Itching! Can I stop safely after 5 days?

Hi. I have been on a 25 mg patch since last Tues. Today is Monday early morning. I just put on my 3rd patch. I am itching uncontrollably for the 2nd night in a row.  I was on a high dosage of hydrocodone for several years prescribed by the same pain management doc for a variety of chronic pain issues. This is also not my first experience with fentanyl. Not sure why I went back now. Las time I went off cold turkey after 17 months. My doc made me promise not to do that again.
My question is what would happen this time around after such a short period of time if I just stopped? C of course I talk with my doc but it's 5 am and I'm wanting to take this thing off NOW!  I've had to take a benedryld before I tore my skin off!  Anyone out there?


This discussion is related to Fentanyl WD's.

[barefootgirl]

Hello, I have had chronic pain for at least 10 years. The Doc kept upping my pain patch until it got to 100 and a fifty patch When I wanted to stop using it I had to go into the hospital for 4 days of hell. Please be careful get help from your Doctor those patches were the toughest thing I had to stop . After that they put me on 10 mg of morphine then upped it to 20 mg of Oxycontin that helps a little but not much. Now I need a chest x-ray and blood work done Afraid of what the test results may find, but MUST  have it done.25 is the lowest dose you can be on so I'm sure it won't be as hard on you to stop. The itching means you are probably allergic to it so tell your Doctor right away- my best to you! .

[bmdad]

You won't have withdrawals from the patch after being on it for just a week. If you do experience withdrawals it will more than likely be from the hydrocodone. Do you plan on starting up with the hydrocodone once you stop using the patch? If so, you should've have any withdrawal symptoms. If you do they will be minimal.

Opiates were never meant for long term usage. As our tolerance grow we continue to need more and more as our previous dose just doesn't do the job any longer. Before we know it we are taking absurd amounts with little to no pain relief.

There are many of us here who suffer from chronic pain and have successfully controlled it with non narcotic antics. I feel one thing doctors need to do more is figure out how to treat the pain instead of mask it with narcotics. After we've been on opiates for some time our brain somewhat gets "rewired" and it will actually create more pain in order for us to give it what it wants.

Have you consider stopping the opiates all together so you can reevaluate your pain level? That's another thing that should be done which doctors rarely recommend.

Either way, we will be here for once you're ready.

Best of luck!




Brian