Hi, I am a 56 yr. old female. Diagnosed in 2003 with Fibromyalgia, Osteoarthritis,Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Restless Leg Syndrome, Irritable bowel syndrome and have had heart problems [1996-1999] that required a cardiac cath, but no diagnosis was ever made. Rarely, I have a racing heart episode, but not for awhile.
I am delighted to say I do not have any symptoms of anything on the above list anymore x's 6 months. :0) I am one happy camper! I am pretty sure my doctor does not beleive me, and is hesitiant about taking me off the narcotics I have been on now since 2004.
I stopped all the other meds on my own.
I remain only on the Fentanyl patch and Percocet, but am wanting to get off this stuff.
I have been on 100 mcgs of Fentanyl every 48 hrs for over 3 years now. I noticed 3 months ago that the 100mcg patch became ineffective after 24 hours but did not want to increase it just to avoid withdrawal. I have been experiencing withdrawls now after the first 24 hours for about 3 months.
My doctor was perscribing 120 10/325 percocet per month, but I NEVER took that many. In the winter months, perhaps at most I would take on a very bad stormy day, 2-3 percocet at most. And that maybe only once or twice a month. I have all but stopped taking any percocet at all fir about two months.
That too had some withdrawal, but I refused to take more of it for no reason.
To date, I have thrown out over 150 percocet, and have had up to 340 in bottles around the house. I threw them out last week. Over perscribed a bit??? I told my doctor I didn't need it, but he kept writing the script anyway!!! He keeps really bad records, and when he is on vacation, the person who fills in for him can never find the right perscriptions in the computer. My husband sees the same doctor and sleeps 18 hours a day or more, and is non functional most of the time due to the over perscribing of the same drugs.
He has lost over 50 pounds in the last 6 months, his teeth are breaking off in his mouth, and he is dying right before my eyes! One of us has to get off the drugs that the doctors keep pushing on us! But I digress. Sorry.
I weaned myself off all the medications which I was on over the last 5 years as my health got better. I have had labs done, and everything comes back normal.
I weaned off of Clonezapam, Nuerontin, Nexium, and several other anti- depressants they used for the fibro. Gosh, I was on 9 meds five years ago.
I have never had any problem and have been careful.
Last week, I asked my doctor to step me down on the Fentanyl and he did so reluctantly. He perscribed 75 mcgs EVERY 72 hours. He also gave me 60- 5/325 percocet to last for three months. I asked for 30 total. Not wanting to use the stronger ones I have.
The doctor usually gives me 3 months of scripts at one time, predated.
Since the 100 mcgs of the Fentynal had been ineffective after 24 hours, I asked the doctor if extending the patch change to 72 hours wasn't TO MUCH of a change since I have been on 100 mcgs of Fentynal for about 4 years or maybe longer. He said " try it".
We had no discussion of what to expect as far as withdrwals or what to watch for, or even what to do if things did become difficult. I knew, as I had tried to quit cold turkey twice before, but he does not know that.
Please understand, I want off this stuff badly because I don't need it, and also because the original doctor who perscribed it told me that " IT WAS NOT ADDICTIVE IF YOU HAVE A LARGE AMOUNT OF PAIN"! I had refused all narcotics for a long period of time and why I believed him I do not know. I guess it was because we are suppose to be able to??
Anyway, after 24 hours I began mild withdrawal, after 48, my desending colon was wrapping itself in a knot, I had anxiety, agitation, runny nose, sneezing fits, insomnia, goose bumps, leg cramping, creepy crawlies, had to urinate every 30 minutes, my urethra felt tingly and numb, my legs were ice cold, had horrible sweats, chills, and my sweat felt like battery acid dripping on my skin. I had a prickly heat type rash everywhere one sweats.
I developed a low grade fever, my normal body temp. is 97.4 and my temp. went up to 99.4 for two to three days. Those are more symptoms, but I am sure I don't need to list everything.
I stayed the course and only took three percocet in 72 hours to ease back the withdrawals some [ two -10/325's q-1-4 hrs. and one-5/325] when things got to rough and I needed to sleep some.
My tranverse colon tried to come thru my hiatel hernia causing my abdomen to swell and I had the fever for about 3 days. Today it went up again for about 3 hours and then broke, but I have problems with my teeth and that might be it, although I had teeth problems X's 2 years with no fever. I have no knots, as if the colon is twisted. I am just very sore!
My withdrawals occured over the weekend and I changed my patch on Monday which was my 72 hour mark.
The doctor was not in the clinic until Wed. so I called then to ask what he wanted me to do. They want me to come in on Friday [tomorrow].
When his office called to ask me to come in, they didn't ask about how I was feeling at all, did not suggest I change the length of time between changing the patch etc.
I would have been in withdrawal by the time I will be seeing him tomorrow if the hot baths I had to take had not steamed my patch loose.
I considered not putting the new patch on, but I am still too bruised and battered from this last go around, and my body just couldn't take going thru that again right now.
I really want off this stuff BADLY, but I am not a fool!
I think my doctor is irresponsible and is going to kill someone sooner or later. I will spare you all the details, but my husband suffers from the same diagnoses [our illnesses brought us together] but has not been on the Fentynal as long as I. When he asked this same doctor to be reduced to 75mcgs the doctor did not make him wait 72 hours, but continued in changing the 75mcgs as he did the 100's. Every 48 hrs. as he normaly had been doing.
I weigh 25 pounds more than my husband, having lost 90 pounds over the last 4 years.
How do I get off this stuff without the Dr. killing me. Or perhaps killing myself? I am very careful, but don't know how long to expect the withdrawals to last once I start having them. I kept thinking, after 48 hours had passed that maybe things would ease off a bit and if I'd just hang on another hour, I would get past the withdrawals. Now I read in the forum that some go thru this for months?
I will not go back to taking the 100 mcgs. I do not trust the doctor, but I do not drive anymore after having the fibro fog and almost rear ending a person once many years ago. I need to get my lisence once again but not while I am on this stuff !My husband cannot drive us into the city to see another Dr. We live in a somewhat rural community, and this is why we have stayed with this particular doctor.
Will the withdrawal symptoms keep returning every 24 hours, or if given time, will my body get used to this and adapt? I am hoping that I will get used to the 72 hours and then drop down to the 50 mcgs in 3 months when I see him again.
I have a lot of faith, and have people praying for me. I know I can do this, and don't have any other addiction issues at all, or an addictive personality. I was just lied to by a doctor who I trusted, and found myself addicted, or as they like to say " my body is dependent" ya right doc. Six of one, or a half dozen of the other, what is the difference? It's all in the politics". LOL
I could use some good insight please.
Thank you!
Blessings
Sojourner 56
I apologize if I have offended any doctors. I am just aggitated and distrustful for a variety of reasons.