Fentanyl Withdrawal Symptoms (Page 70)

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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I've been on fentanly for 11 years 100gm 48 hours im starting tarping process this week my doc has been real helpful' put me in a pain clinic to help me with it I want to try to get off of it in 2 month since thats when i have to go back to work; is there a drug I could use as a substitute to get off the patch quicker

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No one here can give medical information to you but your doc. Yes, there are things that your doc can give you to help but it isn't going to be easy. I have been on 25 mcgs for 14 years and don't know if at my age, I can get off without a great deal of trouble. I am 69 and don't really have much incentive since I have Fibro pain over my entire body. What will I do when that pain comes back, if it does. I don't know what my pain level is since going on these in 2000. I am pain free and going from bed ridden to no pain is pretty nice. With the ACA and ppl losing their insurance right and left, there may come a time when I can't get them and then that is when I will be faced with titration. In the meantime, I am enjoying a simile of normalcy which is just a setting on the dryer anyway. I wish you all the best and there is prayer and trusting in God for help too so don't forget Him. God bless and let us know how you do.
Lin

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Yes, this is withdrawal! I also have it and have been prescribed Pramipexile and clonazepam . Still restless legs at night. I am going down by 12 pts. It was easy until 25 and I had to go to emergency as I was squirrelly. Dr said at 25 and down it gets harder as the percentage of withdrawal is greater. Get yourself a 12 PT size patch and go slower--I am sticking here at 25 until my diarrhea and vomiting and blood pressure level off. An awful drug that gave me good pain relief for many years but I didn't expect to need to withdraw. Good luck!!!

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Kmm26, very similar to my situation. 11 years, originally at 100mcg/72 hrs, then 200mcg/72, and then to 200mcg/48, where I've been for several years. I've been tapering down since January, and I'm currently down to 75mcg/72hrs, 1/4 of my starting dosage. It will be difficult to get off of that dosage in less than 2 months, but it can be done. It's only a matter of what you're willing to put up with as far as withdrawals go. The only substitute that I've seen people use is Methadone, but then you have to get off of that as well, so I'm not sure it would be very beneficial in your case to go that route.

My advice would be to taper down as quickly as possible, and certainly don't try to go cold turkey from your current dosage. You can fairly easily taper down 25mcg each step every 2 weeks with very minimal discomfort, at least until you get down to 25mcg or so, then it's more difficult. That last step is going to come with some discomfort and common withdrawal side effects, and you'll be fairly miserable for a week or two, but it's certainly doable.

So again, I'd step down to 75 immediately (you can simply cut the patches accordingly if you're using the Mylan brand, but DON'T do it with any brand that has a liquid filled pouch in the middle of it), then down to 50 after 2 weeks, 25 after another 2 weeks, and then down to 12.5 if time allows. If not, you'll just have to try and go cold turkey from 25, or else speed up the stepping down process if you're finding that you're doing well after a week or 10 days, so that you'll have the opportunity to step to 12.5 near the end.

As for the withdrawals, what you need is a Benzodiazipine, such as Clonazepam, which will relax your muscles and hopefully just put you to sleep. Ideally, if you could sleep for a week or so when you finally quit, you wouldn't suffer any withdrawals. The problem is that the withdrawals make you so restless that it's almost impossible to sleep without a Benzo. Also, get your doctor to prescribe a something for Restless Leg Syndrome (Levitra I think is one of the brand names). Use it any time you're suffering that side effect over the next couple months, probably only within the first few days after a step-down. Also, after stepping down, to be afraid to change your patch a little sooner than usual if the withdrawals are really difficult. You're much better off shortening the timeframe a little for changing than you are to bump your dosage back up. If you go back up, you'll never be able to get to where you need to be before starting work again. Good luck, and let us know how you do.

P.S. Please consult with your doctor, the advice given here is generalized and not patient specific of course. Often times the people here have more experience with this process than many if not most doctors, but there are other factors to consider, such as allergies, contraindications with other medications you might be on, etc..

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The best way I could say would be to go online or in your case to your trusted doctor.Tell him of you restless leg problems and ask for tramadol. See if one tablet will do it or if not use 100 mg three times daily. You will find it has opiate like properties to give your receptors in your brain to end the withdrawal sickness,that is causing the restless leg syndrome.tramadol is not an opiate legally,but it certainly could stop the merry go round your experiencing with that fiery beast fentanyl. Your doctor should also know that tramadol has a calming effect and will work right away for you..Well I think if anyone deserves to stop these withdrawals its sounds like you need this fentanyl monster to go away. Good Luck God bless ,and I hope you try the tramadol right away. Rocket666.

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Exactly the same situation here - fentanyl withdrawal is really tough, valium takes the edge off, but slow weaning is a better idea. VERY slow - 4 - 6 weeks is what I'm now told, decreasing dosage & frequency throughout that time frame. Good luck!

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Hi
I've been on fentanyl patches 125 mg every 72 hrs for the past 2 years.
Whilst in hospital for pancreatitis I forgot to change my patch and on day 5 I was screaming up the wall . I couldn't keep still I was screaming in pain my arms and legs I just wanted to cut off ,I was thrashing about like a wild animal.
The doctors came and gave me morphine which didn't really help much.
I don't know what made me realise but I suddenly said to my husband when does my patch need changing ? That's when we clicked , I had them changed and within an hour I was ok just really tired.
After that I decided to come off the patch because it really scared me and my family.
I have slowly weaned myself down to 100 mg patch, I did this over the course off 2 months. Each time I'd cut a slither of the 25 patch, this got bigger over time and by the end of the fourth week I was off the 25. I still have the hundred but have started today after reading on here, to cut a slither off my new patch .
I know it will take me over 6 months or more to come off completely but I want my old life back.
I haven't been happy since I've been on fentanyl, I have a very short fuse now, I have the most horrible hot flushes since starting the patches, and sweat so much that my hair is ringing wet. I have lost all confidence in myself and feel very low. This isn't me and I want me back.
I can't say fentanyl patches don't work because they do. My back pain has been so much better but I have had the worst 2 years of my life mentally and emotionally. My GP has also put me on an antidepressant but I'd rather be on nothing than feel the way I do.
Please think hard and long before going on this patch it's a bad son of a b...h and will be hell to come off. If you do want to come off please do it SLOWLY.......it's the only way. I'd never want to have the withdrawal pains I had before and wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.
This is my story in short but I guess by reading these comments it's a lot of other people's story too. Keep strong you and I will do it.
Hellsbells

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I would love to chat with someone who is doing the same or similar as myself
Hellsbells

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That's exactly how I was in hospital I just had to keep moving rocking shaking my arms and legs ,I wanted to cut them off

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i was on 75mg of fentanyl for chronic pain after i hurt my back at work. i lost a lot of time off work and almost lost my job because when you sweat it opens your pores and more medicine is introduced to the body. my co workers reported my behavior one hot day at work, this led my supervisor to call the union, who then took me down to medical, who then asked me if i wanted to go to the hospital. in the end, 2 union reps, 1 drove my car, the other took me in theirs home. i had been having a hard time that summer with lethargy, almost fallling asleep at the wheel etc. one of my co workers figured out that it was my fentanyl patch causing these symptoms, also i was placing the patch where i was sweating the most. i had to retire because of pain and all the side effects of fentanyl. i was down to 12mg and since i week ago have discontinued it all together and let me tell you it is hell. i am irritable, restless, moody and hot and cold sweats but it's been 1 week and i figure maybe 1 more week and withdrawl will be over. be carefull because although it helps with pain it can open up a can of worms in other areas. good luck

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@Hellsbells

Very familiar story as you said. With minor differences, it's played out the same for most of us here. Sadly, your warning won't do any good, because nobody ever winds up here who isn't already on the patch, usually as the result of severe trauma (my case), or a chronic, often terminal illness. All of us I think wish we could talk directly to anybody that's considering going on the patch, and warn them about the road ahead. It's true that it does the job it was intended to do, and for some people it's a life saver, but unless you're terminal, the long term downside in most cases is worse than the upside. Keep shaving a little bit off that patch and you'll get off of these things. Don't have to shave a tiny bit more off each time unless you want to, you can cut about 25% off once every week or two without any significant effects. Good luck!


@Maureen

You're definitely past the worst of it, as far as withdrawals go. Won't be much longer before all of those symptoms go away. You'll still have to deal with your mind trying to convince you that you need the patches, just like any other addictive narcotic sits like a proverbial devil on your shoulder, trying to coax you into doing the wrong thing. As hard as it is to get off these d*mn things, don't fall for it, get your life back in track. There are other was to manage pain, lots of resources available online.

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Mallinckrodt patches are also the "matrix" type; meaning no gel reservoir. My pharmacy wont give me the Mylan brand because I'm on Medi-Cal and they cost the pharmacy too much....however, I did my homework and found that Mallinckrodt pharmaceuticals (joined with Activ) make the matrix patch that you can cut... I was on 100 mcg every 48 hrs and over 5 months have tapered down to 75 mcg every 72 hours...doesn't sound like a big leap, I know. This next month my dr wants to start me on Methadone 5mg 3x's a day...First, after all the Methadone horror stories I am way rethinking that suggestion. Secondly, after all the things I've read 5mg 3x's a day will be not enough to help my w/d, but just enough to get me dependent on another opiate! Wake up people...become your personal health advocate..the only person you can trust is YOU!

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Levitra is an erectile dysfunction med...

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You probably don't need me to tell you this if you've read the msgs from the last few to several months, but I wouldn't recommend the methadone route. There have been one or two success stories I've seen on these boards, but that's all. The real reason I wouldn't do it is because it's not necessary, and as you said, you'll simply become dependent on another opiate. If you have even a modest amount of will power, you can easily taper down 25mcg every month (two at the most), without any significant withdrawal symptoms, if you started at a 100mcg or higher dosage. Just keep tapering down slowly, cutting a little bit more off your patch each week or two, and you'll be fine. Heck, all of us know that these things peel up around the edges when we wear them, and we're rarely getting more than 85-90% of the dosage anyway, so cutting 5 or 10% off periodically won't make any difference. As for the pain relief, I think most of us find that we didn't need anywhere near dosage of fentanyl we were on, but there are exceptions. Hopefully if you do still have pain once you're off the patches, it can be addressed without the use if opiates.

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Please, DO NOT just neglect to go pick up your patches and think you'll be OK without them! YOU WON'T! I, too, am tired of the hamster wheel and being encouraged by Dr after Dr to accelerate to stronger and nastier things. I tried stopping cold turkey. After developing panic attacks that caused me to lose I' lbs in 9 months, made me have to wear adult diapers, etc, no doctors would help me. My world was turned upside down. After seeing numerous pain doctors that would give me massive high dose patches, I searched until I found one to help. I carried nearly a wheelbarrow of potent narcotics in his office and said," look. This is what I have. I'm not a drug-seeker, but a seeker of less drugs. Because of the panic condition brought on by these, I can't just stop cold turkey. I need someone to help me wean off".
He did give his suboxone and methadone spill, but he didn't force me.
He did however, think it OK to cut in 25 mcg amounts. IT ISN'T! Its too much. But I let him think I was. Instead I fill them each month, but used the higher dose patches and applied only smaller amounts, less 7-10 mcgs at a time. I did this by leaving part of the backing attached, not by cutting anything. Ive gone from 100 mcgs down to ( beginning today) 24 mcgs. When reducing by 25 mcg increments its torture. Now Im on the tiny 25 mcg patches ( Mylan brand) and leaving a few mcgs covered with the backing to keep from appling the entire amt. If we leave it to their methods, we will SUFFER! Today was my first application of 25 mcgs minus a few. Im stoked! No sickness. No pain increase. After this amount for several patches Ill continue in leaving more and more of the backing intact. Once Im down to a 12 mcg patch Ill use the same method. By the time Im down to a few mcgs, Ill have the remaining pieces on these patch ends that were kept attached to the backing to apply in minute amounts until my body has acquired no dependence on Fentanyl. I shall be free without the suffering. Yes it takes time and patience. But Ive decreased from 100 mcgs to now about 22 mcgs. Once I figured out 25 mikes at a time was too drastic and began this method, its been symptomless. Please, make it easier on yourself. Get all they prescribe and use this technique. Dont suffer needlessly.

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hi
I know how you must be feeling as i too was on fentanyl patches for 1 year and prior to the morphine for 2 unsuccessful back ops...
The good news is that you will be able to get off them, i was on 50mc snd went down to 25 and then down to 12mc patches which are the smallest, the restlessness is terrible but the best thing i found was to have a hot bath and try and keep busy... I visited my gp regularly and theres no easy way off them. however to help me on my way after i had got the lowest patch the doctor suggested that i cut them albeit she did say that this was not licensed but this is what i did i cut the patch into quarters then eiths and then stopped taking them and the withdrawal was no where near as bad...
please do persevere as i feel so much better than when i was on them. good luck you can do it...

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I was on these patches for almost 2 years for chronic pain due to back/neck injuries, surgeries and severe degenerative disc disease. Started at 50mg then doctor bumped to 75mg after about 6 mths. I reached a point where I simply could not afford them due to having no insurance at the time and could not afford any more. I went 5 days cold turkey and it was the most horrible experience I've ever had. Could not sleep, could not stop moving!! I literally paced 24/7. I seriously thought I was going to have a heart attack or a stroke! At the time, I had an aunt who had recently died of cancer and was also on them. She had 5 75mg patches left when she died, and a sister brought them to me after finding out what I was going through. I cut two patches in half and used those for 6 days, then I started cutting them into 4ths. After using the rest of them I was done! Still had several days of much milder withdrawal but that only lasted another week - 10 days. I've been off them over 2 years and will die before ever putting one of those on again. These things should be taken off the market or only prescribed for people who are dying in my opinion. There is hope for people trying to get off them. The withdrawal symptoms WILL go away. Everyone is different and weaning off them is different for everyone I'm sure. But the symptoms WILL go away and you will be so very much better off not using them. The drug laws in this country are absolutely INSANE!! if you ask me. If you live in a state where marijuana is legal (recreationally or medicinally) I suggest using it, best if your doctor would prescribe marinol tablets or eating it in brownies etc. smoking anything is not good on your lungs. It helped me immensely getting off this patch. And quitting the marijuana after a few weeks of no patch was a piece of cake for me. Be strong and keep telling yourself it won't last forever, the withdrawal WILL go away and you WILL make it... God bless and good luck...

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I can sympathize with you. At the 25 mcg level withdrawal gets harder as you have decreased over 50% of your regular fentanyl dosage. My doctor was aware of this problem with others so I was on clonazepam and Pramipexole for restless legs and agitation. That helped me to the 12.5 patch and again I had a horrible time. Bear in mind that I was on a 75 mcg patch for at least 15 yrs. the shock to my system brought about the worst spell of fibromyalgia I ever remember plus severe diarrhea. I lost 8 pounds in 3 weeks which was good but I was very weakened and dehydrated. Finally on my worst day I gave up and cried "uncle" after nearly three weeks and my physician decided to hVe me some hydromorphone and increase my fentanyl dosage back to 25mcg. Within 2 days my pain was nearly gone! However, the fentanyl increase did not improve the diarrhea and after 3-72hr patches I am still having bowel issues, nausea and horrible nightmares. After reading today about recommendations to put tape on the patch fentanyl surface in small increments of 10%, I am going to discuss doing so at my next appt. What I have learned so far is that my pain is controlled now just as well on the 25 dosage as it was on the 75mcg. That there should mean that once I withdraw completely, I should be able to control daily pain and fatigue with water exercise in a warm water pool and walking. I have also recd a cortisone derivative inj. into my spine in the injured area and although it hurts like the dickens the day of, I have been able to catch up on house and even some garden work these last couple of days. Go to WebMD page as today there is great advice on controlling chronic pain. I had been using water and walking exercise with success until I started the withdrawal process. I am going to hopefully start decreasing the dosage again next week with the 'taping' idea so cross your fingers for me. I am ready to try again as I have had some good days for a change and have faith in myself to complete this withdrawal process. Don't be afraid to ask for help--plead if you have to as this is one miserable process. God Bless you all who are in this battle and good luck to me and you!!!!!

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I too am titrating down, its madenning, but you CAN take it, keep on pushing through you can do it, everyone finds their way, replacing it with another thing ( eating, running,knitting). Every jump down you get stronger!!! Rah rah fight the good fight!

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Lyrics is what your thinking of with Levitra ( boner pill) ooof!

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