Fentanyl Withdrawal Symptoms (Page 83)
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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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32

Hey Happygirl,
I have severe Rheumatoid and neuropathy--so far pain is OK. I just lost a lot of weight so this is optimal time to try to get off patch. I'm well stocked with lortabs, lyrica and muscle relaxers if pain increases. So far motrin is handling the pain that I can't tolerate--am use to dealing with pain unfortunately. My biggest problem is extreme fatique--exhausted all the time. I've folded mylan patch when at 37 mcg with no problem. However suggestion I read and am going to try is taping over half of patch to make 6 mcg. I use a wound covering thing to keep patch on so pressure on fold not extreme. I so want off these patches so am trying to think positively, but everytime something hurts or I get so tired, I get worried that it may not be possible. My pain levels have never been well contolled, but I also don't want to go back to where I was before the patch either. It's nice to have a buddy through this.

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31

I hadn't thought of the folding idea...wonder if it could puncture? My pain doc says I should just stop all together after the 12mcg every 3 days for a couple weeks. I have had no headaches. I am taking 600mg ibuprophin every 6-8 hours though. I have anxiety about what it will be like to be naked of drugs...It has been 4 years.
Hang in there, Jemmy. It's going to be worth it. What is your pain situation? Under control?

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30

Hey happygirl, I am at same stage as you in weaning off patch which I have been on for 8 yrs. I plan to do round of 6 mcg by taping or folding patch. Maybe that will help you too. Has anyone else had pressure headaches--feels like it is going to burst.

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29

I am feeling so much better today. I'm still on 12mcg patch every 3 days, but plan to keep my next one on for 4-5 days and then stop all together. My goal is to have the whole business done in 2 months( by Aug 5th). I'm right on track. Still restless at night and not sleeping too soundly. I think I should start my exercise routine again. I have felt so down I basically quit in June.
Thanks for comments, everyone. Please share more, you who have written in recently: Silverfox,Mauigirl, Beingblessed, Mary.
I look forward to seeing how everyone is doing and what is working.

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28

Hang in there HappyGirl. I'm routing for you.

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27

I'm still hanging in there! My doc agreed to give me a supply of 12mcg fentanyl patches. I titrated down again, this time from 25mcg to 12 mcg and am having similar withdrawal symptoms as before: sweats, chills,aches,twitching legs, restlessness, sleeplessness. It's so awfull I want to hurry it up. It's been 8 days of basically 3 days each patch then change it and I'm going to wear one for 4 days then take it off completely. If it gets too bad, I'll put a new one on for a few hours, take it off, and so on for a day or 2, then try to stop completely. Don't give up! these powerful drugs are not worth loosing your life over! Let's get through this together!

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26

Hey friends, I discovered that the majority of my protracted( after one month) symptoms were from the benzos given along with the opiates for muscle spazms l, toleance induced anxiety and insomnia.guess what? Now I have a hyper sensitive nervous system and a rebound. Plus no pain relief. Do not
let your doc perscribe anti depressants, benzos or the z sleep aids if you want a smooth recovery!

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25

I just read a few comments and I guess there is no way to not have the withdrawals, I was asking if maybe there is something natural to help? Today I went swimming and forgot about my patch, It was the last 50mg I have a perscription for 25mg patches but I'm going to try to tough it out. I have been on fentenyl for 4yrs started out on the 50mg went to 100mg I have slowly been trying to wheen myself off. I'm starting to feel very tired my abdomen is aching, this make it hard to function on a daily basis. I hope the symptons don't get much worse.

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24

Wow! I'm impressed with the degree of dosage decrease in the amount of time mentioned. I have been on 1/2 of my prescribed dose of 50mcg per hr.fentanyl patch (25mcg) for about a month. I will start the 12mcg this week. My doc is pleased that I'm getting off the dope. Ibuprophin 600 mg 3 x day is working pretty well to ease the pain from back issues. I'm hoping I will avoid the symptoms of withdrawal I've been reading about. I did have quite a bit of them when I cut the dose in 1/2. It lasted about 2 weeks. Sweats, twitchy legs, sleeplessness, moodiness, feeling cold and clamy, depression. I hope the worst is over.

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23

Fentanyl Withdrawal Symptoms
I have been on fentanyal for 10 years, first dosage 25mg to 200mg. I'm being treated for Multiple Myeloma. I am now in remission for 3 years. for the last 18 months I have been on other meds with Fentanyl, clonazepam 1mg 2 a day, vicodin 2 tabs every 4-6 hours but I always took one never more than 3 to 4 tabs a day mostly 3 (Hydroco/apap 5-500mg, methodone 3-a day 10mg and carbamazepin chw 100mg which gave me problems and after 6 week I stop taking it. I take my meds less so that I can function,, but over the last 4 months I wanted to stop the fentanyl so I start reducing my dosage by the time limit I would keep my patches on 4 days so on Sundays I could go to church. Then I would put on one patch then 2 days later I would put on another until my body got use to just 100 mg. Of course I didn't tell my doctor what I was doing . I started withdraws after two week of the patch weening after a while I could not stand it so I put on the two 100mg patches, and told my doctor I wanted to be weened of and could I have 50mg patches with the 100mg. So I started it again using 150mg for about three weeks then to 100mg it was still to much to so but I was determine to reduce my dosage. I continued with my other meds exept the carbamazepin.
Now I am down to 50mg and I had a doctor appt. and she blew her top when she saw me. I had lost 35lbs. She put me on 75mg and I went home and put one on I was still going thur withdrawals and then I started vomiting and diarrhea and sweating, again. I put on the second patch after 3 days. I got worse after a day I took the patch off. I felt weak and my heart was pounding so hard. Then I prayed after all I am a Christian. I prayed to my Father God and Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to help me through this because this is his daughter and my soul belongs to Him. I put this issue in your hands. the heavy pounding stop and I was able to sleep for 9 hours.That was on 6/18/2009 and I have not put on another patch it has been about 17 days without a patch. I don't recommend this way but I found this to be my way because of my faith. Fentanyl will never enter this body again. I don't know what how my doctor is going to react to this because she called me to see how I was doing and I didn't tell her what I did, she gave me a phone number of the doctor that was covering for her while she is on vacation. I was 5 days off when she called. I am not completely out but I am eating up and doing chores. I am still going through sweats from time to time. I am 58 years old and they are not hot flash. I still praying.

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22

I've been using Fentanyl 75mcg for about 5 months. Started at 25mcg as I prepared for cervical discectomy w/ fusion in Sept last year.. then increased to 50mcg, and now at 75mcg. Also have 4 Norco per day prn, and 1 1/2 Soma per day prn for breakthrough pain and muscle spasms. I've had chronic neck and back pain due to DDD and the herniated disc in my neck, and a fall down a staircase in 2005 that injured my back. I'm 35, engaged, and really want to be pregnant in the next few years. I really hate the side effects of the meds, so my fiancee and I decided that I should be titrated off of the Fentanyl as soon as I could tolerate it.

I first tried going from the 75mcg to 50mcg last week, two days before taking a trip to LA. Ok - that was stupid. It didn't go well at all, and I ended up missing a day of work because I was in so much pain after returning home from the trip. I put a second patch on for a brief time, and am now starting over. Last night, I applied a new 50mcg patch. It's been about 17 hours since then - the time that I have read that it takes to really begin feeling the withdrawal. So far I feel like I have a bad flu - achey, muscle fatigue, a little spacey and cloudy-headed. I'm going to treat this as I would a flu.. take it easy, get rest, eat well (no processed crap), drink tea - and hope for the best. I'll keep you all posted on my progress.

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21

I've been treated for cronic back pain for almost 4 yrs. started on Vicodin, went to Oxyconton,and Morphine. I have become tolorant of all these and now am on the fentynal patch. Was using 25mcg every 3 days for a couple weeks, now on 50mcg every 3 days for 2 weeks, but I am so sick and tired of feeling drugged, I decided the pain may be better. I put on one 25 mcg patch this morning and will see how it goes. I want to ween myself off. My doc is having the pain management dept call me soon for an appt. I basically told him I was done with the drugs.
Thanks for all the posts and advise. I think the 2 week at a time decrease is going to be the best advise. I was planning on stopping all together after a week!! I don't want to suffer too much withdrawals.

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20

I don't know what the big deal is. I just went from a 50mcg/hr patch to nothing with no noticable withdrawal symptoms after 96 hours. Am I really as atypical as these posts make it sound? I was really scared of getting the kind of symptoms I keep reading about, but other than the return of my pain, there's been nothing more than some mild anxiety, which I atribute to worrying so much about withdrawal... BTW, I ran out because a batch of my meds were stolen while on a trip. If you are traveling, keep your stuff locked up!

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19

Wow like looking in a mirror, i just went through the same thing, i was on the patch for 5 yrs do to M.S. i tried getting my doctor to take me off it 2 yrs ago, he refused i also went from 75 down to 25 i couldn't sleep while on the 75's the smell of the morphine would come out of my pores, it sucked big time, i'm curious to why you were on it, that may explain the jumping movement M.S. is known for spastisaty would love to chat.

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18

Im scared I was taking 50 mgs of fentanyl and percocet. Workers comp. stopped my doctors visits and my perscribtions.without giving me any warning. im also staying in a shelter i have no insurance and i dont want to go through all this with people i dont really know. but i have no one to help me,and the pain in my back is aweful and i need some pain relief. Man this sucks

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17

OFF ALL OPIATES!!!! for one month, through detox center, Does anyone know how long I will be vibrating - cold,shaky hands, insomnia still worse symptoms

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16

Man - I am totally freaked out after reading some of the people's horror stories. I am on 10/325 Hydro's and 50mcg Fentanyl every 48 hours. My insurance company cut off my prescription coverage out the blue, so here I am reading to see how I can get through the lack of medication without killing myself. I have about a month worth of Fentanyl left to ween myself off. Doesn't sound like that is enough time.

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15

Those are all signs of withdrawl. I was involved in a car accident and went from the 75mg to the 50mg each having 5 patches, then i went to the 25mg and only used one patch, I am now going through withdrawl, but I need to get off of this drug. I can take the withdrawl as it has been 2 days and I am strong willed. I would just like to know, are there any quicker ways to flush this out of your body, ie; drinking alot, eating a lot of food, sweating, exercising, and also, I am looking for some sort of timeline as to how long this withdrawl is going to last. thanks.

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14

After the patch is removed, it takes 17 hours or more for a 50 percent decrease in serum fentanyl concentrations. If you are planning to discontinue use of Duragesic, a gradual dosage decrease is recommended since it is not known what dose level the drug may be discontinued without producing the signs and symptoms of abrupt fentanyl withdrawal.

Do not stop taking Duragesic without first checking with your doctor. Regular use will produce physical dependency in a few weeks which can lead to severe withdrawal if use is suddenly stopped. This can generally be avoided by reducing the dose gradually over a period of time before stopping treatment completely.

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13

this is my 8 month of recovery. All my medication I took was by prescription by my doctor and I took it as prescribed, for chronic pain. But anyone will develope a tolerance/ addiction believe me. I was on vicodin 12 a day, 5mg/325 for eight years,Fentanyl 75mg pathch every 72 hours, Xanax 0.5 3x day ambien 10mg if anyone is trying to get off these medication you need to be an advocate for medical detox don't do it on your own push for 10 days plus when you leave you must go to a supportive environment my detox took about 40 days and it was hell be careful, do not be alone ask for help. It will not work by yourself I thought I could do it also. I share my story because I felt so alone. I did research on my own after 8 years of going to the doctor and finally being told I have nerve damage. I am know on neurontin 400mg 3x aday the quality of my life has improved so much please be an advocate and research yourself, anyone else on neurontin and how is it working for you.

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