Fentanyl Withdrawal Symtoms

Hello everyone! I too am 15 days completely off the fentanyl patch after high doses of fentanyl with both the oral medication and the patch. I can tell you one thing for sure, in no way shape or form was it worth the withdrawal from this strong and highly addictive medication!! I quit cold turkey after being on fentanyl for 6 months, I cannot even phathom what withdrawals after a few years would be like. I was in extreme pain and agony, not even able to do the smallest things for the first 72 hours, i vomited and had diarrhea to the point of severe dehydration. I ended up in the emergency room and they did help with the vomiting with some kind of strong meds used for cancer patients and it still didn't totally work. (the 2 liters of IV fluid did rehydrate and help some) After a full 2 weeks and using immodium and clonopin for when i really needed it, (I still have less severe diarrhea and stomach cramps) I almost feel human again, but I still have residual effects and wonder if they will ever go away. I feel kind of dettached and still pretty weak. I am making myself go out and walk and do as much as I can. I still can't sleep through the night, but that is getting better. I am off and on agitated and grouchy. I have to return to work on Monday and just hope I can make it through a 12 hour shift.
Please! Don't attempt to go off fentanyl without help if you already have heart and lung problems, this could kill you, so afford it or not, get yourself in to a program of some sort!!
I can tell you I really did think I was going to die at first and then I prayed I would die so I could escape the horrible agony and pain. I would never go through this withdrawal again without medical help for atleast the first week of detox. (That won't be nessessary, since I wouldn't touch that sh*t again for anything!!!!) I hope everyone is doing ok, and if you are still in that first 72, I can feel for you and tell you ....IT WILL GET BETTER.
Now, if I can just get my joy and my strength back, all will be well....
Please message me or respond if you need to....
Chaoticangel42

Hello. I would like to sincerely "THANK" everyone who has shared their experierence with this chaotic medicine. While prescribed this medicine, I've continued going to work, light boxing workouts...good quality of life during the first day of patch application. If everyday remained like the first day of patch application but unfortunately it's not the case.

The negatives outway the one day positives with this medicine. I want my dignity back. This was taken from me by the numerous pharmacies, I went to, in order to get the script filled. Last Friday, my Pain Management doctors office, treated me like I was sub-human. "How dare I question why I am made to wait 2 hours in a waiting room". They treated me like they held the cards. Stupid or not, I made a decision. "I WANT MY DIGNITY BACK".

I'm following all of your instructions. I mean the people who "walk the walk". I'll punch my speed and heavy bag till my arms fall off before I reach out for my drugs to assist with withdrawal. DIGNITY HERE I COME, BABY!!! DADDY IS COMING FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!

Just cut up and disposed the last of the patches. No turning back. Others have done this before me and proved it can be done. Thank you!!!

using scissors, cut the patches into gradually decreasing sizes. each time you change your patch, replace it with a smaller piece. if you are active you may find that they are more likely to fall off, nevertheless give it a try. I feel for you all, and now you know what a heroin addict has to face.

I am a fentanyl survivor. Here are some other tips for withdrawl-
Bath for leg cramps-also helps move the drug out faster
B12
Melatonin for sleep
Black Cohosh for hot flashes and sweats
chamomille tea for sleap
peppermint for nausea and vomitting
banannas for leg cramps
magnesium for leg cramps

DO NOT GO COLD TURKEY....the tapering and cutting of patches will take you longer to get off, but will save you the hell of withdrawl

Hang in there....anyone can get off of any drug.

Good luck

This whole pain management c**p is off the hook. I've been in pain management for about 10 months. Doc took me off 3 hydro 10/325 per day, and put me on Oxycontin. The last thing I wanted in my life was addiction. The doc says that the long acting are better for chronic pain and the hydrocodone won't work any more after a while. So... I say OK.

I'm naive and have never been to pain management... just dealt with pain since I wrecked my car at 21 years old and put myself in a wheelchair. Over the years the rods in my back just became unbearable.

So, I start out with hydrocodone/acetaminophen 10/325 and away I go. All is well until I ask my GP for muscle relaxers for leg spasms. She sends me to pain management. As I said above... he suggests long acting hardcore drugs, and I tell him I'm scared to death to become addicted. He said that being on hydrocodone for about 2 years, you're probably already somewhat dependent. That wasn't true. I could stop taking them and still sleep at night, but I went along with it... my pain is pretty bad.

So... I take his advice and go with the Oxycontin. We finally settle on 30mg 3 times a day or 90mg a day. All is well for a few months. Then I start feeling highs and lows from the drug. I mean mood swings. I realize that the drug is what makes me feel better. It turns into taking more pills than prescribed. The next thing I know, I'm realizing its out of control. I stopped the Oxycontin cold turkey and threw the rest down the toilet. Then I brought him my written prescription that I didn't refill and told him I can't take this stuff any more, and told him what happened.

I took hydrocodone/acetaminophen w/ an old prescription of soma to get through the oxycontin withdrawals. I've been through a lot in my life, and that first week without Oxy was one of the worst weeks I can remember. Anyway... I got through it. When I tell the doctor how I did it... he panics and tells me that I'm not allowed to have any short acting pain meds and only long acting. Offers me Suboxone.. which I took, or Duragesic Patches (Fentanyl) or any of the other harcore drugs that mess with your brain. I could have asked for Oxycontin again and he probably would have given it to me. He's supposed to be a reputable pain management doctor too. What are these guys deliberately trying to get you hooked on the heavy stuff so you have no choice but to keep going to them? Now I'm on the Suboxone for PAIN... not addiction and I turned down the Fentanyl. Eventhough the Suboxone doesn't do much for the pain... it's better than nothing. Since he won't give me short acting narcotics, I'm stuck on this Suboxone and I won't do anything stronger.

Now I'm reading that this Suboxone will be hard as hell to get off. I would rather deal with the pain than with all these heavy drugs. Give me my 10/325 Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen w/ Soma for my leg spasms and send me off. The doctor won't do it. How did he come to the conclusion I can't have any short acting narcotics when it was the Oxycontin that got me into this mess in the first place? I never had any problem with the Hydro/Acet before. He must not get a big enough kick back for prescribing little short acting drugs as he does for the big name brain frying meds. This sucks. I told him so, and I'm going to tell him so again.

People... don't let these doctors push their meds on you unless you're going to die. By all means take the heavy stuff if you're terminally ill, otherwise, DON'T! Take short acting as needed and leave it at that.

Good luck everyone.

You are in a very unfortunate situation. Fentanyl patches are NOT supposed to be used for post surgury pain, or pain that is short term in any way. You should have only had Fentanyl patches if you're going to live with chronic pain for the rest of your life. However, the doctor that prescribed this to you should have given you a lesser narcotic to ween you off of, or you could always go to a clinic to get Suboxone and ween off that. I would imagine it would be extremely difficult to do it just by stopping immediately. Sometimes I don't know if doctors know what they're doing.

Depending on how long you've been on whatever type narcotic... the longer the withdrawals will last. The physical addiction should leave your body in roughly 4 days, but the psychological effects can take up to 2 years before you feel completely back to normal. The very potent narcotics are quite damaging to the brain's pleasure centers. It takes time for it to heal.

Time is the only answer, but you should have something to help you until the withdrawals run their course.

Good Luck...
Painfuldude

Not to sound like I'm trying to "one-up" everyone, but after reading posts by people who take what they think is a high amount of narcotic pain medication because they take 200mg oxycodone per day, I have to tell you about my wife, who is a terminally ill cancer patient with tumors on her spine that are pressing on her nerves and causing her intractable pain.

Currently, she takes 720mg Oxycontin per day (240mg 3 times), plus 1 100mcg/hr fentanyl patch every 72 hours, plus fast acting oxycodone (3 15mg tabs every 2-3 hours as needed) and a brand new drug -- Opana aka oxymorphone (1-2 5mg tabs every 2-3 hours as needed) for breakthrough pain. In other words, my wife, who weighs all of 100 lbs (and she's 5'8" tall!) takes 840mg oxycodone (both extended release and immediate release), plus another 120mg oxymorphone, plus 240mcg fentanyl every single day!

Obviously, she didn't get to this stage overnight. It took a few years, besides which, she has a true, legitimate need for the medication. However, despite the fact that her doctors tell her she will die from cancer, we remain hopeful that she will somehow recover (after all, she's been stage IV for more than 4 years -- three years longer than the "average" stage IV cancer patient). Unfortunately, if she does beat the cancer, how on earth will I get her off this much pain medication? Would she die from the withdrawal symptoms (is it possible to die from withdrawal symptoms)?

:'( I had a broken leg in February and was put on Fentynl patches without being told that it was opiod Well you trust your doctor dont you ? I did so when the pain got worse I asked him could I double it he said yes. I did and ach and eery day I got worse and worse my arm started aching where the patch was ? So \i startded praying to Jesus to help me as I now know that is the only person who can help as these doctors dont really care especially in a big city like London , I would have probably been prescribed something else or maybe even more Fentynl ? I decided that these patches were making me worse so I took one of them off and followed by taking the other off 3 days later ! The pain immedietly went whether it was divine intervention or not but I personally think that it was Jesus way of helping me by telling me to throw away the patches.I then went into what I now know to be cold turkey, my sister who looked after me through the worst two weeks of my life,thought i was dying twice she called for an ambulance, the first time I was sent home as they said I was going through cold turkey ! there answer was to put the patches back on !!! The second time a kind hearted doctor put me on a drip as I was severely dehydrated I felt so good that night ,and havent done since!! I went on to have one of the worst nights of my life.I wont go into all the gory details of what I've been through in the past fortnight but I assure you I been to hell and back,the only good thing that came out of this is I now have Jesus in my life because at one stage I was begging to die.Everyone about me thought I was a gonner so did I. :-( I can only say that throughout it all even when I couldnt eat or speak I drank as much water as possible .I am now 17 days into this withdrawal I am left weak and achy sort of flu like and feel permanently like I'm in a bubble ! I am eating nutritionally and taking vitamins and minerals but still I DONT FEEL NORMAL !!! I still dread getting into that bed every night because I know that the terrors of the night will come !Although its getting better at least I get a bit of sleep now ,the worst thing now is that heat its not a sweat its just like someone has plugged you into a socket whoosh the heat wakes you up,sometimes I have to get up and go and trample in a bath with cold water .I read about that in a book about water therapy. I am reading all about Fentanyl on the internet and I am not the only one having trouble getting off it .There should be some sort of help on the NHS but there isnt they treat you like a Junkie although it's them who gave you the drugs in the first place.!! I now pity those poor junkies now because if thats what they have to go through to get off whatever they're on then I dont blame them for running away,pity has to be given to those people too. I keep wondering am I going to be in this bubble forever and I read that a lady who was on half the dose I was on is still not the same after six months off it .I am firmly convinced that drugs in small quantities have their use but to just hand them out without warning is dangerous !!I am convinced that this drug is deadly and will be banned when enough people have complained about it , if it wasn't dangerous then why is my arm still dead where the patch was ? I hope I've helped someone by writing this .

Your post is from 9/6/08. How are you now? My husband is on day seven and wants to give up. He has no energy, can't sleep and is mentally down. He has been on 100 Fentyonl patch every 48 hours for eight years. I am desperate for information.
Kim

Hi, i was on the patch for 3 months , and i asked to come off cause i had nothing but problems with them.I was getting the withdrawl horribly while still on them so i know what your going through.
There is a new medication out that is a narcotic like medication it is called OPANA ER. It has been around since april,1 2008 and i was so worried about comming off the patch cause the withdrawls were so bad and i was getting them while on the patch.I would get a patch that was not working , and didnt know intell i was going through constant hot and cold flashes.I even went into the emrgency room cause i did not know what the hell was going on with me cause i was taking all my medication as i was suppose to.This is why i am off now so proud cold turkey straight off the 100mcg fentnyl patch i was on the sandoz brand.The day i quit the patch my doctor raised my opana to 30mg every 12 hrs.I had absolutley no withdrawls at all.The opana er 30mg would be a great med to try.If taking properly it is a very safe medication and i know i feel like a human again.The fentnyl is way too strong now i can see why they mainly give that c**p to cancer patients.I am 26 years old with moderate everyday pain but never bad enough to be on something that strong.Also i am on percocets 7.5-325 for breakthrough.I do like those i been on those for a year or little longer and them are for breakthrough pain and they mentally stabalize me .The opana is a very stong medication but that is whats neede to aleviate the withdrawls then its going to be easier to titrate off the opana then it is the fentnyl.

Thanks to everyone posting here, im in day 5 of cold turkey off 50mg patches for about 2.5 years and really needed to see that this was normal for cold turkey. I hate to say it but i was VERY close to suicide over this stuff and i dont suggest this to anyone without a cancer/terminal type pain. deffinately not worth it. Again thank you it has helped me to hear you all.

First, don't get scared because that is what the drug is telling you to do. You're not going to die, in fact, you'll find(if you look hard and trust God)you can live longer with less pain than you imagined possible. I know what its like to be on major doses of things, compliments of a doctor who wrote scripts purely for the profit of it until the DEA put and end to his b.s. I was scared to death at first, and when the sickness set in I thought for sure I was going to die, in fact there were times I would pray for death afraid it wouldn't find me. Its taken some doing to break the chains but its worth it. I'm not completely out of the woods as I've been in a mmp for the past year and a half and even there I had one of the highest doses in the place but the fact that I'm moving to a country where drug laws are much tougher than here along with the fact that the methadone clinic was a ball and chain but I figured out how much time I had before I left at decided to come down 10mg per week(actually, I probably should have come down a little heavier the first couple weeks but its in the past now. When I got down to 20mg the doctor at the clinic asked me about coming down at 5mg intervals until 10mg and then drop to 2.5mg. I'm looking at my next to last dose for tomorrow morning knowing that whether or not I take it I'm going to have some discomfort time(which actually started at 7.5mg and got more uncomfortable as I progressed to the 2.5mg where I am now). I might have to deal with some more discomfort. I talked to other people at the clinic who did the same thing except they came down over a much longer period of time and they told me that it wasn't nothing like many of the horror stories you hear. The trouble with opiates is you become convinced somehow in your mind that things are much worse than they really are. But, you can gain your freedom back that opiates steals from you. The ball and chain at the methadone clinic is something you should look forward to shedding. If you go that route I hope you can find place like I went to where counseling and group therapy was mandatory--flexible schedules worked around, etc.,. But, as I said in the first line of this post, don't freak out because there are alternatives and if you have time before you are out of supplies you have time to look into them. There is much public transportation that can often be had at no cost in such situations and most counclers will even help you with details as such plus you meet people there in the same boat you are in. The thing to remember is however--if you want to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat. Good luck to you.

I have been on the patch for six months 50 mgs This is my fourth day and can hardly write this. It has been a comfort to know all of you care enough to write your experiences with this nasty drug down.

My doctor gave me no warning nothing and it turned my world upside down.

I have no idea why he would have given me this patch to start with there are hundreds of other pain medications. This Patch is the worst and I agree it should be banned.

I thank God for getting me through each day even though it is a nightmare. I know it will get better in time and pray for it to be so.

This am I woke sick screaming sweating crying...it lasted for a couple hours then I decided no sleeping today, as my nights have been horrible waking in sweats clintching my covers I hate the waking part. As the morning wore on I noticed the colors looked brighter and i could feel feelings again small bits of me coming back. I pray for all of you we can recover walk try to get up be busy wear yourself out..try fight like hell we can get through this..never ever will I PLACE ANOTHER FENTAL PATCH ON MY BODY OR NEAR ME AGAIN!

BLESSINGS FROM MI

Hi Im whitney :-) I am 17 and ive been sick all my life with many weird problems including tumors, deg disc, deg joints, celiac disease, nerve damage,gallstones and gallbladder removed at age 14, chronic cysts, ovarian problems, extrem allergies and more I have had over 24 surgeries to save my life. I was put on the fentanyl patch two years ago(25mg) and I decided last month that pain killers are not whats going to make me better and i didn't want to live on medication anymore and i am hoping to get over withdrawls so i can see if im in as much pain as i was before i started or if its all just withdrawls. Ive been off the patch for two weeks but withdrawls are still hitting me hard i wake up with the bed soaked and i shiver alot. I have even started hearing things that aren't there. I have started feeling my joint pain alot more now and my hips that are needing replacement are feeling really bad. I have real bad headaches and i get fevers every now and again. Idk what i should do i want to be better if anyone has any advice on what could help ease my pain **** thank you :-)