Fentanyl Withdrawal Symptoms (Page 11)
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I'm trying to wean myself off the Fentanyl patch. I went from 75 micro-gms to 50 now I'm on 25. Having a problem and not sure it is related to the decrease in the med. It's been 20 days on the 25 micro-gm and I'm going crazy. I need to keep rocking, moving in any way b/c my body is very restless. Is this a symptom of withdrawal and what do I do? I cannot take it any more.

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I am here to tell you it is part of the withdrawal. I cannot tell you how long this will last. I went to hydrocodone. Then from 10/325 on down. Could kick myself because now I'm back on 100 mcg for severe pain. May I ask what caused you to get off the patches? I am very concerned about availability should something happen like a hurricane in my area etc that could cause me problems getting my patches or if it happened at a bad time, my ability to even get in to see my pm. All I can tell you is yes, it is a part of the withdrawal. Good luck! Do yourself a favor and do not go back on them if you can come off and tolerate the pain. I personally don't know which would be worse for me. Be strong, it can't last much longer. Be sure to stay well hydrated. It does help. You may even need to see your pm about something to help you. Be careful!

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I had a problem keeping the patches on when I went through menopause Hot-Flashes, and I still have problems in the summer when I try to do anything that causes a sweat. The worst is when they fall off and I am not aware of it, eventually I get the restless leg/body syndrome symptoms and then I know that I have more than likely lost my patch. I agree that you can find a way to either tape it to you with a Tegaderm patch or medical tape, but that too may lose it's adhesiveness and fall off as well. The only thing that worked for me was to try to avoid sweating and to check my patch on regular intervals, and wash well and replace lost patches ASAP. The worst situation for me was when I had abdominal surgery and the people who prepped and cleaned me for surgery removed my fresh patch and didn't replace it. I had such horrendous pain and they refused to replace my patch because my insurance wouldn't pay for another one, so I had to wait to go home and put one on. I now always carry an extra patch or two just in case I need it.

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Kathleen: good for you for trying to get off. Fentalyn is deadly. Please keep up the good work! It is a long road but will get better. You do have to find some way to deal with the pain. All narcotics are addicting so none of them are good. I now take dilaudid. It is not as good but like you said it's nice to have your brain back! It took me over a year off of 150mcgs of Fentanyl patches to finally feel all human. I am doing so well and I'm doing things I haven't done in ten years! Please please come off of this drug it's not worth it. Good luck!

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I am getting off fentanyl from 50 every 72 hours I am now on 25 every 48 hour with vicodin at night. I have more energy and less napping but I feel terrible pain and rubber legs. I walk like I am drunk... WHY? After I get off fentanyl what will I do for the pain? Is there anything that is not addictive or do I just suffer so I can I get my brain back. Help... I am scared, I hate my life in this state.

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Hop63. I also used tegaderm but I used the largest one and it fit. I was on 150 mcg of Fentanyl. Just ask your pharmacy to order them for you. I am now 1 1/2 yrs off of Fentanyl! Best thing I ever did! I am now a new person! I have my brain back. It was not easy and I did it cold turkey. I also quit oxyneo, Percocet, and quit smoking! My family have me back. I now take dilaudid for pain as I still have that but no where near as much. Sometimes you just have to literally grin and bear it. You can do it. I am your age as well but I lost my husband so you do have his support. Trust me, he would rather support you to get off of it to have you back in the long run. I wish I could communicate with you better as I am alone. I really really suggest you don't go any higher in your dosage. This stuff is deadly and I am lucky to still be alive! There are many ways to help the withdrawals but remember it's just for a short amount of time. It's worth it to get your mind back! If I can help in any way please let me know. Good luck!

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Sandi, I am terrified reading these posts. I have been on fentanyl since 2008 for chronic pain. I fear getting off of it. I have 3 years until I can retire and I have been hoping to wait until then and get off all meds even if I need rehab. I would rather do it at home but that's expecting a lot from my husband. My kids are grown and out of the house so he would be the only one to deal with all the horrible things I am reading about withdrawal even when reducing dosage with medical supervision. Like everyone else, the medication just "snowballed". Dosage stopped working and it was increased or something new was added. I don't know who I am or how I would feel w/o my prescription medications. I do know I am still in pain so I wonder if they are doing anything except destroying my liver and kidneys while reducing my life expectancy. I want to detox at home but can I afford another 3 years of living like this or should I try before? Drs all say "keep with your current medication" but I wish I wasn't dependent.

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Sandi, do you know the manufacturer of the band that helps to keep the fentanyl patches in place. Have tried Tegaderm but can't find ones large enough to cover the 75 mcg patch. Sometimes I use 3-4 of them to keep the fentanyl duragesic in place. That's very expensive so 1 large one would be more comfortable and probably cheaper. Thanks for your response!!!

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Hope, yes, you are having more medication than you should, simply because you are self medicating yourself. If your patch is a 72 hour patch then that means 72 or pretty close to it. Not 48 or 60 hours. If you are having break through pain then if analgesia or other oral pain med doesn't help, you need to have a higher dose of Fentanyl over 72 hours. You can half them by removing half the backing.
To attach patches so they won't come off you can purchase something called Opsite (maybe other names there) which is like a second skin, very thin and breathable. It is also not expensive, you buy it by the metre here from pharmacies. It worries me that big solid things like band aids and so on are used as wouldn't they be adding more pressure and thereby heating up the active ingredient in the patch. JMHO

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Hop63. I know one of the hard things with fentanyl patches is that they don't stay in very well. Especially in the summer! I found that duragesic patches helped keep them on easily. They are like a big clear band aid that sticks in to you. They are expensive but it is the only way to keep them on.

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K-9 mom, I have often worried about the effects my "hot flashes" had on the absorption rate of fentanyl 75mcg that I use for chronic pain. I also have trouble keeping patches from slipping off during the hot flashes. Would you share more details of your experience because I am very concerned that I am actually receiving higher doses of medication than I thought. I also put on every 48-60 hours to prevent break through pain rather than changing every 72 hours as prescribed by my physician when I started having break through pain sooner than 72 hours.

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I actually took oxycodone hand in hand with my patches for break through pain so I used that to help me titrate down and cover any withdrawal symptoms. I also absolutely agree that the restless leg/body syndrome is a major withdrawal symptom. I had to go back on the patches and am on 50 micro grams at the moment. I was able to wean off them once and am thinking I will have to do it again in the future.

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Now I am trying to withdraw from hydromoph contin and got down to 4 mg doses. Then tried lowering to 3 mg and wicked withdrawal painful agitation began after taking first pill of g strength. What painful agitation everywhere; I thought I'd have heart attack at suck exhaustion and pain. My doctor put me back on the 4mg dosage and as of today I think I am off to brighter days. When and if I try again to withdraw from the hydromorph, any suggestions ton how to handle it better? I used mirepex, dilaudid for breakthrough pain and clonazepam. It didn't help???? So what will or have I hit the wall? Maybe I have to be grateful I got this much out of my system...starting with 100 mg fentanyl to 15 mg then my body rebelled so Dr put me on hydromorph. I have the 3 mg hydromorph and cannot use it only twice a day as wicked agitation. I just want to give up and remain on this low dose until I die. Is this low dose of morphine detrimental to my liver or kidneys. How long do I want to live in pain anyway!!

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My insurance did the same thing but my doctor cut the prescription from 50 to 25 and the insurance paid for it. The detox is awful and I am doing it at home alone... all I want to do is sleep to avoid how terrible I feel. Doctor has given a type of valium which helps at night... I need something during the day. I will see doctor tomorrow and wish for a solution. I feel like I would look me to go to a detox center.

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MG, I couldn't agree more! Have they not offered dilaudid as an option for you? You shouldn't have to suffer with pain. Even Tylenol 3 would be better then nothing. Good Luck!

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Yes, one really has to wish to be free, otherwise, it won't work............Best of luck to you. I dropped off the patch in June, and am free of it now. The doctor tried to give me more, but my body won't accept it......It is bad stuff, and it can kill.......why they pass it around like candy, I will never accept their reasons......Seems Oxy and Fentanyl are the acceptable drugs to the doctors.............I cannot take either, and because I cannot handle entire drug, they don't want to deal with me....Oxy and Fentanyl disagree with me, so they don't wish to take care of me............I find it hard to believe they are only allowed two choices........Disgusting.

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Hi Mimi, I can relate to your pain as my back is messed up but there is no surgery to fix it. I was up to 150 mcg and slept away ten years of my life! Then I got sick and forgot to change my patch and went into withdrawal and got sicker. I passed out and took an ambulance and thank god I got a good doctor. I stayed there 3 weeks coming off everything cold turkey. I even quit smoking! It has now been almost 2 yrs and I am still off that damn patch! My pain did get too great to not be on anything so I now take dilaudid. I'm not happy about that but I do have to function. I really wish you the best! Good luck!

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I have been on fentanyl 50 mg patch for almost a year now. I suffer from Chronic back pain and need to have a second surgery on my back. That surgery will put me out of work for 6 months so its a last resort. I hate the Fentanyl. It has taken over my life. I can't enjoy anything during the summer months due to heat. A hot bath in Epson Salt soothes the spasms in my back but I can't do that anymore due to the patch. I sleep ALL the time. I will fall to sleep and not even notice it until I wake up. It has my family scared to death because of the side effects from it. Help! What should I do and how can I get weaned off this and placed on something else?

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Steve, sounds like you're having a horrible time! I'm sorry for all your troubles, your daughter etc. Seems to me that after a month it's hardly likely to be withdrawal from Fentanyl causing you this much pain and angst, but rather frustration, pain from your existing condition, stress and worry over your daughter and anxiety and depression, and who could blame you!! I guess you are in the USA and if you are I count my blessings every day I don't live there, your treatment sounds barbaric. In NZ we are treated like human beings, speaking for myself I am coming off Fentanyl after three years and am doing what Evonne, below, was doing (leaving small slivers of backing on the patch although the results are up and down) and also having counseling and starting at the pain Clinic next weeks for ALTERNATIVES to Fentanyl. You surely need some professional to discuss all your problems and tackle them one by one and I hope you get the help you need. Good luck!!

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I have multiple herniated disk in my neck,and have suffered for 15 plus years,I'm 54 years old,veteran. So I started going to a pain clinic in a near by town and they started. Me on fentanyl 50, been taking them about a month. Well I sweated one off and my oldest daughter stolen one and yes we called sheriff and yes we are pressing charges. I promptly reported both Incidents to the pain clinic,they offered zero solutions!! So I called back and ask them can they suggest anything I can do to relieve wd? They said take aleve,yeah that's right, again I called back again they offered no solutions, nothing for the w.d. is this doctor really this bad? Or is there truly nothing they can offer,oh they did say go to e.r. which the clinic is a part of this hospital. My wife is aware of my attempts to seek their advise and I'm kinda freaking out because I'm reading it can lead to heart attack,death etc.etc. I'm asking, reaching out for something,anything. I don't know I guess if something does happen to me ow theirs a record of it,maybe that's all to be gained. I am beat down with doctors non stop pain now this.just last tues I had to go to emergency room, because that's what pain clinic said to do,yet another emergency room visit. That of course will be held against me I. Some way, and yes we do have a copy of the police report,hopeless!! I'm to the point of desperation. {edited for privacy}. Is there anything anyone out there? My pain is crippling and now w.d., thank you for reading.

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Hi Mary, I'm Sandy. I can identify what you are going through as I came off 150 mcg of Fentanyl. Yes it is a sign of withdrawal. If I may suggest, I would try to get your mind off it. Maybe a hot bath a massage and look into meditation, breathing exercises and tapping. Google tapping and learn how to do it. It will really help. I would also suggest you rip that patch off now. Get off all the s*** cold turkey. That's what I did. I took a lot of gravel for a few weeks but I have my head back. Stick it out sweetie. It's been almost 2 yrs now since then and I feel great! You can do it too! Don't start a new drug because you will get addicted to that too. Try the stuff I mentioned. If the restless legs continue ask your dr for a sleep study evaluation. They can analyze that and diagnosis it and I'm sure there is something you can do for it. I hope I have helped in some way. Good Luck Mary!

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