Help me find a way to get off 100mcg/Duragesic, been on 7 years!

HiiIs there someone who has been put on the Duragesic patch, that has been on for over 7 years, or longer? I went from 25, to 50, to 75, and now at 100mcg currently.  This is were i'am at, and they are starting to not be enough, and the doctor wants to put me on a higher dose. Well personally I have had enough, and I want to be off of them, and free of the ball and chain of these nasty patches!  Also have to have breakthrough pain meds of Roxicodone5mg at @ 10 a day with flare ups of crohns disease, which include many fistula tracts, and R/A included.  I'am a 41 yr old mother of two boys, and my life is overwelming having to deal with depending on the patch.  Half the time they come off early(especially in summer in SC) I have been battling trying to stop on my own, from letting the patch expire past 3 days......will never do that again-I thought I was going to die!  Very painful and scary:( So I tried to wein down, and this has not worked at all, always get sick and cant make it and put another on to stop the seizure, and convulsions, leg shakes, vomitting, diarrhea etc etc etc. I'am so lost of what to do, and I dont trust any docs to work with me.  Could I get experienced individuals who can give me insight, and guidance to be done with these pesky patches! Thank you so very very much!!

[IBKleen]

Hi and welcome,

First off, you are on a very high dose to be doing cold turkey. Second, if you are experiencing seizures and convulsions, please do not try to detox alone. I understand that you don't trust the doctors but I do not see where you have a choice given all that you have said. You need to find a doctor who can wean you off and get you to a safe level to undergo the withdrawal process with minimal discomfort.

Please consider finding another doctor who you can trust to help you.

Keep us posted and please be careful!

[122 Tactical Fighter Group]

A seven year history of a fentanyl patch with 10 roxy's per day for breakthrough will probably need some professional assistance. A decent Doc can help you with addittional RX meds to help the withdrawal symptoms.......an addictionologist would be a good place to start.....

[mtgoat911]

i have been clean for a while now, but i remember those patches, all i can suggest is an open discussion with your doctor, let them know you want out of the insanlty
hopefully he will help you taper plan, start you on a catperes patch, seizure meds
pain management doctors usually just stop prescribing meds when you ask them for help, so if your doctor gives you the cold shoulder, start calling detox facilities
i will be thinking of you, other than matience drugs those pathches were the toughest to get out of my system

[worried878]

tough and u do need a dr to help u with this...we r not drs...only a bunch of addicts!  the roxies sound like they r instant relase if u r getting 10 a day....instant release is often harder to wd from due to the sudden bombardment of narcotic on the brain...i really do agree with eagle and a dr who knows his stuff would need to taper u down and get u off of this drug regime and using safer drugs to help so u r safe and do not have seizures etc...a longer acting narcotic in place of the IR's would help then going down slowly on the patch dose,,this type thing will take a long time..even up to a year to get u safely off...if u r determined then there is also an option of getting to a certain point and perhaps switching to suboxone..i dont usually advocate that but u r on a strong narcotic...not sure if u r physically dependent of mentally addicted as well...these things do come into play and a trained addictionologist like eagle mentioned could do this with u...do u think ur own dr has the knowledge to get u off safely?? not all drs are trained in this sorta thing..but there r dr's who r..keep posting