Fentanyl Patch Withdrawal Symptoms And Duration (Page 16)
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i have post surgical lower back pain. was in 50 mcg patch and had side effects and so decided to wean off. i finished with the 12 mcg patch a week ago and am still suffering from periodic nausea, irritability, daily joint and muscle pain, but the worst is the consistent restless legs. it is driving me crazy. my doctor says that is not withdrawal. is he right? i don't think so. if it is withdrawal, what can i do about it and how long will it last? i am going crazy.

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Restless legs where they go up and down g or no reason is definately a sign of severe fentynal withdrawl. I went through it. The I asked my pain management doctor for methadone. I took 5 pills a day each time I went down a level. It was a breeze no withdrawl symptoms. I had to wait 2 weeks total before going to the next lower amt. But I only took the methadone for five days each time. Another time I used ativan, 10 pills a day for five days. It worked OK but the methadone was great. Ask your dr for 25 pills for each level you have to go down. Good Luck.

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I'm 32 and have been on fentanyl patches for 5 yrs. for chronic pancreatitis. I was on 100 mcg/72 hrs. I am a married, stay at home mom of 2 boys. Recently my insurance provider dropped me (long story, but not my fault). I can not afford to buy my meds now. I currently cant even afford to pay for a office visit! I am now out of my meds and am going through hell!!! The withdrawls are too much for me! I tried going to the hospital for help, not for any pain meds, just help going through this. They would only tell me to get suboxone. Not so easy! Its extremely expensive! Not an option for me unfortunately. Ive tried clonidine and ativan but it doesn't help. I cant eat, sleep, get comfortable, stop moving and cramping..... I dont know what to do anymore! I feel currently like a horrible mom and wife because I cant move from my bed. I have zero energy. I dont think I can stand going through this anymore. I feel like the system wants me to fail and thats where I feel I'm heading. I hate what this is doing to me physically and emotionally.

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Re: Beverly. You do not say whether you have gone off the fentanyl patch and are having these symptoms from withdrawal, but I am assuming you are.

Amitriptyline is an antidepressant. Your doctor probably prescribed it because 1) depression is a common side effect of opiod withdrawal 2) antidepressants relieve pain in about 10% of chronic pain patients and 3) a side effect is drowsiness which may help you get to sleep (as will the pain relief it gives, if any). Like you, amitriptyline failed to help me sleep or relieve my chronic pain. The prescription sleep aid zolpiderm (Ambien) helped me sleep the first two weeks I went off the fentanyl patch. After that I use it occasionally as needed. I am still ripped out of sleep by pain each time I wake, but at least I sleep... the complete lack of which is extremely dangerous.

Re: restless leg syndrome during withdrawal. Valium (a skeletal muscle relaxant) dramatically reduced restless leg for me. I used it each night for the first two weeks of withdrawal, but haven't needed it since.

Re: withdrawal strategy. The only benefit I have as a decades-long chronic pain patient on opiod therapy is that I have been through withdrawal several times and know my major symptoms are 1) zero sleep and 2) restless legs... so I get Ambien and Valium to relieve them. Hot baths of at least one hour also help relieve restless leg and chills/hot flashes. There's nothing I can do to relieve the flu-like symptoms--I simply endure them. Like the flu, they tend to last about two weeks.

Depression has never been a withdrawal issue for me. If it is for you, get your doc to try different antidepressants until you find one that works best.

Best wishes on your knee replacement and a return to normal life.

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I've been on fentanyl over 3 years now due to a serve motorbike accident and wrecking my knee. On waiting list for full knee replacement. I'm on 50 mcg an hour and is having these symptoms. The night sweats, the restless legs, my whole body feels like a tightly coiled spring. The shakes and cramps. Headaches no energy. If I'd of known this I'd of never of started the bloody thing. Hot baths do ease the restless leg but for only a short period of time. The lack of sleep is doing my nut in. Doc prescribed me amitriptyline 10mg x2 daily. They not doing s*** in helping me sleep. Agree wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. I'm constantly having this craving feeling too and it's getting worse :-(. Thought drugs where to make us happy, not end up wanting to chop legs off and smack my head with a hammer to knock myself out.

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I am going through the EXACT same thing. Been weaned down from 75 to 50 and now on the 25 and my restless legs are driving me nuts! Can't sleep, can't get off my butt to do anything and am even suffering from depression. The pain is easier to deal with than the withdrawals, don't wish it on my worse enemy. HELP!!

I've decided to ask my doctor about Methadone, any suggestions with respect to the methadone use?

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What is the best way to taper off of Fentanyl patches? They work really well, but keep falling off of me. And they make me sweat and flush, terribly.

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Yes, restless legs, chills, hot flashes, yawning, vomitting, terrible anxiety, muscle pain, stomach cramps, headache are all part of withdrawl from fentanyl. Make sure someone knows whats going on, someone you can call for help and support and possibly a ride to ER if necessary. You need some Pediolyte to replace your electrolytes if you vomit alot. Low electrolytes can cause cardiac distress. This is very very serious stuff. You really need benzo's, another opiod in your system or suboxone to help you through this or you may end up putting patch back on if things get really bad. Lots of luck. Meg

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Re: wd from fentanyl... father desperate for normal life.... I'm so sorry to hear about your health issues on top of wd. I'm tapering down from 50mg to 25mg ((started last Tuesday... one heck of a nasty thanksgiving)) I was hoping because I've only been on them for 3 months that I wouldn't experience a lot.. wrong!! I also cold turkied myself off oxycodone 30mg (9/day at one time) and 3x15 mg/day when starting the patch. I am just sick of all the crap and feeling like a crack head. So it took a rough 2 wks til the wds were over and felt great at 3 wks. Then I went to a recovery/ out patient center the next week and started the taper down. I'm experiencing reAlly weird symptoms ((which compared to you I feel horrible even complaing)) I go in tomorrow for IV therapy to detox my body, I've heard great thingsso I remain hopeful :) my biggest complaint is the anxiety/nervousness/restless feeling. Did you have that?? How long did it take to taper off the first time?? Prayers to you and for an easy recovery.

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I know its been a few months since you put up this question, but I only found this site tonight while searching the net to be sure the way I was weaning myself off Fentanyl patches wasn't going to kill me, lol...

First, I hope and pray that you have either safely gotten off the drug, or if your still getting off it, that you are having an easier time now than when you posted your question.
Second, Yes both the nausea and the "Restless Legs" can and most likely are W/D symptoms. They will get easier and eventually go away, but that can take up to a few months. All I can say is that I wish you the best of luck and if theres anything I can help answer for you, I'll be happy to, b/c I'm going thru that again myself for the second time because of Cancer and other illness.

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Mirapex is the best for restless legs. I take .75 mg, but you can start much lower.

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Of course it can be from the withdrawal, your doctor might be surprised if he talked to some former addicts and learned the various things they suffered, when withdrawing from their drug of choice and you don't have to be abusing a medication for such things to happen.

Learn more Fentanyl details here.

Fentanyl is a very strong opiate, so it isn't unusual to experience odd withdrawal effects, even with a careful taper.

When I stopped Morphine and Oxycodone cold turkey, it took about a month for all of the withdrawal effects to finally wear off. However, the good news is that it did get a little better each day and there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You just have to stick it out and be a little stubborn.

I found that sleeping on the couch, or a recliner, where I could prop my arms and legs up in different positions really helped, as did taking some nice hot soaks in the tub.

How are you doing? Is it still driving you crazy?

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