Fentanyl Patch Withdrawal Symptoms And Duration (Page 2) (Top voted first)

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.

REPLY

REPORT

I absolutely feel restless leg syndrome (RLS) symptoms are from Fentanyl withdrawal!

I was on 50mcg for over ten years when my doctor told me he would no longer make med check appts for Fentanyl with me. • I had 30 days to locate, get a 1st appt, & establish a relationship with a new pain mgmt doctor.

I could not get a new doctor (had to move to another state) in time and I ran out of patches sending me into Fentanyl withdrawal ••without any medical supervision within hours.

I experienced physical shock of freezing, heavily uncontrolled full body shaking with violent teeth clattering the first 24 hours. As the shock wore off, the RLS symptoms began and almost drove me mad.

I made it throughout by taking my neurontin and percocet scripts at maximum strength around the clock. This seemed to help me with the pain and burning neuropathy I suffer from. But, the only thing that helped with the horrible torturing tickling/buzzing pain like hitting your funny bone hard was to keep my legs in movement constantly.

I literally walked/marched in place for hours at a time until I had to lay down but only so if I could swing my legs back and forth until the RLS got so bad again I would have to get back up and do the march walking again.

This went on for a week but then slowly day by day the RLS started to lighten up some.

I went back on Fentanyl for almost another year and the RLS stopped. I recently went into a coma for a week during which time the hospital did not give me Fentanyl. Since I was fortunate enough to be in a coma during the Fentanyl withdrawal period, I elected not to go back on any •••Fentanyl type medicine when I came too.

Its been almost a month off patches and still taking a small amount of percocet daily but don't seem to have any RLS symptoms unless I lay down in a certain position. Then it feels like light RLS so I just change position.

I do keep experiencing intermiten chill flashes which make me shake but not sure if connected.

• It is almost completely impossible to to get a Fentanyl prescription with a brand new doctor without your previous doctor providing you with a "Pain Treatment History Referral Letter" which my former doctor failed to do.

•• Fentanyl withdrawal should absolutely be medically supervised preferably in a hospital.

••• You are dependent on withdrawal or Fentanyl replacement meds just a much I feel as being stuck on Fentanyl patches so keep or change doctors that listen to you to avoid falling thru the constant overly prescrbbed med trap with their inevitable side effects, which so often than not, leads to needing additional unnecessary medication just to control any side effects you now may have not from the first drug. Which in the long run is not needed after ailment heals BUT you can't tell because now your in the vicious prescription drug dependency cycle!

Good luck!!!

REPLY

Was this helpful? 2

I am happy to report that fentanyl seems to be gone from my system. I have to withdraw from low dosage of hydromorphone soon and with low impact exercise from walking and water rehabilitation classes that are superb for pain, I will be almost drug free. I take one/100mg Lyrica twice a day and have tried to reduce that before but too much nerve pain forced me back. I will try again though as with the warm sunshine, my body aches don't feel so bad! It is Easter...a time for new beginnings. For those just starting to withdraw be encouraged that you WILL feel better off it. Get help to withdraw so depression doesn't make pain and agitation aggravate your situation. Reading all these mags does make you fearful of trying so take what info you can but don't allow yourself to absorb everyones' fear. Feel free to msg me if you need help. It has taken me over one year to withdraw slowly as I was on fentanyl for almost twenty years. If I did it, so can you. Love yourself, love life...sit in the sun and find peace.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 2

It does feel horrible going through withdrawal. Once I weaned my self off it seemed like pure hell. My body jerking. I could not get comfortable it was the worse time in my life. I did decide to just get off of all the meds. I know how scary it can be and if you decide to wean once and for all, I found myself in a much clearer frame of mind.. Just be strong. I would rather deal with my pain in a total different way. Walking. Exercising. Gym. Swimming has really help me. I will never ever go back to the patches.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 2

After using fentanyl patches for 12 years I reduced from over 100 mcg over 18 months by slowly cutting 1 to 2mm strips off the patches until I got down to 50 mcg. I then switched to 180mg Kapanol last week. Still hard to cope with pain,anxiety and depression.
Fentanyl is very effective for the pain but not worth the crazy side effects and enslavement. I am going to try and reduce the Kapanol now but everything depends on the pain severity and I have tried everything for that

REPLY

Was this helpful? 2

Your story sounds like mine! You describe the withdrawals so well. Sounds exactly like mine. I have to had the summer and heat wear the patch off early. Then pharmacy not help. Then be out the next day! Horrible experience. Wish you all the best. I feel so dependent on these drugs and hate that I am but hate the pain. Its hell either way.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 2

My husband has cancer that was eating away at his spinal column. The only thing that stopped his pain was a 100 mcg fentanyl patch. After a month he went crazy - yelling, screaming, throwing things, etc. His behavior frightened me. We live in a medical marijuana state and had grown marijuana that had both CBD and THC. I suggested he try some of the High CBD hash we had made. Wow! In less than five minutes he was calm and smiling. THE ANGER AND RAGE WAS GONE!!! Gone. My suggestion to all, get some marijuana with equal amounts of CBD and THC. If that is not available, some marijuana with 12% or less THC. Make sure it is an Indica variety, as Sativa can be too psychedelic and can cause paranoia. He is still in withdrawal. He could not do this without medical marijuana.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 2

Tapering was the most difficult way for me, itwas like drawing out the agony for weeks. I don't need to tell any of you how miserable fentanyl withdrawal is, this drug is much more powerful than other opiates and your body responds as such when you take it away. Even when used as directed, never abused, my body launched into a full scale revolt when I decided to take the fentanyl out of the equation. Tapering was hell, failed, cold turkey....o.m.g., failed, but then I got some advice from........well, addicts. I did exactly as they told me, and it made coming off the fentanyl essentially painless. Now months without the patches I feel pretty good, my chronic pain really doesn't seem any worse than it felt whilst wearing the damn patch but I don't have the incessant sweating and out of control body temperature anymore like I used to get on the second day of wearing those patches. It's very apparent to me now that I was always in the beginnings of WD on the second day wearing the patch, it always subsided after putting a new patch on. I definitely recommend getting help from a good Dr., starting with subutex for 2 days then switching to suboxone for the next couple weeks. Tapering down relatively quickly is key, a huge fail in suboxone therapy is using too high of dosages for too long a time, leading to suboxone dependence. Strength to you all.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 2

My Story:
About a year and a half ago my Dr. quit! I had been on the 75 mcg patches for 8 years. For pain that didn't require that drug IMO.. No Dr. at my (lifetime) clinic would write the prescription for more.
PANIC TIME:
I was basically a shut in from this evil drug!
I ended up at the Pain Clinic that had actually started me on them before my former MD took over writing the scripts.
Long story shorter.. They were awesome at the Pain Clinic.
They dropped me from 75's to 62.5 mcgs for 2 months, 50 mcgs for 2 months, 36.5 mcgs 2 months, 25 mcgs 2 months. Here they added 1200 gabapentin a day and wow did that help! Now it was 12 mcgs 2 months (this was my most difficult drop) I refused any WD medication though..
Next step was supposed to be Zero plus Hydrocodone. I knew it would be bad so i cut them down and did the last stages my way as many people have!
I'm done with Fentanyl I take half a 325/5 Hydrocodone on occasion for pain never daily! I do believe the Gabapentin is what made this all possible!
I'm at 1600 mgs gabapentin 500 mg Magnum and 1/2 a xanax 4 times a day.
I did a lot of telling myself (Mind over Matter) for some reason it helped!
If i can do it.. ANYONE can! I was 60 when I started this and feel better at 61 then i did at 50!
Good luck to anyone who has just started this scary journey.. Hang in there.. This drug is bad and everyone will have to come off it soon!
You all can do it.. It wasn't as horrible as i thought.
Just do it your way!

REPLY

Was this helpful? 2

Sorry to hear you're still having problems withdrawing, but your doctor, while probably a pretty good doc, is close to being an idiot about Fent withdrawal. RLS is a potential side effect of withdrawal from any drug. Keep in mind that ANY narcotic can have all sorts of side effects. I was on Dilantin to prevent grand mal seizures following a stroke. I tried to get my doctor to change my Rx to something else, but he insisted that I remain on it. As a result, I now have permanent damage to my nervous system. I have spasmodic dysphonia which messes up my ability to speak and I have difficulties controlling various muscle groups in my body. The idiot neurologist had never bothered to turn the page on Dilantin. I was so angered that he did not understand that I was getting neuropathy from the darned drug that I TORE the page out of his PDR and showed him all of the negative things that were happening to me. Take a look and see what the warnings about the drug are. Because walking is IMPOSSIBLE without my patches, I will be continuing on them.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

I don't think it's true about a prescription for Fentanyl only being good for 72 hours. The doctor wrote me a prescription the first time for 2 weeks worth (5 patches). He wanted me to come in for a consultation with the nurse practitioner to see how it was working out. After that appointment she wrote me two prescriptions, one for the next 2 weeks and one for a month and I will have an appointment with my doctor towards the end of this month for another prescription and to have him check in with me. So anyway I was allowed to hang on to that prescription for 2 weeks and turn it in and get 10 patches for the next month.

I wrote in before saying in the past 6 to 7 months I have gone from 8 to 9 30 mg oxycodone pills a day to a 50 mg Fentanyl patch only. I am worried from things I am reading that these patches will be harder to withdraw from than if I had continued with the withdrawal going down slowly strictly with pills. What is the easiest route. What do others think is the best form of opiates to use for withdrawing with the least suffering. I can't hardly believe it when I read that someone on here says he just stops taking his pain meds for 2 weeks to lower his tolerance. I have not tried recently, but in going down from the huge amounts I was taking, that would not be worth it at all for me. When I ran out early the restless legs and other withdrawal symptoms were horrible. I hope it will be easier withdrawing from a lower dosage.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

I just got off 50mg. Doc gave me perks and said take one every 4 hrs. The sweating and anxiety, restless leg AND BODY! My whole body jerks around bad! DRIVING ME CRAZY. Been up for two days. Getting nothing done because I'm so tired. No energy at all. Praying this restless BODY stuff will stop soon. I think that is my worse as far as the withdrawals. If I try to get sleep, there goes my body jerking all over and sweating. I don't know why doc didn't give me something to KNOCK ME OUT COLD at night. DONT USE THE PATCH! They are bad. Falls off, itches so bad...leaves little welts looking like square marks all over my body. Hope not going to stay like that all over me; patch marks on my body I mean. JUST WANTED IT OFF. Didn't help much with my pain. I was still a level 6/7 pain always AND WAS NOT GOING UP OVER 50 This patch messes with your emotions bad. My husband also on 75mg and other things. Have a feeling these patches cost us our marriage. We are no longer together. Only been a wk we left one another. Got abusive and not going to try to repair this marriage. Too much bad that can't be washed away now. Just I really think these patches changed us some how and they are just bad. NO PATCHES FOR ME EVER AGAIN. I CANT WAIT TILL THIS POISIN IS OUT OF ME. so sick of always wanting to sleep very
Deep DEPRESSION.... not eating... Heart pounding out of my chest at times.. There are other things we can take or do to help this pain. Good luck to you all with and don't give up. I want the real me back. My children need me. I'm a zombie with raccoon eyes..I CANT STAY STILL AND IM GOING NUTS. THEY ARE BAD. Going nuts for sleep. Wish could handle cleaning or something SEEN IM UP but can't....zombie right now.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 2

Yes, my doc gives me 15 a mth and so low. Not working at all for the body restless twitches. Going nuts and 3 days now with no sleep. I need to sleep. No energy..... Cause no sleep and not eating right cause too tired to cook. How much longer? Am I almost there? Only been 4 days off. I will never put a patch on my body ever again. I had no clue and just wanted the pain to go away. Needed too many surgeries and couldnt do them all at once. Pain level much better I WANT THIS CRAP OUT OF MY BODY and need this restless leg and BODY JERKING STUFF TO GO AWAY. I need sleep.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Nutty: My question to you is if Suboxone is a good way to withdraw then why are you still taking it for a year and a half. I went from 240 - 270 mg of oxycodone per day to the 90-120 mg per day in 2 months. I have heard that it gets harder when you go to the much smaller amounts. I am scared to switch to Suboxone because I have heard it can cause you to feel withdrawal symptoms to do that too. The doctor at the Pain clinic switched me to time release Morphine 3 per day and then to the Fentanyl 50 because I was running out early. I will say that Fentanyl has stopped that problem, but at some point they want me off them and I agree, as I think if I could get rid of the physical and mental addition and just take something on occasion as needed I would be better off. For my back pain I feel it's true that you just get used to the drugs and then they only help so much and then make you have more pain due to the way they work on the brain.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Your doctor is wrong. Ask an AODA therapist. What you have desribed is typical withdrawl and it is terrible. Benzos about 8 mg will help. Also 30 to 40 mg a day methodone.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Denise, I take suboxone because the desire I have for pain meds in general. Suboxone, does not mess with your liver, it can make for a new way of life and I am not in the bed all the time like the patches and oxys put me in. I now get up and move, go to church, and have a life. It may not be for you, but it is for me. Just like patches is for Bev. I was just telling her to be respectful of this site. It is for those who don't want to be on the patches any longer and she can't or don;t want to live without them. Then she wanted to tell someone that you could not hold a script past 3 days. That in my state is up to the sole discretion of the pharmacy. Sorry I was just telling that to have a easy withdrawal off the patches Suboxone was the way "I" went, no one else. but me....

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Danise. Sorry, I had to go read your post one more time. I was in a big hurry when I thought it was you getting on to me for the way I answered Bev. The Suboxone, was the best thing I have ever took to come off of the patches, or oxy's either one. I used Subs for both. First it was the patches, then when I come off the patches I had a setback on the oxys. I should have never agreed to try the oxys. My mistake and doctors mistake. I went back on the Subs. I get 90 a month but only take about half that much. I don't need the rest but in my addictive mind, think I need to keep the other in case of things that have not come along my path. Don't get me wrong. I just hate to tell the doctor I don't need them then mess up down the path and not have something that will ease me out of it. I have not had anything tempt me in the 1 1/2 year. But it could come along at any time. That is what I call addiction. The subs just don't work like other opiates.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Thought I'd share: this is posted elsewhere in these forums...
Yes you can cut the Mylan brand patches into smaller pieces. I know as I have just successfully weaned myself off of Fentanyl by doing just that. 100 to 75 to 50 to 25 then finally to 12.5.....then I just left the very last 12.5 on and never put another on after it petered out! I am already feeling so much better! I huge chunk of the fog and gloom has lifted! My fifth day since the patch died and things already look and feel better. I'm in pain once but at least I FEEL again. I still take Dilaudid 4mg 4 or 5 times a day but that's an improvement over the Fentanyl. I feel like I got my life back...never again shall a patch be attached to this 52 year old guys back. Hope this help just even one person to quit. Reading all the many related anti-Fentanyl post right here in this Fent-Forum is what got me thinking....then reading...and then weaning and now clean of Fentanyl. I do not even crave it at all. I thank the people of this forum and give credit to the many who barred all so as to help others. Thank you people so much for your honesty. Reading your stories got my brain in gear knowing others have had success. Tom in Idaho.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Regarding this post:

"Just to share. Before I went on the patch I spent most of my time in bed. I took me 5 times as long to do the simplest task. I had restless legs, debilitating migrains that needed hospitalizations and terrible sleeplessness all along with fibromyalgia. I was not living. I was put on the patch and got most of my life back. I still had some pain but nothing like it had been. It did cause some side affects but they could be treated and so I stayed for many years. I started having physical issues that I put down to getting old but after some testing it was decided that the causes were the patches. So now I have liver issues and my memory is effected. The various doctors all said I needed to get off the patch and at the very least reduce the strength. So know what. I have reduced from 75mg to 50 mg and within a week I felt like a heavy fog had been lifted. It was amazing and I don't use though words lightly. BUT I have more "bad days". I have already found some things I can no longer do with any comfort. Time is coming to make the next decrease, what do I do? I can be in little pain but loss my memory and what ever else comes along due to the drugs OR I can be in lots and lots of pain, prevent other things from going wrong and remember every bit of it. JUST ME THOUGHTS" .

I think a good argument can be made that if your quality goes DOWN after you reduce your Fentanyl dosage maybe it's better to be on your comfort level and getting to and staying at a good functioning status quo. Though I did just come off fentanyl 100% for good very recently I hurt all over after a strenuous day as a stock clerk. I say my pain doc today and he was horrified that I took myself off of fent. I told him I have "more clarity of thought" now so he just wanted me to know if I ever wish to go back on a 25 mcg patch he will accommodate me. Thanks but no thanks. I did though ask for and received doubling of my Valium Rx from two 5mgs a day to two 10mgs per day to help with anxiety and general b****y-ness. A good pain Dr is hard to find. I feel lucky. Hang in there above poster, quitting can't possibly be right for 100% of us here. Tom in Idaho.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Absolutely not.... She has to be weaned of this from a doctor

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Elizabeth, What kind of i**** does you daughter have for a doctor. I don't know what strength Fent patch your daughter is on, but any would require the doctor to withdraw her slowly and monitor how she is doing. Since I was on the 50 Fent patch, if I would have just quit I would have been so miserable with restless legs and just sick and people can have seizures too. I know it spikes your blood pressure up when withdrawal is too fast. She will be suffering if the doctor does just take her off. It it is the same doctor who was prescribing the Fentanyl patches he has a responsibility to withdraw her safely and without danger and torture. Believe me restless legs from withdrawal is torture.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

My husband, age 77, developed severe acute pancreatitis and has been in the hospital for the past 8 months. He has been ...

18 REPLIES

I have been on the 100 mg patch and Percocet for my Crohns and Colitis for years. Last week I went cold turkey on my own...

36 REPLIES

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...

1672 REPLIES

My mother has used bromazepam 3 mg for more than 12 years. Now doctor has changed it to Clonazepam. She is feeling numbn...

2 REPLIES

Aloha from Hawaii- this is my 6th week off fentanyl patch 100mg and breakthrough oxy 40mg day for several years. Also wa...

27 REPLIES

Hi, About three years ago during treatment for rectal cancer, I was given Dilaudid and Fentanyl as part of a pain manage...

5 REPLIES

I was on 25mcg Fentanyl patches for about 2 months. I went down to 12mcgs to wean myself. After the 12s ran out, I was e...

9 REPLIES

I am now down from 12 mg Fentanyl patch to half, 6 mg. As I suffer from anxiety, I'd like to know if that can be one...

12 REPLIES

I sit with a 73 year old lady. I take care of all her meds and refills. I thought she had a refill on file...long story ...

11 REPLIES

After my patches were taken on a beach trip mith several families, I am currently on day 9 ofwithdrawals. Exhaustion, ca...

5 REPLIES