Fentanyl Patch Withdrawal Symptoms And Duration (Page 7)

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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Me too! I went to Emergency for severe agitation and breakthru pain. The emergency room doctor treated me like it was my fault that I was having such a problem. He said 'you are supposed to be withdrawing; I can't go against your doctor's wishes--you just have to accept this. He phone my Dr and then talked to me kindly, gave me some meds to calm the agitation. I felt humiliated and talked down to. Thank goodness fentanyl is almost out of my system but I have read complete eradication can take up to a year.

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Day 4. Well, I removed my last patch on Sunday night at 8pm. w/d started near midnight with sweating and pin pricks all over. By 5:30am I was sweating profusely, restless legs and arms in constant motion, sneezing, watering eyes, yawning constantly, reached 25 on COWS and took 2mg subutex (NOT SUBOXONE), I know I could've taken it sooner given the absence of naloxone but I waited to follow a detox recipe I found online that seems to have worked for others repeatedly with success. I did not feel much better after a couple hours, took another 1mg, and repeated, my legs finally relaxed at 8mg (I had hoped to stabilize at a lower dose, but it just didn't happen). Day 2, 3 and 4 I took 4mg in the am, and another 4 about twelve hours later. I still have some sweating, but nothing like I know it should be. Lack of energy is still present but I'm feeling good just knowing I'll not put another patch on. Tomorrow (well, today) I will begin to taper down by cutting 1mg off both daily doses and maintaining for four days to allow for the half life to catch up and determine if I experience w/d from the cut, if not, then proceed again. Wish me luck!

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I feel almost suicidal as I have just gone from 1-50 to 1-75 fentanyl patches and have been investigating coming off them altogether. Now I have read about the almost impossibility of coming off them. Please some one tell me it is possible as I am going round the bend.

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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.

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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.

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Hi posted last July and appreciated every ones replies. TY again.
I am back and the thread has moved along. Much helpful and encouraging. I am worse off than last year at this time. My husband wants me to go back to the mayo clinic as the dr.s here have me on so many meds. They put me back on the 100mcg. fentanyl w / 4mg of dilaudid up to 6 times a day, 50mg of nortryptiline, 100mg of zoloft,and 5mg of valium (all generic). The valium only on days of major flare ups because if i take it everyday i always need to increase the dose as time goes by.
I hope that I hven't discouraged anyone of u.
Once again i am a paraplegic. I have been for 42 yrs. now. and I have had chronic pain issues since 1985. My previous comments are found in July of 2014.
I am at my whits end. And i do not know if i have any more fight left in me at this point.
If possible get off the meds. my drs. believe that i need to be on them. Of course i am not so sure as they have not really found an exact reason for the pain in the first place. And starting at the pain clinic last July has gotten me no where.
maybe I need to go back to the mayo clinic in rochester mn. It is just so far from home.I have a place to stay and that is a big help. But i wont have my husband because he has to work. Just asking you guys for your thoughts on the matter.
I am afraid that I could be gone for over a yrs. time. or that i will go and have to come home and to go back again. It sounds like it could be a whole yr. before i could get off of some of these meds. according to previous posts. I am just tired of the fight to try to get better. Maybe i am beyond getting better at this point. anyways thanks for reading my post. I will look forward to your replies once again.
browneyedgirl

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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

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Yes those do sound like fentanyl withdrawal symptoms. Fentanyl should not be used for short term pain management. The doctor should be understanding as it sounds like he used this medication improperly. I hope your better soon.

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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.

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hang in there I was on patches for 12 years and slowly tapered and swapped to morphine s r. Now reducing that.There is hope if we persevere through the suffering I believe.

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I have RLS and at times when I've missed changing my Fentanyl Patch I too had bad RLS symptoms. However, I've suffered with it for over 30 years. I'm not sure whether the Fentanyl helps suppress the restless leg (and when my level drops it gets worse) but I seldom have the RLS when my Fentanyl is as normal levels.
As far as helping the restless legs symptoms, what works for me is to clench my calves as tightly as I can then wrap them tightly in Ace Bandage or Sport Tape.

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Thank you so much for your post here...it has been so helpful...I'm weening off a 50 mcg patch and Im having most of the symtoms you posted here which my doctor didn't warn me about..I also have some mental disorders so I have been sitting here wondering what medication is making me feel this way and has actually triggered my other issues which has in turn been effecting my relationship...I didn't know what was wrong with me but now I do and thank you so very much

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Candy,
It takes awhile to feel better. Your doc should have warned you about the withdrawl problems. I too have been weening down (from 75mg.) and experienced the side effects with a reduction of 12 1/2 mg reduction once a month. I'm now down to 25 mg. and feeling much more alert and interested in things. This is a great site to post to.

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Hope you are all feeling well and that today is better than yesterday but not as good as tomorrow.

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I'm over a month free of the 50mcg patches and I haven't felt this good in years. Starting with subutex then switching to suboxone after a few days and quickly tapering off altogether was the best way to do this as painlessly as possible. Wishing everyone here strength!

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I had this too! It drove me nuts as I couldn't sleep at all. It was like ants inside my legs, mostly all night and woke me in the early hours never getting to sleep. I researched it and finally found that I need to take and IRON pill with my dinner. It went away that night!!!!! Done! If you need further help, add a multi mineral vitamin mostly with magnesium and potassium. It should work. I'd love to hear if it does. Good luck and go with God!

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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.

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I am 31. I have a past opiate addiction I was a homeless opiate patient. I got jumped, broken ribs. I got a lacerated kidney and liver, here is the ice on the cake. I had developed two not one abscess on my kidney. well a staph infection in my blood. also I also have diabetes. two months of hell get out with a script for fentanyl 100mcg 10 of them and oxycodine 20 mg 90 also 90 other five mg instant release. well two weeks and nine days till I see a doctor, i am living with a good women. I cant fill script can't afford it. $160 and change burned through pills in a days withdrawing bad fear of losing the only good thing I have in my life April is her name she has three kids and took me in. I am honest to her with my use. am I always going to be in pain? can a guy climb out of a pit so deep? but I see the light in her. I want to die the depression is so intense. I can't use that junk here, rather be homeless struggling then bringing drugs into a home. I prayed almost every day and promised myself I would give anything up for dear lord Jesus. I pray in your fathers name for help. I am thankful for everything you have brought me from living on cold street to a warm home with a loving girlfriend. god I can't go any further without your help. no shame looking for advice only one person in the United States has my name. even the homeless junkies want to hear my life and struggle from addiction first time withdrawing I quit for four years. you only learn from someone who has been through it. no one will understand who has not been through withdrawal. I quit too many times to count good luck just know someone has it worse then you. try to think of other people then yourself. I dont care what people think or be to ashamed to seek help. you are stronger than ever to admit defeat you will relapse if your poor or middle class or rich. we are only human. we make mistakes and never learn from taking time to listen to others struggles. it gets worse if you have a house, kids, spouse, family. keep using and you will lose them all as you lose yourself and all you want is someone to care. Look in the mirror. That's who you need to care for before it's too late.

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I have been there with fentanyl but was able to afford to patches to taper slowly but I could not have done it without NA..
Praying for you.

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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.

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