Fentanyl Lozenge WD

[nicaber]

I'm 24 and have been diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis and have had over 15 surgeries to try to correct it. I have been around with so many doctors i can't even count. I've noticed that they are kind of stuck on how to correct it since surgeries have made it worse so they are very good at dishing out pain killers. i've been on actiq-fentanyl lozenges for about 3 years. I used to also be on the patches but quit those. I'm also on methadone. 20 mg-4 times a day. I have been taking 6 + 600mcg suckers a day and i'm trying to get off of them. I take 50mg methadone right now and i'm down to 2 suckers a day. that was a big difference from 1 1/2 weeks ago. the problem is it is a big struggle for me and i've tried this multiple times and have had such bad withdrawal symptoms that i gave in and then immediately went right back up to 6 a day. I can't stop thinking about taking them and right now i'm having more pain than before because i'm taking less, but the suckers also cause my pain to be worse so i just want off all of them. what can I do to get over this hump? I wnat to get off suckers completely but the oral fixation with having a sucker is such a mental struggle. I am scared that once i get off the suckers that i don't know how to get off the methadone? i feel like my bones are breaking when i go through the withdrawal. i'm restless and my whole body hurts so bad. how do i help this? has anyone gotten off fentanyl by themselves and knows how to beat this?

[Diane_G46]

Hi,
I have chronic low back, hip, and leg pain and see my pain specialist monthly.  He has never put me on fentanyl due to the cost.  I take 10 mg of Percocet 4 times a day which barely does anything.  Oxys were mentioned at one appointment but he says they're very expensive as well as there is no generic.  I go next week and am asking for MS Contin which I have been on in the way past for severe endometriosis...gone, now, after my hysterectomy!  I have tried Methadone last year, but he only gave me 15 mg. every 12 hours and I had break-through pain like crazy.  Percocet gives me maybe 1-2 hours of relief if I am lucky.  I wanted to address you because you mentioned klonopin.  I was on that for about 4 months or so because I have a severe anxiety disorder.  The longer I was on, the more addicted I got.  Man, I was eating those things like candy.  Getting off of them was pure hell!  Singer Stevie Nicks, a fave of mine, knows this all too well as she has had to detox from them and said it was worse than getting off the cocaine she did for 30 years.  Anyway, I find Xanax a much, much better alternative for relaxation.  My brain is not always hungry for them.  I have always stuck to my dr.'s orders on dosage and even less.  I could not do that with klonopin.  I have no experience with Valium.  They are all benzodiazepines, but I would absolutely NOT recommend klonopin at all.  
Question to any of you:   How do you afford the fentanyl and/or something like Oxycontin.  My doc would give me Oxy's but there is no generic and I cannot afford them...same for fentanyl.  However, my insurance (Avmed) "might" help with the lollipops but I have to get them pre-authorized so I will take the form with me next week.  What is a good starting dose?  I am 46, female, a homemaker (so no driving to a job and back), 5'6.5" and about 158 lbs.  I just want to feel better!  This pain has been going on for sooo long.  I have a disc bulge at L-5/S-1 but the MRI says it is not compressing a nerve...however, I am now getting numbness, tingling and needle-like pains in my legs.  Percs just are not doing it.  Can't double up (even though I do sometimes out of agony) due to the Tylenol factor.

[stcar]

I'm on the 100mcg fentanyl patches right now, but go off them every month for about a week, and take the percocet 15's instead.  My presciption is for 50mcg and 4 perc 15's/day.  I like the percs better, and take them for about a week, then double up on the patches.  instead of 50, I take 100.  The percs get through 9 days, and the patches get through 15.  I get another two 100mcg patches from a friend to make up the difference.  There is never a WD from either when I switch from one to the other.  I WAS taking 25 Lortab 10's every day, costing me about $2500/mo.  I'm now down to what my script calls for plus the 2 patches.  It was tought to cut down, but i did this 5 months ago, and feel a lot better.  When I did run out of anything, I would have terrible sweats, be hot and cold at the same time, get all the symptons of a cold, and terrible headache.  I couldn't sleep at night except for about 10 minutes at a time.  Restless legs were bad, and all I could do what was sit and count the hours to get my script refilled, or I spent hours on the phone trying to find something to take from friends.  This is one of the hardest thiings in the world to get off, or to not abuse.  My doctor said that she was going to go up to the 75 mcg patches next week, and cut the percs down to 3/day.  this will be great for me, because I think I can do the 75's instead of doubling up the 50's all the time, and it will be easier to stick to the actual prescription without getting anything at all to go with it.  Anyone reading this that have never taken these things...DO NOT START unless it's ABSOLUTLEY necessary.  I wish I never did.  I blew about $80,000 in the last 4 years on this ****.  

[mic mac]

I was addicted to fentanyl patches.  It all started with the weaker painkillers like vicodin or perks just to take to get a buzz and then me and my boyfriend got introduced to these patches.  We LOVED THEM because it gave you such a better buzz and lasted the whole day even if you ate you would still be messed up.  It was probably the worst mistake i ever made getting started on those things.  I got hooked right after I have my son bc i was looking to get high on something, anything, seeing as how i didnt do anything the whole 9 months i was pregnant.  It ruined the last 6 months of my life and my sons, i was just gettin them through someone that i knew had them and that person was coming through with them like all the time so i stayed messed up on them.  I was barely in my sons life i would pass him off to my parents any minute i got to go and get high.  the drug just completely took over my life and soon i had to have it or i was sick. i lived like that for about 4 months straight but then it became harder to get them so i found myself stressing everyday about what i was going to get in order to get high.  i finally realized its not worth it to live a life like that and it wasnt fair to my son, my parents wanted nothing to do with me and didnt even want me to come around anymore... people starting talking about if i was on something at work because i was always sick, lookin horrible and never wanting to work.  i was so lazy all i wanted to do was relax n feel a buzz - i just want to let everyone know how horrible of a drug that is when you are just using it recreationally... its so addicting both physically and mentally... thats all i thought about and i still do think about it and get urges a lot but luckily i am on saboxin now.. that is a miracle for me.  the withdrawls were so bad i would have night sweats.. be hot but cold n sweating all at the same time... would feel like i wasnt sleeping at all at night just had my eyes closed.. my whole body ached and i felt sick to my stomach .. they lasted about a week n now i feel so much better in the mornings when i wake up - im not sick n im not wondering what n how im going to get something for that day n vikes n perks no longer worked for me n oxy cotin was too expensive n i had no money-- i just want anyone who is thinking about trying this drug to think again because it can really take over and ruin your life. thankfully god gave me to the power to take charge and get off but i hope no one else will have to go through what i did.

[LadySundown]

Welcome,
There is a man who did w/d from the Actiq lillipops.namonfire. I have tapered from 100mcg/hr fentanyl patches to 0. Very slow taper seemed to be the key to that. I'm in w/d right now but due to the slow taper, I think that's what is making it possible. Yes, bone and muscles ache terribly and I have had cramping.
You are a strong lady and very knowledgeable about your meds. I can't imagine going through that many surgeries. You are in true physical pain. If you feel you want/need to w/d from the suckers I think you can do it. Just remember to do it slow. You may have gone a bit fast and that could be why the w/d is so hard on you.

I wish you luck and please keep posting,
Take Care.....LS

[Soonerdean]

This will be one of the most difficult things you will attempt but it can be done.  I was on 100mcg Fentanyl patch every 48 hours for 6 months for chronic pain in my feet, I have a bulging disk in my back.  Outside to the cost of those things I was affraid of the addicition.  When I called my pain doc and told him I wanted off he got mad...then told me I could ween off the patch in 9 days with do side effects.  BOY WAS HE WRONG!  

WIthdrawals will begin in about 24 hours with you body hurting all over, you get the sweats/chills and just really feel bad.  One thing my doctor called in for me was Clonopin which did seem to help.  Valium will help also but this can be addicitive as well.

Do you have a friend or family member that is close by to help you with this?  You will need support.  One thing I found most frustrating was the doctors unwillingness to tell me what I was about to go through...and in turn caused my anxiety to double.  

You will have to TUFF it out at some point if you are going to try this on your own.  If you find it too difficult you may want to look at a rehab center.  A local hospital in your area may offer assistance also.  

Currently I am trying to get off Lortab but every time I turn around I find myself in the hospital.  Most recently last Friday with a kidney stone and guess what the ER doctor gave me?  Lortab.  I took it because I was in pain but things like this arent helping me get off this narcotic.  Today is day 3 without any narcotics and I am anxious, I hurt in my feet and knees and want a pill so bad I can hardley stand it.  But with God's help I will overcome this addiction and I am doing it for my wife and kids.  

God will help you but this wont be easy considering your condition.  One thing people with chronic pain have to come to grips with is we may be on this stuff for the rest of our life...that is my current struggle.  

If you ever need to talk I come to this site at least once a day usually around 6pm cst.  Feel free to look me up...maybe we can do this together.

GOD WILL DELIVER!

[bowhunter71064]

i quit the patchs c/t about 5 months ago.pure hell and i was only on them for a month.i didnt sleep for 72 hours then it was very little till about the third week.i lost 15lbs.read the paper with your script fentanyl stays in your system 36 hours after you dont take anymore.thats why i quit i couldnt get adjusted to the patch[thank god].all i can say if you go c/t be ready for a fight with the devil.good luck the bowhunter

[FLaddict]

GO to search in the right hand corner of the page and put in "thomas recipe"  lots of posts should come up

[nicaber]

I don't want to take anything else. do you know where i can find this thomas recipe? I have gotten this far before and i know i'm at the hump where it starts getting really hard. I'll take 1-2 a day, and then finally go one day without a sucker and  the next day I can't even handle it because i'm thinking about it so much and will take one and it will make me extremely sick. I hate it. i've been off of them quite a few times but after a month or so, i'll take one and be right back to square one. The act of swirling the sucker is such a stress relief. it gets my mind off the pain so it's such a mental challenge since it was an oral fixation that helped get my mind off the extreme pain. i am thinking of having another surgery- a pancreas transplant but i'm so scared i'll get put back on these. I want to have a family and can't on these medicines. i know the pain is still there and bad but i want to try to take non-narcotics to treat it. thanks.

[fentanylEater024]

i used to eat the 100mg patches cut them open eat the juice than chew the wrapper till it would fall apart while takin 15 norco 10's dat 13 cold turky but my only injury is a pinced nerve in my neck which it is tolerable afer detoxin i just followed the thomas recipe add differt vitamins and tuf it out but if u think i=u cant ask other people abot suboxidone