Any top tips for MST reduction?
Posted , 10 users are following.
I broke my back, sternum, ribs etc. September last year. For a long while I was on 140mg of MST/day + Oramorph for breakthrough pain. Since Christmas i've reduced down to 60mg and don't really think it's doing anything for the pain anymore as I feel reasonably ok in the mornings. I forgot to take my medication a few nights back and by morning was a total wreck, I want to wean off the rest of it as it makes me feel horrible most of the time. Yesterday I cut down to 50mg and within the day was feeling really rough with bad guts and a general feeling of nausea and depression - should I keep reducing by 10mg every day or so or wean off more gradually? I'm feeling really frustrated that reducing this last stage seems the worst bit.
2 likes, 27 replies
Scam oly958
Posted
Hi. Just lying awake looking into this withdrawal. Only been on mst for 6 weeks but it's taken so much energy to try to come off it , shocking how quickly your body succumbs to it. I can't imagine what it must have been like to endure the suffering that each of u has gone through.
Agree with the lack of help and advice available . Feel totally let down by my gps, I've seen 5 different doctors in the group.
I've asked questions when I was put on them , I pushed to get off them but when I ask about the effects , I don't get any explanation at all.
I was on 30mg twice each day. Been reducing for 8 days and I'm down to 15 before I go to bed. The evenings are the only times I feel half human , energy levels are very low during the day . I have been trying to increase the time between each dose. i have learnt alot in the past few weeks , best advice being , do your homework before going to your gp!!! You need to be aware of what they are prescribing you, especially when coming off. Anti sickness wasn't even offered to me but I knew to ask !!
Respect to anyone who has to endure any suffering X
hayley_87179 Scam
Posted
This thread has been an absolute god send for me.
I've been on 15mg MST twice a day for over 6 years due to a chronic pain condition and I've been wanting to come off this for so long. I had major surgery 5 weeks ago and of course I'm still dealing with the pain from that and whatnot but I so want to come off this drug.
It's my second day just taking the 15mg in the morning and I'm getting the hot and cold flu type symptoms. I know that I will need further support in coming off it entirely. But I'm determined to come off.
I feel a bit fraudulent in light of what serious stuff people have been through on here. And my dose is a fair bit smaller, so I can't imagine how hard it must have been for everyone.
I was put on this following a massive error in a previous major surgery where the dr damaged one of my organs pretty badly, leaving me with chronic pain issues.
I'm hoping that each day will leave me feeling a little better then I can go about seeing about reducing my dose again but I think cutting it in half has left me with enough to deal with for a week or so!
oly958 hayley_87179
Posted
You've done extremely well to stick on the same dose without increasing. Cutting your dose in half might be a little rough for 2-3 weeks. The 5mg tablets are handy for tapering down at your own pace when you feel ready, think they are the lowest dose.
hayley_87179 oly958
Posted
Thank you, it definitely feels like a massive uphill battle, especially recovering from big surgery but there will always be a reason not to take the plunge and I figured that now is the best time as hopefully i won't need to be on this kind of pain relief when I fully recover so I might as well do it now.
I take my hat off to you all for all you've overcome. It's a massive deal.
oly958 hayley_87179
Posted
I think cutting in half whilst your whole system is a bit confused from surgery might make it more background noise than it might be normally be - When you're pain is high the level sometimes doesn't seem to matter. Hope your recovery doesn't take too long. Surgery sucks!
Scam oly958
Posted
Slowly is the only way to do it. The slower u reduce the less symptoms you will have. I was only taking 30 mst for 2 months but 4 weeks to come off and another 2 to feel normal. U need to research yourself to tell doctors what to do. I had to ask for anti sickness meds when I should have been on them while taking the mst.
You do want to get off them quick but there's no easy way out. Slowly as possible. Be patient , you'll get there but get back to regular taking and you will start feeling better.
hayley_87179 Scam
Posted
It's crazy how just a few months on MST completely turns your life around isn't it?
Thank you for your support. I think I may have to ask for anti sickness tablets too, they are really effective when feeling nauseous.
I'm hoping that the first week will be the toughest and although the side effects won't dampen down for several weeks, after knocking out the first week I'll see an improvement. But I'm determined to get back to 'normal ' or whatever my new normal will be after recovering from surgery.
Scam hayley_87179
Posted
I had s ruptured disc , still agony even on morphine. The morphine was the worst part. I stopped sevredrol and lyrica in the first week and was completely floored. Could hardly get out of bed. Barely drink water. I hadn't eaten for months because of the meds. So empty so hungry but couldn't eat. Then the shivers and shakes and insomnia from the adrenaline . It's a real eye opener to what some people have to endure , I feel lucky compared to a lot of the people whose accounts I've read. I asked doctor before I started what the problems would be but they don't answer. I asked when I stared reducing but I had to google everything. Good luck with it, but u should increase your dose again, a bit closer to the dose u were on. Small reductions , take your time. They say every 10 day to reduce but I did every 7. It does get easier. You'll start feeling better then reduce again. Then same again. The last week was the easiest , only a few days then I was done. I just feel poisoned by all the crap they gave me but none of it helped with the pain. If there's a next time, I'll not ever take that stuff again.
oly958 hayley_87179
Posted
It's crazy how you can be prescribed Opiate drugs for months and months and years when lesser strength Opiates in the chemist (Codeine) bear a warning 'do not use for more than three days'. It is unfair that patients aren't supported in their drug rehab when they don't get a choice and becoming dependent.
hayley_87179 oly958
Posted
Couldn't agree more. It's sad that so many people have been put in this position and aren't properly guided or supported.
hayley_87179 Scam
Posted
It's awful that you've gone through that, and massive congrats for doing it.
I would have to increase back to my full dose as I don't have any smaller increments at all, so I'm going to stick with it (fingers crossed I can). But so far so good even with the side effects. I'm going to really try and not go backwards but I will definitely be getting help from the dr in lowering the dose again in smaller increments.
I can't imagine the back pain you've had and to get off everything is a huge deal. Well done you.
I agree I will never ever take this again. Hopefully there will never be a next time for anyone to be in this position.