Fentanyl Withdrawal Symptoms (Page 44)

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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LilRed4,
Nothing seems simple when you have multiple issues, right?
Just having a level 5 pain day is impossible. It is always an 8.
I have a hot tub that has saved my sanity on some nights. It always feels worse at night.
I emphasize.

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Angel I hear you , I live my life now wondering how long in a car where am I going to sit, when can I get back in my bed.. It's always there, I try to ignore but like a bad tooth ache can't ignore level 8. Always seems to be there. Even with percosets which I am trying to not use to often, I have a jucuzzi but just never seem to want to sit in it by the end of nite. Hot shower bed, heating pad,

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Angel, Lilred, Well, I made it through the weekend, in pain but alive...I sat down and made some calls today and got some things done. I called the ER director and reported the two young male nurses and the director told me to please come back and she would assure that I get good health care. She even run my name and said, "yes, you have a history with more than one doctor, but all the doctors have initials behind their names and shows they are different kinds of doctors". She also said the doctors do not know how many doctors I have been to and what meds I am taking, for how long I have been taking them and who perscribed them. I say that is bull because something is wrong when a doctor comes in and asks if I have a drug problem. Sometimes I think I do, but then I am assured that I don't and that I am "dependent". I wonder if this doctor that is telling me this is just stringing me along because I have good insurance???? Makes me not want to take anything because of the way they look at me. Mom says it's my guilty conscience....about what, I ask....I don't know anymore. Now that I'm through with "all about me", I feel so for both of you. I can't imagine what in the world needs to be done to get pain free for just a little while. I guess I would give everything I have for a little bit of relief. I know there has got to be something better then to just having to sit here and suffer.....Oh, this doctor I saw in the hospital said that I didn't have 3 different kinds of cancer, that the breast cancer and skin cancer came from my ovarian cancer, so I just had one kind of cancer. You learn something new everyday....love and wishes throwed ya's way.....

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Have A.S. for many years with constant pain. Have been with pain management as well and was currently on 100 mcg of Fentanyl every 48 hours for two years now. Pain has been under control for the most part with taking 10/325 of Percocet for break through. Went to doc last week, and because their billing department came up with this balance they say I owe, they wouldn't let me see the doc unless I paid an extra $100 plus my copay and continuing monthly. I ALWAYS pay my co-pays but they say it stems back from 2008..wtf. Impossible, but whatever. So, here I am on highly addictive drugs that they have said themselves to NEVER stop taking them cold turkey as I have expressed concern of being on such strong stuff for so long. They would not let me see the doc therefore, I had my patch on that I had put on that day and just left it on for days.. At first I thought, this isn't too bad. Then I got sick. Stuck in the bathroom endless times, stomach cramps, splitting headaches, anxiety like never before!! And I have an anxiety disorder with depression. I haven't slept in three days, had fevers, sweats and chills, irritable as anything, and cannot get or be comfortable sitting, laying in bed, sofa, floor, NOTHING! I feel like I am racing.. I just don't understand how a doctor's office BILLING DEPT can have authority over my and other's lives???? I have called my doctors office today to tell them what's going on.. waiting on a call back. Maybe tomorrow. But I feel like I am going crazy.. And the pain is bad, but the withdrawls are worse! What is one to do? Consult an attorney?? I don't want to check into a rehab as I still need help with pain that will be always with me. My son has tried to convince me to go buy pot.. which of course is illegal and I won't do it. But at times I feel like I need something to give.. I would love to come off everything but that is unlikely. Would love to be on something different that isn't so bad for your system yet provides pain relief. I will be happy to get the edge off so I can try yoga or something else. Has anyone tried an Herbalist or Chinese Medicine? I am willing to try anything.. I can't do this anymore.. I wish I never took the patches.. EVER!!!

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Gil- you can't go cold turkey with fentanyl or your body is going to get you very very sick.. You need to do it gradual. I would drive to the dr and go into seeing him without the nurses.. Just say its urgent! I have been seeing a acupuncist since manyof this year. Took myself off fentanyl without any problems after being on it over 9 years.. Pain level is about the same , I have been trying to deal with no meds except percosets when I can't stand it.. Explain to dr what happened

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Nutty nanny- doctors love good insurance, some of us like myself am trying to deal with knowing my pain will always be there. It's just trying to adjust my life to handle the situation..add in stress , and life on a daily basis is far from fun.. Sick mother with dementia who no longer can talk, And all on me! Hope my next life is better than this one..

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First, welcome, Gil,
YOU MUST ACT.
That was great advice to just GO to the doctor's office (right now) who prescribed the Fentanyl patch for you. People have had fatal heart attacks coming "cold turkey" off this med.
Even if you don't have an attorney, threaten legal action as a last resort. Have your doctor write out three seperate scripts: each for one month of Fentanyl (2 boxes). This is what the AMA allows on Class 3 drugs: no more than 3 scripts before a follow up visit.

Then look for another doctor. Tell him you need Fentanyl before the appt. seek a pain specialist.

NOW
If your doc will not see you, go to the ER.

Come back here and post so we know u r ok.

Hugs,
Angel

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Lilred, How did you get yourself off Fent? Thanks for the advise. I will head there today! And I feel awful enough, that I will go postal on their asses if they even try me!

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Thanks Angel.. I am heading over there.. Will keep you all posted! If you don't hear from me in a while, look me up in corrections! JK.. LOL

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Dear NN,
I am so very glad you did that. I wrote a post that the site said they needed to review, wherein I told you to go to the head of ER.

Please, stop with the guilt.
DEMAND GOOD MEDICAL SERVICE.

YOU are your own best advocate.
YOU must protect yourself !!!

My one son is a transplant surgeon, one is an ICU nurse and my hubbie and I were in ER.

The pace and amount of work today for people in medicine is horrid. They are forced to work too fast sometimes. My sons have deliberately changed to jobs where they feel they can do their best and have lost salary. You must force nurses to use that port, NN.

Gosh, I wish I could just talk to you. I can not believe that they did not explain that the other cancers were a metastasis of the ovarian. That is, the cancer cells traveled in your lymphatic system to grow in other places.

Would you like my email?

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Angel, I wish I could talk to you also. I am learning a lot by reading on this site. I have found out why my blood pressure was running so high. Your not suppose to mix Chantex and Coumadin together. My head is not hurting and my pressure is fine. I orta sue that doctor that gave both of them to me at the same time. I even called him and he said it would not hurt. It took looking on the Chantex site to learn not to mix them. Now, my Suboxone doctor called me and told me to get my butt back over to see him and start my program back. Thank God, I see him tomorrow. It helps greatly with the withdrawals and also kills some of the pain. I can live with that, if it helps a little, then I will take what I can get untill I can do better. I hope Gil gets some relief before he has a stroke or heart attack. This is nothing to play around with. This doctor is telling me that Suboxone is a class 2 narcotic. I don't know about this but if it is then it should help with the pain. I have been on them for the past 3 or so months, but I didn't take them like I was suppose to and he said if I took them like I am suppose to then it would help me more. I'm ready to try it......wish me luck everyone. And Angel, thanks for telling me to go to the director. I need to get my name straightened out with them ER doctors because I have to go there when my arm starts getting infected, I have no other choice, or lose my arm.

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Gil- I was on 75 of fentanyl for over 9 years straight.. Five years ago I went to changing patch every other day. .Dr told me it would be ok instead of going to 100.. If on the patch I was never pain free.. don't know what it's like to have no pain in my back. After hearing about so many over dosing, I take ambien 10 every nite and had fentany200mcg lollipops for break thru which I did not take often. This May I just made up mind enough is enough. I slowly stopped changing patch every other but wore it longer and then would add on another day.. By the end of July I have been off it totally with no real side effects..I see a acupuncist Dr licensed which my insurance covers thank goodness. First saw him three days a week . Now I am seeing him twice a week. I am not having anymore pain than I was with being on drugs. Yes I hurt all the time just trying to deal with it..I do "try to not do stupid things" that I know hurt me more.. I still try and live like a normal person , but sadly it's hard when your in pain but felt the drugs would do harm to other organs.. I have a tolerence like a elephant to drugs so I can take a lot without any reaction. I just want to try and be without before something goes wrong with my body,. Eat healthy, no meds , just need a new back which isn't happening, so will try and stay off as long as possible.. I do have percosets but not allowing myself to take them daily.. Good luck

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Everyone,
You are all troopers!
I am proud to know all of you!!!

We wake every day knowing PAIN will be our partner all day and night. Yet we fight to have a good life anyway!

If that isn't COURAGE then I am Cher. And I can tell you I can't carry a note if it came on a silver platter. LOL

How is Gil? Check in please.

Lilred4, take the d___n Percosets. The theory of pain is that you must give the level of medication that stops it or brings relief. Otherwise it continues to spiral upward and you will never touch it. People do not understand. They think by being stingy w painkillers they are being "good".

The MONSTER gets control and you are sunk.

I hate taking strong narcotics just as much as you. But you have to have some quality of life. We need, each of us, to find the safe balance between what drugs relieve our suffering yet do not make us drugged zombies passing through life...never living it.

Keep pushing your doctors. I believe the drug is coming soon for us all. Keep informed.

Fight the good fight.
I will if you will.

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Dear NN,
My phone # is 414-719-7085. When you call, you can give me yours and I will call right back.

We have unlimited long distance on our land line so you will not pay. I will be here until Friday at noon.

Please, call.

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Angel,thanks for the positive talk, I know your right ,but as I stated because of my high tolerence even taking one does not relieve the pain. I have nerve damage from walking around with a shattered disc for so long before having the fusion. I am lucky that I still have no numbness in my legs.. I just try and do everything until my pain level goes to 10 which does happen often and then I go to bed until it calms down,If the percosets helped I maybe would take them more but I still have pain even with it, less but it's always there.its a constant fist full of pain in one area where my surgery was..The pain is a burn . I see the head of pain management at Hospital special surgery in NY. I can get the drugs just don't know if I want to be on them forever..

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LilRed4,
Have you ever heard of a drug called "Dilaudid". I believe it is stronger than oxycodone or Percosets.

If you are able, google it. Look at the drugs you can not be taking.

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Angel, I have to read more about it,, I am allergic to asprin so I want to make sure.. Also when I had morphine in hospital made me nauseous. Will look more into this drug thou.. Now watching revenge on my iPad.. Tv takes my mind off the pain while I lay in bed😉one of those days. Went apple picking yesterday and picking snap peas. Way to much bending , paying the price today.. Anyone speak to Gil..?

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I looked up some information for all of us on Dilaudid, also called hydromorphone.

"Hydromorphone is used to relieve moderate to severe pain and severe, painful dry coughing. Hydromorphone is becoming more popular in the treatment of chronic pain in many countries, including the United States.[citation needed] Hydromorphone displays superior solubility and speed of onset, a less troublesome side effect profile, and lower dependence liability as compared to morphine and diamorphine. It is thought to be 6–8 times stronger than morphine[citation needed], but with a lower risk of dependency. Hydromorphone is, therefore, preferred over morphine in many areas ranging from the ongoing treatment of chronic pain syndromes, the emergency department to the operating suite.[citation needed] Hydromorphone lacks the toxic metabolites (e.g., norpethidine) of many opioids related to pethidine and some of the methadone class and tends to cause less nausea than morphine. It is a common alternative for those tending to have hallucinations from fentanyl administered through dermal patches and other dosage forms.[citation needed]"
Angel

In addition to the above, hydromorphone, often in the form of controlled-release tablets and capsules, usually proves to be the best alternative of choice to morphine and fentanyl in severe chronic pain, especially for severe breakthrough pain.[citation needed]

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Where are:
SHANNON
WEELER
DUNDEELADY
GIL
K BOB
SPARKY
JOE
SI
LINDSEY

We need you.
How are you doing?

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Angel, thanks your great, now will have to go see pain dr which is in manhattan to discuss this.. He will want his visit and probably take new X-rays just because its been probably 6 months since sen him.. He sent all my scripts thru mail which was great, three three individual ones post dated so I would always have. Have to tell him I am off fentanyl completely

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