Actiq /Fentanyl Withdrawal

WELL DONE you are off the 50 and now taping the 25mcg fantastic.You are tapering very quickly but guess you have too. What is your pain level like?  I currently have compressed fractured vertebrae in my spine so I get pain from that as well as other pain.I saw from your other posting you had been very tired although that may also be in part from early pregnancy. I remember I was like that when pregnant.

I am glad to know the next taper is slower but do not like the thought of going through the withdrawal each time. thats why I decided to stop the actiq and beleive it or not the withdrawal was no worse. I still get sweats, worse is I think about them so its mental withdrawal from time to time. Hope your taper withdrawal improves.

The withdrawals do suck. Day 3 is by far the worst, as I was changing my patches every 48h rather than 72h. The 3rd day I might as well have no patch on it feels like. The symptoms aren't as bad if you leave the other patch on until the new one starts working, but my problem with that is for me the patches so working after day 2. Every person is going to react differently, so if your patches last you the full 72h you won't have as much as an issue. But you also might be able to handle reducing half the patch. I can't. I'm currently contemplating going to inpatient treatment to get off this stuff. I'm trying to find a place that accepts my insurance and will treat me with the parasite I'm currently growing. (my son calls the baby a worm ever since he saw the ultrasound). The pain is ridiculous. Everything hurts like crazy. Laying down, standing, sitting, walking,...... It seems like I can't do anything without added pain.

With all the research I've done, I've learned that I shouldn't be tapering like this and it's actually recommended for pregnant women to use suboxone or buphinorine ( which I'm allergic to the latter) to help detox as those actually reduce withdrawals on the baby. Not only that, but there is a significant reduction in fetal dependence as the drug does not pass through the placenta. I'm still looking more into that though. I'm pretty confident the research I've done is solid, but I'd rather over research than not. Hopefully I'll have more answers by this afternoon, since I highly doubt I'll be sleeping at all today. ( need to pack and the withdrawals suck. )

Hi, the repeated withdrawals are bad thats why I went cold turkey at 4 Actiq a day and surprise, surprise the withdrawals did not get worse. I do not get the sneezing, only the sweats/chils --improved by wearing shorts, the exhaustion and the desire for the drug, but that may be because I still have the patch who knows. I was offered suboxone for later but I think its addictive too, but not as strong as fentanyl but will deal with moderate pain. You need something for pain too.

Good luck with your move and hope your new home suits you better.

Man guy's, my pain must be from something mechanically gone terribly wrong, because I don't seem to get much relief from these 50mg Fentanyl. I quit the Methadone 4 days ago with no withdraws from that, but I'm getting almost no pain relief from these patches. I need to actually chew up 4 tylenol 4s at least once a day, just to get maybe 2 hours of relief to take the dog out and perhaps a drive to the store or wherever. Have to go lay down now cas can't even sit in this good chair without that pinched nerve killing me. I would almost do the surgewry myself if there was a way to do it. Fighting insurance to pay for the 4 tests he ordered in radiology. 6 years I have been fighting this nightmare. Sorry, I know I'm self absorbed right now, I just got an email telling me somebody responded on this site. Dear God I pray for all of you for your withdraws and uncontrolled pain your going through. Knowbody has any idea what this is like unless they have been there right? Always the best from Joe and my dog Zipper..

Joe,

With what you've been on in the past, I'd say you probably need a higher dosage - in fact you probably need 100mcg. The difficult thing though is that some people don't get much relief with the Fent, and if you don't, there's no sense in risking addiction. It's been said that once you're on this stuff, you're on it for life. Very difficult to detox off. But, with your history of pain meds, you may need more, but instead you might just wanna tell your dr it's not working. If you are expecting a euphoric feeling, this stuff only makes you sleepy. I'm not saying you're taking it to get high, but if you are thinking it may happen, it probably won't happen. It just makes you want to sleep - or me it did anyway. Good luck to you & Zipper! Keep us posted!

Melissa

Hi Joe, it's just so wrong that you do not get methadone which is the least evil for addiction off all these drugs. It obviously worked for you and gave you a life. At the end of the day all we want is a life without pain and thats not a lot to ask. After all it's what the majority of people have.

I asked my gastroenterologist in 2013 to change my fentanyl to codeine as it was the only thing that controlled my diarrheoa from having my small bowel removed. I only wanted one 30mg tab a day as any more would cause me a problem. The answer was NO IT'S ADDICTIVE yet she ok'd the fentanyl and actiq which is far more potent and addictive. At the time I could only walk very short distances due to my abdominal pain and had to up the dose of Actiq how mad was that. I am now taking my last patch off tommorow and will have 30mg codeine if I need it. Ha ha . I know I will not have good pain releif but I'll live with that. I have been assured I can get other things butrans patch, morphine etc but do not want that.

Melissa is correct in all she says.

The fentanyl patch did control my pain in the begining but I always had breakthrough pain. I was offered to increase the patch but declined as I didnt want to be sleepy all the time , I was on the 50mcg. I am skinny and undernourished due to my condition so didn't want more.

It sounds like the 50 mcg patch needs to be increased for you as its not giving you releif.

You should get more respect for knowing what works for you. Any Dr in UK would gladly give you methadone in preferance to Fentanyl although its odd how its dispensed at best weekly here. It is all so wrong that with long term pain the Drs do not listen to their patients. The American system sounds horrendous if you do not have good health insurance or loads of money. We are lucky here withe the NHS but do have very long waiting times for appointments. I hope you get your appointments soon and get your surgery which will resolve your back problems.

Keep in touch and let us all know how you get on.

We are all here to support one another and help in any way we can. It also help to stop us focusing on our own issues.

As I have recently learned from trying to get off the fentanyl for my pain, it's not always feasible. I knew the baby would feel minor discomfort while I was in withdrawals, but I didn't know it was enough to force me to miscarry. Luckily it did not get to that point, but they did put me back on the 50mcg until the 3rd trimester when I can try to taper off safely. The risks do include preterm labor but that is why they want me to wait until I'm much closer to my due date. I'm sorry you have sh*tty drs. That is the worst. My ob is not happy that she will have to continue my pain mgmt, but she also said she would follow my Specialist advise. I see her today which will be interesting. I hope your Dr soon realizes how lucky is he is too have a patient know what works and doesn't work for them, as that usually takes out the guesswork in finding adequate relief. It took me 5 years to get my surgery, and I had a broken back which chips of shattered bone actually broke off and were severing nerves to include my sciatic which had the most damage. I hope and pray it does not take you that long to get your surgery which is obviously necessary. I wish you the best and please keep us posted.

Hi, I just havent felt well enough to even reply lately. I havent even left any replys in my UFO Alien forum. I strongly believe in God, however I study life elswhere as well. Hope your well with that.

Anyway, it sure sounds like your well traveled with pain meds, and you surly do need them. I did the no meds act for 2 years I think to see if I could handle it and It's not worth it for my situation. My pain might be like yours, it just does not enable me to accomplish anything. It's a full time job just to get through the day and perhaps go to the store.

Today is my 5th day on these 50mg fentanyl patches, and I just don't feel well. I don't know if stopping the silly low dose of methadone 3 days ago is leaving too much work for the lonley patch to do it's job or if I have gotten physicaly worst or what. I have to chew up 4 tylenol fours at once, lie down, then I can get just some relief at times. i'm almost out of them til the 9th of next month and they only give me 180 count each month.

I believe I'm trying to stop pain caused by a smashed nerve with medication which just can't be done. Yes I agree what you said about doctors refusing to give patients medication that worked for them in the past. Lets face it, these are end of life scenarios for us dealing with this much pain. Some of us can't perform without something to help with pain. I was on 60mg methadone for 8 years in Denver and I worked all day every day. I have so much mental damage now for messing with these Texas doctors and if they do promise you something it's always denied by your insurance and the doctor sure isn't going to ever call you and offer to help, instead he just goes to the next patient, and your in home in bed.

I sleep in about 1 hour intervols because the pain wakes me up so I stay up. My dreams almost always concist of me trying to get away from something and not being able to move because my pain is stronger then I am.

Well I've babled enough, and apoligies if necessary. I need to get out of this chair.

Joe   frown

 

Hi Joe sorry to hear the fentanyl patch is not working for you. the Drs start it on a low dose to ensure you are not over sedated and tend to increase it. I started on 12 then 25 then 50 very quickly but I was an in paitent with complex issues, needed urgent surgery for multiple bowel obstruction but couldn't operate due to multiple pulmonary emboli. It never took the pain away completely,  hence the oral Fentanyl for breakthrough pain. You are getting a relatively mild pain killer for breakthrough so it sounds like if you can see your Dr soon to either up the fentanyl or change the breakthrough medication to get your pain under control. Please do not take too many of the Tynelol because they can damage your liver. Not sleeping causes lots of problems too and having bad dreams will affect you too. You are not in a good place at all.

Please try to see your Dr soon, even if its a phone call if you can, let him know the fentanyl is not working and neither is the tynelol.

What dose of methadone were you on when you stopped 3 days ago? Even a low dose has psychological effects.

I have to really push to accomplish anything but try to do at least one thing a day otherwise I stay in bed all day.

Hope you manage to see/speak to your Dr very soon. Everyone is  here to help you.

Hi, I was on what I call a childs dose 20mg per day. Not enough to tell my body it was anythjing at all I'm thinking. I'm being told here in 2step country doctors have too much paper work involved to write methadone. Ya one thing a day is what I shoot for too. Amazing you mentioned that. Dear God that's pathatic. It's almost like each day I have more pain since these 50mg patches. Can hardly use legs today, and might not get that one thing done. Just took 2-800mg gabipenten's and 2-800 ibuprofin's. I'll lie down and get with you later. I hope your better then myself today. Why dont they have spell check on this site? As you can see I badly need it. Tired of googleing what seems to be 1 out of 5 words today. lol.. Thanks..