Fentanyl Withdrawal Symptoms (Page 45) (Top voted first)

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 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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JOE, WHO THE HECK IS PAT??????????? Angel, that is so great that you got some sleep. Went for my per scan and glad to report I am CANCER FREE.....FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE....YEAH.......do what you have to do to feel better but go toward your goal... don't give up.....love ya....

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How many of you here have had a disc fusion. I was told I need two, I am 38 and afraid the pain will come back in a few years or months. My pain management doc said maybe I should consider it because I could take a break from the meds. I am on 75 mcg fent patches and 10 mg oxycodone and some days effexor. Like everyone here I get tired of the meds but I would hate to get surgery then be on more meds.

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I was told that fusions if that is when they put in the metal? In your body to make that at a last resort. I'm kinda where you are at. I'm scared to go under the knife again and even more not too. If the medecine was allowing me to life a constancely pain free and normal life I wouldn't do it. But I don't seem to have a choice now after those last set of injections. I think he did something very wrong. :(. Good luck on making your decision. I have 2 weeks to make mine. Terrified

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Weeler and Shannon,
I am a positive person....optimistic. I was in medicine for 26 years. I am not a back expert....
BUT
Spinal surgeries are fraught with more problems than you started with because the area is so heavy with nerves. Doctors who are excellent can inadvertently nick them causing permanent problems.
It's easy for me to say "Don't do it. "

But you have to be at the wall to consider spinal fusion, my friends.

KUDOS to Nutty for being cancer free!! I am do thrilled for you! Please, God, let her remain clean. Amen.

I am now on my third patch of 5mcq/hr from 75. Yahoo!! I was so full of myself I became stupid. I went off my Clonezepam Cold Turkey and dropped my Pristiq to every other day.

Well, you know that was asking my body to handle shifting way too many chemicals.

Yup, I hit the wall. Had a full fledged anxiety attack, weepy, flu symptoms .....was trashed

Am back on Pristiq until I see the Doc next week and the Clonezepam.

I flipped out about the Pristiq because I have gained 15 pounds in 3 months. This is unacceptable for me. But I'll work with the Doc on it.

I have to say that there is some increase in discomfort on the 50 but not pain. This is a relief.

Weeler, I am taking the Pristiq at night and it helps me get to deep sleep.

Thanks to everyone. Your words keep me motivated.
Tonight I pray everyone has a better sleep.

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Thanks for the input Shannon, your right, the fusion means they would put rods in my low back. I'll keep doing what I'm doing for now, just had a day where I was tired of counting out pills and patches for the month again. Thanks

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Weeler, as long as the procedure has you counting less of them instead of more. That's my deliema right now. 9 more months of recovering to just end up the same. I can't get off this merry go round. I'll pray we make the right decisions.

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I tried to post a reply to warn you about the dangers and limited success of spinal surgeries. I hear your dilemma. Cut with caution is my motto.

Congrats, Nutty, on being cancer free!! I rejoice with you. Keep it up!

I can now say I have successfully made it to 50mcq/hr on the Fentanyl patch. Hallelujah!! Sleeping well and pain in control. I was so scared I couldn't do it!!

Next to go is Pristiq.

Have a great week you all!
Hugs,
Your Angel

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SOS

Am on my sixth 50 patch. So that should be 18 days, right??

When do the headaches, dizziness, fatigue and very bad brain fog go away?

Help me! Is this my reality on 50? Or am I still withdrawing. My feet and hands are so swollen I have blisters from wearing a stretchy pair of sandals. I itch all over. I have been constipated for 7 days now.

I don't remember anyone having these kind of symptoms.

Am I going crazy??
Should I call someone??

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Angle, when that started happening to me "I call that getting me high" I had my doctor lower it from 100 to 75 then after 2? Months started feeling "not normal" do again I went down 25mcg's more. Whoo, pain and cakes all over the first 7-10days. Uped it 12mcg to the 50 and was a normal healthy nothing is wrong with me. I believe and KNOW that with our ailments that if properly dosed, we feel no moderate pain and feel human. Unfortunately for me, I really had a horrible reaction to a temp nerve block that made me 10x's worse and I go back under the knife in 2 weeks and in excruciating pain they wouldn't up it again because the insurance couldn't figure out why I kept lowering it and NOW I want to double the dose! I had a fresh MRI to prove it too.
Have you ever had a friend or an aquatince that started anti depressants that were too low or two high? I know it's different entirely but when an ADULT is properly medicated, there should be no side effects. My opinion, personal experience and seeing people I wk with. FYI. Anti depressants scare me. Just as hard as this to get out of system and impulse control. Sorry for being so long winded as I just took my first 20mg of adderal and wow, I'm alive awake and less than enthusiastic because of my much needed but dreaded surgery. Nerve blocks rarely have neg side effects so don't let my "rare" experience detour you. The first one was 4 days, pain free.

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I hope and pray this procedure goes perfect for you, Shannon. It is true that any medical surgery or block can go really wrong. I am so sorry that happened to you. Life is tough enough without glitches like yours.
Before I went in for my hip replacement surgery three months ago, I asked my great internist what I could do to help make the surgery go better. She said studies showed three things helped: being well hydrated( I drank 8 glasses of water for 3 days before the day); reducing your stress is vital; visualizing a positive outcome (when you daydream seeing the area whole and fixed, pain free ). You know I took her advice and just flew through the recovery. I was walking, unassisted , in 10 days up stairs carrying my dog.

I wish you the best of outcomes.

I agree with your posting that when you are properly medicated you should feel human.
I called my friendly pharmacist yesterday who is truly happy I am lowering my Fentanyl patch dosage. In fact, he was the one that took me aside and talked frankly about the heavy dosage of some of my meds and the ones that are dangerously addictive, like: Fentanyl, Pristiq, Soma, Clonazepam and Prednisone. I lost 100 lbs 5 years ago by going to Weight Watchers and really trying. But the doctors are still giving the same dose of medicine to a person who is now half her previous size.
No wonder I can't get out of bed, heh?

The pharmacist put me on Benadryl for the itching. She said all my symptoms were related to downing Fentanyl by 33%. That is a huge drop and he was very proud of me. Asked me to try to stick it out until next week by taking it easy. But I have an Art Fair this weekend.

Thanks for the support. Post when you have your procedure and I'll respond.
Hugs,
Angel

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Please can anyone tell me how they felt on the patch and how they felt comeing off it and how they feel now? The patch i was on was 150 mcg for two years.

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K Bob,
Have you taken some time to read this entire blog? It's packed with stories...on the patch, coming off, being off, the do's and don'ts, etc.
I found that my disease plus a 75mcq/hr patch for 5 years and others meds put me in bed permanently. I was so sluggish and withdrawn that I could only rally to get dressed if it involved the kids because I did not want them to know how low Mom was. My husband did everything. I was miserable and knew I was missing my life. My pharmacist was the one who suggested that my problem was over medication.

Finding this blog gave me the courage to low my dosage.

Ask questions, so we know how better to help you.

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thanks angel. All day i have read these and it helps me keep my mind off all w/d . I to have lost most of my friends because of this but this helps keep things in order and me look forward. thank again.

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Angle, good for you! 33mcg's? is not an easy week? I find comming down 12mcgs is so much easier. I did it cold turkey thinking I was ready and I had a good week of aches and pains beyond words. I inverted on my newly purchased inversion table. I need to sell it, massages at my expense worked the best, I "humped" my yoga ball for several nights for relief then less than 2 weeks I only had my moderate pin pointed back pain. I caved and went back on a smaller dose just to maintain my pain level. now another MRI later I knew my fears were confirmed. I know this can go wrong too. I think I just answered your friends question too

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K bob,
Are you coming off the entire 150mcq all at once?? I have to say that it is horrible what pain does to a normal person. Right? If it weren't for excessive pain we never would need this junk. Then we wouldn't get hooked.

I hurt from my toes to my teeth...they are all throbbing. I'm up out of bed some more today. I still itch and have confused thinking. I can see that giving people drugs is a great form of torture. They loose their minds soon enough.

But my pharmacist is very proud of me and encourages me to just hang in there a few more days. The problems should diminish.

So I will tough it out one day at a time. Keep busy. This too shall pass....we all hope.

Hugs,
Your Angel

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God doesn't give us more than we can handle. I've said that many times during "small group". Nervous breakdowns don't count I guess. Lol. Yesterday was horrible aches and pains all day. Today it is mild and I feel my injury sites again
Take care and good luck
Shannon

Shannon

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