How do I get off Fentanyl patch 50 mcg?

[esther009]

Hello Everyone,

I'm so happy that this place exists, and I commend you all for your bravery and honesty.  I started off taking 5 mg of Vicodin for intense back, neck, hip, ankle pain which occurred out of nowhere in March of '08.  Well, Vicodin has always been my weakness, and since the pain continued for months, I worked my way up to Norco 10 mg, 5 times a day.  Well, the pain was being controlled for the most part, but I wanted to still enjoy the high, so then worked up to 20 mg Norco 4 to 5 times a day.  As I ran out of pills before my next pain management doctor's appointment, I had to confess to my problem, and he was very nice about it.  Because of what my body was used to, he started me on 50 mcg Fentanyl patch, changed every 48 hours.  I've been on this 6 weeks now, and CANNOT stand myself as my personality has changed so much.  Sure, pain is gone, but from going to my chiropractor weekly, it seems the actual causative pain is gone and everything's come into alignment.  So, I want to get off of the Fentanyl.  Pain doctor also nice to give me Norco 10 mg for breakthrough pain, even after my misusing it.  My personality changes and anxiety and feelings of panic while on Fentanyl have scared me straight, and I want to get off of this as soon as possible.  I have already done 2 cycles of taking Fentanyl only 50 mcg every 3 days, and using Norco only for breakthrough pain or in the spirit of telling the truth, when the "low" of Fentanyl (since I've been on Fentanyl, I feel very sad and anxious and sooooooooo unhappy) causes me to seek the comfort of Norco.  Amazingly, I've been good about this (once again, have been "scared straight" by Fentanyl), and only taking Norco 1 tablet 1 to 3 times a day.  My doctor wants me to stay at Fentanyl 50 mcg every 48 hours, but I really, really, really do not -- I want out!  Therefore, what is the safest way to taper down my Fentanyl patch to nothing, using Norco at a minimum for withdrawal symptoms?  I'm willing to go through the pain of withdrawal just to get rid of Fentanyl, and am so glad I've only been on it for 6 weeks from all of the posts I have read here.  Thank you so much for your willingness to reach out to me and others in this time of your own pain.  

[worried878]

Get off of that patch! ...safely but it is a bad thing to be addicted to!...jacquii is the resource for the patch...i have not seen her post in a while..perhaps u can pm her...do not cut the patch into smaller pieces as it can cause an overdose..I will see if i can contact jacquii to help u

[esther009]

Wow -- thank you so much for your kindness to me.  I have never had the guts before to own up to my addiction to pain pills (for over 15 years now, with many clean months, and then a relapse for a few weeks or so, and on and on).  I thought this would be a time filled with shame and loneliness in admitting this, but instead, am finding the solace of community.  Thank you so much!

[cattalina]

Would there be any way to tell your doctor that you don't want to continue with the patch?  You said that he's been helpful thus far with your situation, perhaps he will be able to set up a new plan?  

[esther009]

I called my doctor's office on Monday to talk about this, and his clinical nurse called me back.  She told me that my doctor didn't want me to change my regimen as "my not feeling pain anymore in the areas I mentioned was proof that we had reached the right dosage of the Fentanyl, and to change this dosage would only bring the pain back again."  The more I tried discussing this with her and telling her of the intolerable side effects I was having from Fentanyl, the more I got . . . nowhere.  She did suggest that I come in and see the doctor, but was not able to give me an appointment as I asked for various days and she said, "No, he's booked that day.  He's booked that day too."  She told me to call back when the receptionist was back in, but by that time, I was just fed up and wanted to handle things on my own.  (Sad but true!)  And if it weren't 12:04 p.m. (my time), I would call the office and set up another appointment right now.  Hmm, perhaps they're still in the office after all.  Well, I think I know what I'll be doing after I end this email.  Thank you . . .

[GoingToMakeIt]

Yes, the patch is a horrible med to get off of. Send Jacqui805 a PM. She will get back to you. She was traveling, but said she will be on later today.

[Sunnyd210]

Im sorry I dont know much about this except that I do know someone who uses the patch and swears by it but then again she took so many vicoden that she needed a liver transplant. there is someone else on here that is trying to get off of the patch. Extreme something is his name. Good luck to u

[esther009]

Uh, I'm embarrassed to say this, but what is a "PM," and how does one do this?  ;P

[GoingToMakeIt]

Oh, I am so sorry. A PM is a private message. In the upper right corner is the word Inbox. Click on that and then send a message. You have to make sure you have their name spelled right. (upper & lower case etc) Jacqui805 is the right spelling. the other way to do this is when you see their name 'hover' your mouse over the name. You will see options to send note or send message.
A great resource is in the Health Pages for New pople navigating the site. copy and paste this into your browser.

http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Addiction/PLEASE-READ-SITE-NAVIGATION-FOR-NEW-PEOPLE-/show/369?cid=66

[esther009]

I know, I have been frightened when thinking of what toll this might have on my liver.  That's why I was somewhat relieved (I know, I know) when I was switched to Norco because a 10 mg tablet only has 325 mg of Tylenol with it (as opposed to 1000 mg of Tylenol from taking two 5-mg tablets of Vicodin).  From what I know, the Tylenol in Vicodin is the real killer to your liver.  

I have another question for everyone out there.  What has been scaring me this year (because I've only realized it this year), is when I wasn't taking pain pills, every time I would feel happy just living, I would start to really crave a Vicodin because I had so come to associate happiness with Vicodin.  And if there was any Vicodin around, I would take one to . . . increase this feeling of happiness I was already feeling.  But then taking the Vicodin would somehow short-circuit the true happiness I was feeling and get me to start craving Vicodin for this again!  How in the world does one break this pattern???  Because I know I have the potential for feeling true happiness at times, not just the emotional pain and sadness that usually leads to my taking hydrocodone in its various forms.  How do I let myself "just be happy" without having to validate this happiness, or is it control this happiness, by adding a pill to it?

Thank you for listening.

[esther009]

I really like your poem because I can so relate to it.  Thank you for being you!  

[SHELLBELL79]

OMG GIRL I WAS IN THE EXACT SITUATION!!! I was freaking out for months about wanting to get off vicodin /norcos....especailly the dangerous, stupid Fentanyn patch. befroe i started the patch i was taking 3 vicodin es 4 times a day or 2 to 21/2 norco. my doc didn't like vicodin so he put me on the damn fentanyl patch from june to july my brain was craving the drug more and more. i went from 75mcg to 150mg is less than 2 months. i had only 30 norco, so that went quick. i was so scared and knew my doc wouldn't increase and i knew i couldn't live my life this way. so i called and looked up detox places and kept saying , am i gonna be in pain?...is this bad. they acted like everything was fine. they said oh you might feel like you have the flu for a week. my ***, they pushed suboxone on me but i couldn't afford it and i knew that your just switching to another drug to be dependant on and its hell to get off of. i was told it has a freakin 72 hour half life....thats psycho! fentanyl has a 17 hour half life which 50 times more than herion and 50 times stronger than morphine. i went through hell and back detoxing with just 50 mg of ultram for 5 days. i was in severe pain and in hell for 4 days straight but i did it. i felt like giving up and dying. i will be 2weeks tomm. and i am still having w/d b/c i took fentanyl. i found out from other people here its a nasty , nasty drug. i also am now sick and have an ibfection somewhere in my body b/c w/d causes you immnune system to be low.i am now on antibiotics, plus i also have low potassium in my bloood, which caused my body to have rls and muscle spasms along witha rapid heartbeat.  im am going to get vitamins tomm. i need to find out what vitamins to take that will help heal  my body. there you go.....if you need anymore answers pm me anytime. i know your scared, i was deathly scared. i have major pain medical problems and stress. if i can do it so can you.......i will pray for you.
good luck

[sahr]

I just moved hear from MI and I was told a long time ago I had fibromyalgia witch I have come to find it just some times means you don't have the right income. So f*** you I don't have time for you. So of course they just put me on a bunch of pain pills, and the damn fentanyl path. Now we have just moved to Portland and the Dr. I got hear first tried to just stop the patch but I had my pharmaciest get on her from back at home. She told her to take me off of it slowly and to give me an alternative to fall back on if I felt I could not handoil it for any reason I can go to rehab. You don't need to be insured it's free and they don't take your kids because you get help plus you can more then likely get SSI for going throw the program anyway. It will take you about 5 to 8 days to be all of the way clean. They help you by keeping you filling nothing the hold time and they give you things to block the cravings for the patch in your .

[badeggs65]

i have been on the fentanyl patch for almost four yrs now. i started at a dosage of 100mcg per every three days. and went up to 150 at one point. i have began to slowly wean down with my pain management docs help . and am now on 50mcg for the past 5 mos. it is going to be a vewry slow process and will take time. i do take percocet 10mg 5x per day as needed (many days i dont take that amount..i take way less.) but i have recently been diagnosed with panic/anxiety disorder. and in jan had a thyroid cancer scare and had to have half of it removed. the surgery should have taken only about 2 hrs but took almost 4 due to the tumor being wound so tightly with the tissues involved. i also have been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. i wonder if some of this can be attributed to lowering dosage of pain patch as well as the hormone levels due to the thyroid issue?  all i know is i am committed to coming off all these drugs . i need to see where my pain level is too. and the only way to do that is to come down on your dosage. ia little background...i have had 10 surgeries in the last four yrs due to breaking my hip, knee, and both bones in my ankle. not all at the same time, but overlapping injuries...im lucky that way..lol. anyway. i DO NOT abuse my meds but just dont want to be on them for the rest of my life. i wll just have to see where my pain level is and seek other alternatives to help with it. as of now i have 2 bulging discs in my lower back k(-L4-L5) due to my rt leg being shorter by 1 inch and 1/8 due to all the breaks and surgeries (yes all these accidents are on the rt leg) lol...they shoot horses for this. guess im lucky im not a horse, huh?  anyway....just a little info for you....keep strong, you can wean down and eventually get off of them with your drs help....take care and god bless.   cindy

[extrmeski]

OH those patches are horrible!  They are over 80 times stronger than morphine!  Get off them as soon as you can.  They are he11 to get off of once you have been on them for awhile.  Start by leaving the patch on for the full 72 hours, if you have the mylan ones (not the ones that are jell filled) you can cut them in half to taper.  Do what ever you have to do but do something.  The effects of Fentanyl can last up to a year.  The good news is that 50mcg patches are strong but no where near the 100's.