Fentanyl Patch Withdrawal Symptoms And Duration (Page 9)

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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Hi Waiting in the Sun,
I tried copying the article you posted the other day as an attachment but I could not get it to work. I thought I saved it to my Favorites/Bookmarks but I can not retrieve it. Could you please re-post?
Many thanks,

John

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John,

I tried to repost but it's being blocked our something. Go back to my post #151 in this thread and follow that link, it leads to another poster that copied Robert's method into one of the threads in this forum.

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Thanks Waiting in the Sun,
I have it bookmarked now.

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Hi there I have Lupus ,fibromyalgia , and chronic back pain ( my whole back/and neck) I have pain 24/7 As a Nurse and Holistic Nurse I beat myself of for years because I felt like I was betraying the Holistic field by taking narcotics for this pain. It tried ALOT of different meds and weaned myself or stopped taking cold turkey.I really felt like a drug addict It took agreat friend to remind me that needing to treat my pain and function day.to day was OK .That's why we have them. .Don't confuse taking your meds as prescribed as an addiction.We need more understanding pain management Docs in the US and education .

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Hi there: Thanks for your comment. I do not beat myself up, I have a condition that will soon take my life.......and I was very careful in my use of narcotics because they can and do stop working......I have finally developed a physical reaction to Fentanyl, and I already have an allergy to morphine.
That is why I tread lightly.....Opiates are better than not having opiates.......but, if you reach a point where you cannot use any, what happens then?
I wish I could use Fentanyl, it is a very effective pain blocker. I am going for the neurostimulator.....Keep doing all you can. Thanks for your comment.

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That's terrible! I'm so sorry for what you are going through. You are in my prayers. I wish I could do more for you.

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How are you now with the rls? Did it go away? Did you try taking iron with dinner? You should defiantly be out of withdrawals by now. Let me know as I'm still weaning, down to 4 mcg.

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I had problems with my patches falling off since I am a cook and sweat a lot. I used a tegaderm patch over the fentenayl patch and it worked really well. I am now in the process of weaning down from 100mg ,\. At 50mg now and having increased anxiety, depression. Lost my husband in march in a car accident, not sure this was a smart time to do this. My pain dr. does not seem to care that at times I am sucidial. Taking it for fibromilagia muscle pain.,knee and back pain. I would not ever go on this again.

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I believe that you wound down too much too fast. You need to wean off in much smaller doses. If you can cut them, great, if not get the doctor to give you smaller and smaller patches. If you can, ask your doctor for a calming agent while you go through this, especially since you lost your husband. I'm so sorry, and yes weaning at that time was bad timing as your nerves are completely frayed. My Dr gave me Klonopin. If the doctor can't or won't help with calming the nervous system, then go to Amazon or your local alternative store and buy Highlands Nerve Tonic and some Kava Kava in the day and night, and don't use it sparingly. Also make sure you get 7-8 hours of sleep to heal your nerves. Get Ambien if you can or use L-theanine and Melatonin and L-Tryptophan, or whatever they have to help you sleep. I have FMS also, have been ill with so much that follows it and I am now down to 4 micrograms of fentanyl with, one vicodin a day to get through withdrawals. Thee calming agents are the most important of this process for your nerves, pain and withdrawals. Feel free to ask me anything else. Have patience and faith.

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I don't understand why one cannot get a smaller dose pack to wean off. When I went through the withdrawal from Fentanyl, I was comatose......they gave me Dilaudin through an IV.....I responded very badly to it.....
I recall there is a high blood pressure medicine called Clonodin or something very much like it..., or a name very similar. You take two tablets the first day of withdrawal, one the second & third, and stop taking it. It stops the shakes, sweats and other horrible side effects to opiate withdrawal. A friend of mine, also a surgeon, helped me 10 years ago when I was kicking Oxy......they hand the crap out like candy......He did the research, and I took it regardless of the fact I don't suffer from high blood pressure.
I have low blood pressure, but took the drug anyway, I wanted freedom from Oxy. After 3 days, you ought to be fine.....Don't let those clowns give you Methadone, that stuff is even worse to get free of.....The fact they don't have alternatives tells me there is something wrong with the system.
Good luck to you.
Otherwise, there is nothing one can take......

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I agree, the guys hand this stuff out like candy........

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ATTENTION! NO ONE HAS TO SUFFER THE EFFECTS OF WITHDRAWAL AGAIN :
Immodium, a common over the counter anti-diareah med contains Loperimide. Loperimide is only a molecule or two different from Fentanyl. It attaches to the same receptors as narcotic analgesics. But the body "kicks" Loperimide off of the receptors soon after attaching. If you're chasin' a feeling, forget it, but if you want to get a good night's sleep without heebie-jeebies, take this stuff. There is no euphoria, no pain relief but it does work. One has to take many at a time though. I was Rx'ed three 30 mg Rixicodone per day. I ran out early. I took 15 Immodiums at a time 3 times a day. A MIRACLE FOLKS. DONT SUFFER ANY LONGER. Don't take my word for it. Do your own due dilligence and research; Google it or whatever. And if course, with any meds, there are interactions and side effects. The only problem I had was being stopped up for a spell but I can assure you that "that" will "pass". I wish I knew this years ago when I stopped using Fentanyl patch. Any way, good luck and stay clean.

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Here are some tips for coping with restless legs syndrome as a result of fentanyl withdrawal:

m.choosehelp.com/topics/detox/tips-for-coping-with-opiate-withdrawal-induced-restless-legs-syndrome

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Have decided to withdrawal from 50MCG patch, having a really rough time and finding out that I am in a great deal of pain. Should I ask to go back to the 50MCG? Is there an alternative, I was on it for about 8 months and it wasn't helping control my pain any longer.

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Dear Amanda....i so hope you made it thru ok...this is such a nasty drug and the system fails so many of us HORRIBLY. I pray you are in a much better place than when you posted this!!!!

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Click on link below from breezy, msg #173

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It is withdrawals. Please read #173 below from breezy and click on the link for restless legs.

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I've been off and on Fentanyl for the last ten yrs, due to MULTIPLE long term pain problems. I have had issues with patch adhesion for MANY yrs. I also get hot flashes and sweat like a pig! (Lovely on a woman!) But I discovered that you can put a clear patch cover called Tegaderm over the patch and it will keep it on. The Tegaderm patch cover is the same clear bandage they adhere an iv tube in you with. If you live in the USA, Just call Jansen Phamecuticals, or the maker of your patch,and tell them you can not keep the patch attached. Jansen used to send me 100 FREE HUGE patch covers about every 3 months. I now live in Canada and the drug companies here will not send me anything to help. I had to buy a box of 8 patch covers in the drug store but they ran me $8, for a box of 8!! So, I found a good supplier in the hospital pharmacy, I get them for 35 cents each there. That should resolve everyones issues with adhesion. As for you having hot flashes and patch wearing off faster than usual, YES! It is a KNOWN problem with them... also no hot batch, jacuuzi, heat pads etc... all of them cause the drug to be dispensed at a faster rate than usual... However you shouldnt be having such major issues with it in two days. I do have a suggestion about it... I used to take 50mcg... and some days I didnt feel I needed that much, yet others it felt like it was going through me too fast. So, my doctor agrees to give me 2 -25mcg patches every 3-4 days, at my discretion. So, at the times my pain was going bad, I would automatically wear both, but if weather is good, w no cold wet snow or rain, and my activity was reasonable, I may use one for 2 days and add a second one on the third day... or use them in any way I wish so long as I stay with in the prescribed dose that month. This was a good fit, as it gave me more control over the use of the patch... and also allowed me to accumulate extras for the days my patch fell off, or to have for a vacation supply... OR in the event something happens like I am about to describe.

My problem today is, I went to Atlanta in June to help my dad with some medical stuff of his. My 2 week trip became 6 weeks... I used up ALL of my spares... I returned in August, got my usual meds and life went on.. I was due to get a refill and put on the last patch I had on wends when I went to the dr. She gave me an rx for my usual meds. I live FAR away from a city now, two hours... and I droppped my rx Thursday at 12pm in the local pharmacy. I told her I NEED the patches the MOST on Friday as I will be due FRIDAY to put on a new patch. She said, "well, its a good thing you came in today because you wouldve had to go till tues day if you didnt, with the holiday monday".. I said "I know,so I will come in tomorrw after 2-3 pm so you have time to get it in and fill it" she said fine shed see me tomorrow. So I get there Friday afternooon about 4 pm, and she looks at me dumbfoundedly... doesnt say anything, fills a couple of people in front of me then at 4:35 ONCE MY DR IS CLOSED for the weekend... she tells me she didnt order the fentanyl.. she didnt know I needed it!?!?!? All she had to do was look at HER OWN PC, and see the date of my last fill! And at that point the topic of going to a different pharmacy for it was brought up and she said.. I was missing some code on the rx, and she'd just "quickly fax the dr and get the code" But the dr was closed!! SO now shes had my rx two days and JUST tells me there is a missing code!!

So, I discovered then I have no choice but to go until tuesday LATE afternoon with out the patch. I do have time released Diluadid, but I already take them NOW, I have adjusted my dose according to what I know about medication strengths in comparison. (Which after all these years, and all the pain management classes, therapy, etc, I know more than some doctors!) I did try to call Jansen, Teva etc... but no one was open after 5 Friday. So I have done the best I can using my yrs of pain to my advantage.. I have not had physical symptoms of withdrawal since my body is still getting opiods... However, i am having much more BURNING pain than I usually get.. but i can handle that. My pain levels WITH narcotics hover around a 7 all day every day. So, I can cope till tuesday. I have always had mild depression... I discovered last night, it was MUCH MUCH worse... I was in a BAD BAD place... thinking things I should NOT be thinking... although my current life situation SHOULD be making me think this stuff... I simply do not go to such a horrible place when I am "normal"... So I KNOW these thoughts are due to the Fentanyl... But I am still struggling with it. Though I KNOW my thoughts are IRRATIONAL, drug induced, etc... but they are still there... I am not stupid enough to act them out, but it was QUITE the unexpected side effect.....I do have friends I am talking to who are watching over me.. but I want everyone to know and I would like to know if anyone else is or has had these INSANE thoughts of DOOM and GLOOM????

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Hi Waiting in the Sun,
I have been off the patches and on kapanol (sustained release morphine). I have got the dose down to 50mg/day but I am still experiencing extreme anxiety and weakness. I hope this passes.
Nimshie29

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I would always put my patches on right after getting out of the shower. I would take the blow dryer warm my arm up were the patches would. Then I would keep my warm hand over them for a few minutes. Stayed on for days and days.

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