Taper Down From 50mcg Fentanyl Patch To 25mcg Withdrawal Help (Page 4) (Top voted first)

So, I'm in a big big dilemma. For my own security and well being, I MUST come off my Fentanyl transdermal patch. I've Been using 50mcg/72 hours for about 6 mths straight. I have 3 of the 50mcg patches left and 4 of the 25mcg to help me taper off. I will no longer be using them anymore, just Norcos or oxymorphone IR. I'm absolutely terrified of withdrawals. My doc who put me on them has No idea what it's like to come off like this. Can someone please tell me if and how bad the withdrawals from going down that much will affect me? I can not take any benzos (Ativan, xanax, etc). I have come off the oxymorph about 75% in the last 2 mths. I'm literally freaking out. Again, I'm terrified but HAVE to do this for at least another 7 months. Any help would be appreciated. Or experience/reassurance. Thanks again. BTW- I'll add, all of my RX are legal and prescribed by the same doc and NOT misused.

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Thank you, Strider! Much of what you've shared I can completely relate. I left the patches behind, but now I'm on ms contin. I'm sick of the fuzzy brain/unable to clearly concentrate, until I've taken the meds and they work-then the world has no worries. I'm afraid of that feeling the most. I've started to lessen my dosage, from 90mg to 60, twice daily. Plus 4-10/325 norco's. I'm down to only 2 of those a day. Started last week. I'll give it another week before I drop another 30mg from the ms contin. I know you said you'd rather quit cold turkey, but my heart might not handle it. I have a good friend who also says that's the way to go. Tried it once by choice and it was horrible. Not to mention the times when the patch only worked for one day, or not at all. Like Father's Day 2012-oh, what joy that was...Thank you so much for sharing! Like I said before, it's good and comforting to know I'm not alone out here.

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In the same mess but I have been on the 50patch for 5years and am terrified of withdrawl from them and I have been on 10mg of perocet for the same time I am so scared and my pain is due to lung,breast and twi failed back surgeries the ptc I go to I think they have me not the person they are talking about they said they found methodone and narco and I have never taken that from them it has been the patch and perocet and do not know what to do have had two UA's the last of march for pcp and she found blood and sludge in my ueine and she knows what I take from the ptc cause she was the one who referred me to it and I always make sure they send anything they find and vice versa. But today on the 4th of April I take two UA's and the pa said I had methodone and narco which I do not kn oi w what narco is but have read and heard about methodone but have never taken it.I think she got me mixed up wirh someone else cause I have never seen her and she sais I have but the 4th of April is the first I ever met her cause I ask for names of who I see so I know their names.I am terrified of going through withdrawl and having the pain from all the surgeries I have been through,but I really am in shock cause she brought presricptions in the room and laid them down and then looked down and said oh these are not for you then left the roon.I do not know who to get in touch with to appeal this cause they know they have the power over you and they can call patients a liar and we can not do anything about it and that is sad cause some of us patients go bu the agreement we sign and go by our word because we were taught not to lie and it hurts when some one calls you that and you have no recourse but to take the slap in the face and I am still in shock about yesterday please if you know how to appeal this or know what to do let me know.I do not want to get sick and hurt also.Please read this and if there is a doctor or patient to help me let me know.I think it also has something to do with the insurance Wellcare cause I got a call from where I get my oxygen and they said I was inactive in Wellcare so I had to call and ask worried to death I was not goung to be able to get my oxygen and Wellcare said yes I was active so the lady called the oxygen company while I was on the phone with her and she had to tell them I was active.Please Please Helo me anyone.Thank You in advance if you can tell me what to do.

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Stryder, please be still out there and talk to me. I'm trying to reduce my fentanyl patch. Have been on it this go-round about three years. The 1st time two years, but never went above 25 MG's. Moved, had no way to get them, quit. Had some dry heaves, elevated pain for awhile, but I was OK.
Two years later had to start them back. Went from 25 to 50 to 75. 75 only for a few months then lost Dr. Found new Dr, said plz put me back down to 50. He did. No problem. I hadn't made the connection until several days ago, but first two months on 75's panic attacks hit me. So severely I lost 140 in nine months, went completely freaking nuts. Couldn't drive or barely leave the house.
Had to move closer to my grown sons. Wreaked havoc on my world!
In this new citry had NO trouble finding pain meds. Self inject demerol-heres a script. 800 mg Fentanyl mouth spray-here, have 90 of the strongest dose to start with. Want some 100 MCG patches? Methadone long-term. Suboxone long term? 240 vikes a month? Here you go.
But, say no? I want off? Ah.....let's punish her.
I have all these meds listed above. Boxed away for the apocalypse O:-) .
Now I have a Dr weaning me. Have gone from 75's to 25's in a month. During this time I've discovered this has been the source of the horrid, horrid panic attacks all along. Panic attacks I can't endure. Not a second of them. I, too, have bottles and bottles of gabapentin. 100 MCG and 300 MCG because I'm a weenie, really, about meds. If they make me feel altered/drunk/high I don't like them.
My new Dr is giving me hydrocodone to help me wean off the patch. Had to see a psychiatrist about the panic attacks to get xanax. Even on the xanax I requested .25 because again, I'm a weenie. When my patch starts wearing off, massive panic attack hits. Only one son can get me grounded and calm. Everyone else freaks at my freak and makes things worse.
I want out of this Fentanyl fortress! Fast as possible! Please tell me how to include the gabapentin as part of my arsenal! Truly the panic attacks are bad enough to get me a rubber room. I need them out of my life. Thank you and anyone else with some help.

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Well, I went from the patch-a year and a half worth (75's down to 50's), to MS Contin (did have Methadone, Oxycontin but side effects were horrible) 90mg x2 daily. Titrated down to 60mg x2 daily (for 2 weeks), then to 30mg x2 daily (2 weeks). Then 30 once a day for 2 weeks. I still have maybe 7 or 8 of those left. Haven't had one in two months now. From that I went to 4 Norco 10/325's/daily. Did that for one month, the three for 2 weeks. Now I'm at 2 per day. I've tried one, but I need to go to 1.5 then 1. Still haven't had the back surgeries-probably won't. Pain is still there-but I've babied it since making this attempt to rid myself of these horrifying drugs-all legally perscribed. I'd rather deal with the pain on my own terms, than to mask it, and reality. Not to mention the bad effects on my other bodily systems. Best thing I've noticed is the fog seems to be lifting...imagine my surprise when I found out we elected a damn Communist!

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They say if you can get a script of flonase (a sinus med) and spray on your skin and let dry, then apply patch. I am on fen. patches almost 8 years and this helped some in winter months, but high humidity and warm months not so much. I use lrg bandwidth brand waterproof bandaids, 2 to cover all of patch with some left over the sides to adhere to my arms, only use my upper arms and switch sides and areas on my arms every other day and it seems to work most of the time. Just don't get area wet until bandaids has been on 12 hours or so. Hope that helps.

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TEGADERM IS THE BEST AND ONLY TAPE THAT EVEN WORKS...AND IT WORKS WELL. NEVER HAD A PROBLEM.

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Wow-you went/are going through the wringer, Georgie! I found I was sleeping in the same position too-for several months. Very stiff on the bad back. Sounds like we both tried the same fixes for some of our problems. Since I've left the patch, I've regained 30 lbs. Not good, but now I have a chance to loose them in a more health manner. Almost back down to 'singing' weight, but the insides were messed up bad. Had a bunch of people telling me how good I looked-never judge a book, huh! No doubt. Stick with it, Georgie! I'm praying for you.

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Ummm...yeah. I was a wanna-be singer back in the day-in my own mind, I guess. During that time I was rather trim and fit. Unlike the 'Fentanyl weight loss program', where if you looked close enough, death warmed over did sum it up. I had days where I just couldn't think straight. Walking/balance was ok, but thinking-oi vay. I'm having some residual effect on my short-term memory. I'll completely forget a conversation I had 30 minutes before. But a few days later I'd remember it. Or, senility is creeping in early.

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I am coming off fentanyl patches and have reduced very slowly from 100microgram/hr patch. I am now on 62mcg and should be free in 6 months time God willing. Although the manufactures say not to cut the patches I know of others who have and I have had no problems. I had to be very careful with my calculations and used to reduce by 1mm every 4 days. A very long a patience testing process but I am getting there. It is probably one of the hardest drugs to come off. I have not worked out how to do the drop from 12.5 mcg. I guess the same way?

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Were you on the fentanyl patch while you were pregnant? I've been looking to find anyone who became pregnant while on the patch. Did you or your child have any adverse effects?Any information would be greatly appreciated. -Lee

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I just found out that I am pregnant. I have been on 100 mcg Fentanyl patches every 48hours for 2 years due to back surgery. I wanted to come off them before, but now I must for my baby. Too bad I can no longer just go into a rapid detox center and sleep through the w/d's. The doctor has me dropping 25mcg per week. Friday I took off my 100 patch and waited untill my body started to ache, then I put on a 50 +25. I was nauseous and ached but its doable alternating clonadine and .O25 xanex when unbarable. Sweating, nausea, headache, muscle ache but not as bad as missing a dose.

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I put them on my hips and put 3M Tegaderm Transparent Dressing on top otherwise they just fall off. You can order the covers on amazon, or you can tape the edges with waterproof tape.

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just an update on my previous post. After getting down to 50mcg patch I swapped to 2 x 100mg morphine /day. I have reduced to 2 x &0 mg / day. I am having real trouble coping. Very depressed and weak and getting worse. I hope this will pass. The pain gets intolerable every second day and I feel that I can't go on like this. I hope it will pass soon.

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i would try sfakering days put on 50 tben add 25 on last day of 50 to help with potency drop. just a thougb ask da doc.....i am on 75mcg x 72hr wish that could do 50 & 25 stagger cause 48-72 are painful time & wont s ript it @ 48hrs

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The only way I have found us to stick over the patches with sticking plaster.
If you know if a better way please advise

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I was on that patch at 125. I went to the 75 then 50 then 25 and really had very minor if any problems. I hope this makes you feel better. I hate this drug and will never take it again!!

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Bill, I'd use surgical tape, cut long ways and place on just the edges (about 1/4 inch onto patch, 1/2 inch or more onto skin-depends on the size tape you use) of the patch so the tape didn't cover alot of the med part, thereby insulating/keeping more body heat (even a little bit). During summer I wore them on my upper arm, winter was on my upper stomach. Hot/cold weather made a difference to me. It was rough taking showers-first couple times...WOW! Not good-dumped alot of the meds into my system. I can see if you're in a nursing home, not active at all where these might be good, but they never were consistant what so ever, for me.

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I cover my patches with a sticky plaster called Fixamul (available in Australia). I write the day and time as well as the med name and strength. I used to wear the patches on my arm but got sick of people asking if I was wearing a patch to give up smoking so I changed to wearing them on the top of my thigh - above my shorts line. I change sides with each new patch.

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I move my 75 mcg patch. I had the best luck on my back top area of shoulder or front of shoulder. Rumer has it the closer to heart it is the better the meds work... i got like 5 boxes of the generic tagaderm style stuff @ a liquidator for like $15 for a box off 100. Oriental writing on boxes, some are just like the tagaderm but some are just 4x6 squares with backing on both sides. They work till i get extra big time sweeaty. I found ablegate to stick the best. Watsons did stick well but hard to find since sold out to the brazilian company. Be well. All is easier with a good positive attifude

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Hi KaySS, I have been on Fentanyl for 8 years, and got up to 100mcg/72hrs, but only were lasting 36 hours. That;s how bad my body was immune, and the pain was bad starting at 30 hours with a new patch. I just had the pain pump installed, and had to come off the patch and 6 percocets a day for the pump trial. It was not fun, but the Dr tapered me off slowly over 3 weeks to zero. I would highly recommend that you ask you Dr to give you a 12 mcg/hr patch to also put on with the 25s, so it is not such a drop. Then 6 days later go to 25 only, then 6 days later go to 12 only, and maybe then start on your new med approach. This made a big difference to have the 37 to the 25s. Hope this helps.

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