Fentanyl Withdrawal Symptoms (Page 41)

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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Congrats and good luck Dundee, wishing you the best. The painful areas, are they like a burning sensation? because I know when I move my patches around sometimes the area they were on feels like it is burning, it usually goes away in a couple of hours. Keep us informed on your progress, stay strong.

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CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!

I have dropped 25mcq/hr in a week and I hear you about your arthritis!! Do you take Mobic for it? My Rheumotologist gives me that and it helps. I have it ALL through out my body.

It is my opinion that Morphine Sulphate IR is the least addicting drug out there. I can stop taking it for days with no withdrawal.

If you need pain relief I believe we all have the right to be on something that is not so horrid to stop taking as Fentanyl. If someone had told me the truth about this drug at the beginning I NEVER would have begun

I am writing a letter to my doctor which I will deliver after I am clean. It will tell him of my journey: my years wasted laying over medicated in bed, the effect on my personal life, the depression, and then the horrendous withdrawal.

Good Luck to everyone!!
Keep posting.

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SOUNDS LIKE ME.I STARTED WITH VIC'S WORKED, FOR HEAD ACHE & FEMALE AFFAIRS. THAN P/M DOC SAID THEY WERE SO HARD ON THE STOMACH. HE PUT ME ON OXY. 13 YEARS, 40-20-80- THEN WENT TO 20'S AFTER 80'S STOPPED WORKING. IT SEEMED LIKE IF I STILL HAS ANY IN MY BODY I DID NOT FEEL ANY EFFECTS FOR THE LAST 5 YEAR I SUFFERED UNTIL BOTOX INJECTIONS IN HEAD. BUT MY OTHER BODY PROBLEMS I HAD TO ADDRESS TALKED TO NEURO/ FENTANYL I WAS HOPING. 3 WEEKS 25/ 3 WEEKS 50./ 3 WEEKS 72MG ALL 3DAYS. NOW IS JUST STARTED BACK ON OXY 20ER. I FELT SICK ON FENTANYL. I HAVE STOPPED ONLY ONCE FOR 12 DAYS, WHEN ON OXY.,BY THE 4TH DAY NOT GREAT....I SAY KEEP A SMALL AMOUNT OF OPIATE IF YOU HAVE BEEN ON FOR MANY YEARS. I AM BEDRIDDEN SO I CANT'S GO LOOK. THE BEST DRUG TO CALM YOUR SYSTEM IS CLONIDINE.

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I agree with you totally, I weaned myself from the patches and I will never put another on my body! Fentynal is the worst drug ever created, I don't know if I was allergic or what but I hurt from the depths of my soul while using the patch. There was never any relief, it actually got worse. I can live with the back pain now, or rather I will live with it. Occasionally I have to take a pain pill but only when it gets unbearable for days at a time. Just stay strong, the side effects will get better I promise.

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Thank you all for your support. Third day clean and I actually feel a bit better. It's nice to see the world in colour again. Slept a bit better last night with the help of a herbal remedy but still woke evry hour - it's an improvement though and I want to try to be positive. Good luck to everyone out there trying to come off Fentanyl - believe me, if I can do it, you can too.

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DL,
This "no sleep" is really getting to be an issue for me. I can't tell you when the last time I slept. I take a lot of meds to sleep: Soma, Lunesta, Clonezepam, and NyQuil. All in large amounts. This is nuts!!
Anybody have any ideas?

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Angel, when you are going through the withdrawal sleeping pills and nyquil make the withdrawal symptoms worse. The only thing I know that works is a small amount of opiate. If you are trying to quit talk to your doc he can help. If you just ran out early tell your doc what is going on and that you can't sleep, he can provide you with an emergency refill. My doc is working with me greatly, I do not want to get off the patch just yet, but he has me on a program to help keep my dependency under control. If your doctor won't work with you then move on, people told me that and I kept getting discouraged and felt like a junkie, but now I have a great doc who is concerned with my pain control and opiate dependency. I know what you are going through, I have gone through it twice already.

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Dear Wheeler,
My Rheumotologist did not fight me at all when I asked to go down to 50mcq/hr from 75. But he did not offer help either!!!
I also just want to get down to an undoped feeling. Right now I don't know what that will be. But I am shocked at how hard this is!! As a chronic pain sufferer, you know I have been on/off many drugs. Nothing compares to this sleeplessness. How can you deal with fatigue and pain?

I know it is going to be tough. But 12 nights with no sleep makes for a rougher road than need be.

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Angle, I know what you are going through....I come off of 75mg patch that I was on for a couple of years. I have been off the patch about 9 months now and I still can't sleep good. I do have Tizanidine, it's a muscle relaxer, ans it helps. I take about 3 of them(2mgs) and a Ambien (10mg) and sleep about 5 hours. That is not much but it was better then the two or three a night that I was getting. Ambien is different the what you are taking. It's stronger and works different. But it works. Sometimes I go 4 nights with just a couple of hours sleep and then about the 5th night I take my sleep meds and sleep. I don't know what else to tell you to do cause I have tried everything. I don't sleep or didn't sleep before I got on the patch so I really had a problem when I come off it. And what weeler told you about the Nyquil and stuff hurting you worse when you take it, is true. Sometimes it's damn if you do and damn if you don't. More do then don't....Hope this helps...

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Angel, I have not quit my fentynal yet, I know that when I slowed down small amounts of oxycodone were the only thing that stopped the shaking and allowed me to sleep. Not being able to sleep is horrible. People say you have to let the fentynal work itself out of your system. The only thing I would know to try is take percoset before you go to bed, take enough to calm the shakes, and not too much that you feel dopey.

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Thanks a lot for the support!

I don't know if you didn't read my previous postings but because the doctor thought I once might be hooked on pills, he gave me this patch. I don't think he will give me any other narcotic, weeler. I feel caught between a rock and a hard place because he likes the patch. In fact he would up the dose if I asked.
Could I put a 75 on for half a day and see if I could sleep just one night?

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Angel, yes that will work, if you cannot get any pills that may be your best option. My doc has suggested that after a 72 hr. period I then take a 48 hr. break with no patch or pills. That is what I am going to try to help keep my dependency to a minimum. Give your idea a try, right now you need sleep. Stay strong, I'm cheering for you.

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Okay. My pharmacist sort of suggested this also. He said to put the 75 on until the symptoms ease. Keep it on another 6 hours then toss it. Keep my 50 on at the same time. It should relieve me for a few days.

Somewhere on this blog I heard of 12.5 patches. That's my next request from the doc.

The pharmacist says I should really get off my Pristiq NOW. He says it's adding to the withdrawal tenfold.

The day after the Art Show I'm quitting that too. I know you shouldn't do two drugs but hell is hell!

Thanks weeler and everyone !

DON'T LEAVE ME.

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ANGEL, DON'T toss the 75 after you wear it for 6 hours. You can put it back on the little plastic piece that you pulled it off and keep it untill you need to put it back on for another couple of hours. This is what I did and it saved on my cost of the patches. Even if your insurance pays for them, they can be reused if you only used it for 6 hours. This way it may not run you short also....hope this helps...

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Welcome to another great day Angel, I don't agree with the comment about Pristiq, I took Effexor for a short time while wearing the patch. The one thing I noticed was that both medications combined made me extremely tired, at the time I needed the rest so I rested. I no longer take the Effexor. If you can go without taking it, great, but don't deprive yourself of needed sleep at this point. Stay in touch, and keep up the strength.

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I put on a 75! Bliss. I slept for two days like a child. Deep, restful, beautiful sleep.... Now back to the 50 patch tomorrow.
I will not give up. My goal is 1) not being so drugged I can not get out of bed and live. 2) Find if 50, 25 or none will do that. 3) reach status again. By that I mean not the constant withdrawal syndrome. There must be a way.
The one thing I have learned for certain is that I have been drugged like living in a cocaine bed for years. I have missed out on years of experiences.
We only have so many wonderful moments on this journey. I want to maximize mine.
When I am on a lower Fentanyl dose, I zip....I feel...I finish....I think clearly....I laugh long and loud...I create...I am me.

Dear God, keep me strong.

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Congrats on the sleep. Glad to hear your doing better.
It made me feel a little better myself, thanks.

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Pat you seem to be a very angry individual. this site is for support. you are the only person i see regularly on here speaking down or negatively about another. its ok to agree to disagree. It can be done with compassion and caring considering if we are on this site we are in the same boat!

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Very well said pat. thanks :D

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I put a 100 on a week ago, taking 30 mg ocycodone and am still in pain and groggy. I wouldn't have got the first two of the temp nerve blocks before the long lasting one. I have been bed ridden sun e aug 2 nd with 10x's worse unmanageable pain. I will never get injections again. Now what is the discoagraphy going to do pain wise. I'm terrified. Doctor is sick of me calling. What will kill the pain? I hate those 30's mg. they help but I'm a zombie and cane walking without one at 40

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