focus on something that makes you happy. Just one more thing and a very important actually two things. A friend or a loved one for support. And never hesitate to go to the ER if you think you need to. Feel free to contact me {edited for privacy}. Wish you all the best.

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133

How do I stop Fentanyl patches 100 mcg that my doctor had me on for 12 years safely? Please help. I'm really scared. Should I do it cold turkey or taper it?

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132

Thank you for your reply. Maybe the doctor wants to start the process by reducing and replacing the fentanyl with something else. I am still experiencing chronic pain so I can't imagine how difficult it will be. I will be cautious when I meet with him and if necessary get a second opinion. Thanks for talking me down a bit! I will update everyone after my appointment.

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131

There is away to come off of it almost cold turkey if you don't think you can handle it get a doctor to you a prescription for tramadol and something for anxiety , you haven't been on it that long but still might affect you, if you don't think you can do it cold turkey this is the most easy and cheapest way to do it by your self

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130

Hop,

I'm not sure where you received that information from but it is not accurate at all. Since your doctor isn't returning your calls I assume he is the offender feeding you complete misinformation.Although generalized recomendation's have been made to lower some patients narcotic therapy the surgeon general nor anyone from any us government office made such a widespread decree.I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND SEEKING A COMPETENT MEDICAL PROVIDER WHO DOESNT MISLEAD HIS PATIENTS.Its reprehensible that any PHYSCIAN would comport themselves in such an unethical manner .please seek a second opinion because cold turkey withdrawal from these meds can be fatal if unmonitored by skilled professionals.god bless and good luck ....Kenie

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129

Seems like I will be getting off of fentanyl sooner than expected. The surgeon general wrote a letter to every physician in the country telling them not to prescribe opiates for people with chronic pain. Seems like withdrawal will be my New Years experience since I will start reducing meds 12/19. I hope my doctor plans on being available since he never returns phone calls. I am terrified about how much time I will lose at work and what will happen. I knew I wanted to get off the fentanyl but I was hoping to wait the 1.5 years until retirement and then trying rehab. Looks like I will be doing it mostly on my own. Very scared thinking about this.

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128

Definitely can not go cold turkey esp with fentanyl I tried it twice and ended up in hospital going thru acute withdrawl

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127

Firstly, I am a Nurse Practitioner so I know of what I speak, and I'm sorry. Tendon and ligament damage with fibromyalgia and you're on that high a dose of fentanyl?! I'm sorry, but BOOHOO. Buck up for your child like I did for my 3! I had cancer while pregnant with our third child and was in labor for 15 weeks in the hospital. Of course they shut off my meds to let him be born..at 28 weeks. But he held on till 37 and was completely healthy. I was left with 5 permanent vertebral fractures (compression fractures from osteoporosis caused by my cancer tx.) The prolonged labor led to a necessary hysterectomy with cystocele and rectocele repair during which they found more primary CA, not Mets. A later surgery was botched and I now have an ileostomy plus permanent nerve damage causing neuropathic pain making it almost impossible to sit. Hell yes I was on drugs. But I also busted my ass to get stronger through PT. And yep, I was on drugs and tried a Neurostimulator...to no avail. I went to Mayo for help in 2009 and learned that I was mostly unfixable and have a rare Neuro that shuts down all the systems we can't control. And of course there's no cure, only symptomatic. They wanted me to try a program of theirs for pain at least. So off I went through a month long program at Mayo teaching people like us how to live and getting us off of our drugs. Nope. I got off them but couldn't get out of bed. (Also didn't help that two of my new friends committed suicide within a month of the program.) Seven years after the botched surgery and 5 after the program i was in a horrible car accident. I unbuckled to protect my child who was in the front seat, knowing I'd never live with my child being hurt even if the damn accident wasn't my fault. Thank God, he was fine. I, however, spent three months in the hospital, my entire blood volume replaced, legs and hips rebuilt, learning to walk again, having more surgeries unrelated to the accident. (Hmm, I know I mentioned the Neuro disorder, did I already mention the Lupus and Fibromyalgia?)

I hurt every day. I have steroid inj's. for my back, hips and knees. I was on drugs for 8 years and DID NOT want to let them go. Give it a try, find a good doc. I'm sorry for being a b****, but you need it. Get the fear out of your head--- you can get off. 250mcg fentanyl, 20mg Oxy, all gone for me.

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126

You are an amazing person for even trying this. I started taking fentanyl recreationally, not good, then I couldn't get it anymore so I went to illicit drugs. I took fentanyl for 8 years and then illicit drugs for 3. It was Hell. I had to change my life. I'm 48 with 4 kids and 8 grandbabys, so I put myself in a methadone clinc. Methadone clinics got a bad rep from people who don't know about fentanyl. It can kill u really quick. Don't risk it. I took metadone for two years. I started at 25mg and worked up to the withdrawals, quit, got to 110 for one year, that's what they recommend. Then I started to go down in my mgs slooowly. Don't hurry it or your life you r dealing with here. I'm glad to say it took two years and I finished my treatment in two weeks. I hope this is helpful. I feel great. Good luck. Prayers and wishes go out to u. You can do this. It's not easy at first but it gets better every day.

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