fentanyl

[shark210]

I am wondering if anyone on high doses  of fentanyl 175mcg for extreme pain  has died going cold turkey and this doesn't mean the side effects which are like death so i have read.  Or has anyone who used fentanyl  for extreme pain committed suicide due to the withdrawal.

[marycarmel]

I agree that you need to taper very slowly.  I first.tried cold turkey, along with a boatload of other meds, and wound up in the hospital.  I never abused them but was sick of how I felt on them.  I also have other health issues that make it unwise to.go CT.

I hope your doctor will set up a pdoper taper for you.  Mine wouldn't so I tapered myself off everything and tapered too fast and felt moderate withdrawals the whole time.  Staying hydrated is one of the most important things you can do.

You can do.this.  Lots of people have done it.  It's worth anything to get away from Fentanyl.  I personally don't believe it should be used for chronic pain and should be used.for end-of-life.

[Jinx_777]

fentanyl is a long detox.  it is stored in your fat and muscles.  do NOT expect this to be over in 5-7 days because it won't.  
i am already depressed and made it through it.  i think only in rare situations where a person's life is already hopeless will suicidal thoughts come to mind.
i felt i turned a corner at around 15 days.  each day got better from there.

again.  i would NEVER consider a jump from the dose you are on.
are you having to CT off of this or do you have your doctor's blessing and help??

are you using the gel patches or the mylan (like a clear bandaid or cloth type square)?

are you using them as prescribed, wearing it for 2 or 3 days??
how long have you been on them??
this may seem like an odd question, but many people have abused them by eating them, etc.  

all these questions are very important in order to give you accurate information.

i wore them as prescribed, changing them every 48 hrs.  it was 9 months to a year.  my memory got really bad on them and honestly cannot recall exactly how long i was on them.

[EvolverU]

Hi there! :)

I'd agree with Jinx. Definitely taper! By all accts. Fentanyl is a rough kick. It's a fully synthetic opiate & those tend to be the worst. However, the kick from Fentanyl is not as prolonged as say M'done or Subs.

I'd be very careful of going into your kick w/ this sort of fear because it will be counter-productive & make the detox worse. Our minds are very powerful. Do you have pre-existing depression or suicidal ideation? (If so, you should talk to your Drs. before attempting this) If not, please know that there is no opiate detox that makes you feel like killing yourself as a regular symptom. Here is a thread I dug up for you. It is the only mention of suicide that I could find in relation to Fentanyl & it was here on MH:

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Pain-Management/Withdrawal-from-fentanyl-patch/show/1245808

We've had a slew of folks come through here who have detoxed off this drug. So, if you really want off, it's doable but I'd make sure to design a wise & safe plan with your prescriber to make it as 'easy' as possible. :)

[Jinx_777]

i would NOT even attempt going from 175 to nothing.  you have to taper down.  
i was dropped off 50 mcg 32 days ago and i am just now feeling better.  it was the hardest thing i have ever detoxed off of in my life.
i would imagine that the answer is 'yes' that people have committed suicide in response to that, but it is doable if you taper down.  
ideally i should have tapered down to 6 mcg before getting off and even lower if possible, but my doctor didn't seem to think there would be any withdrawals off  50.  ughghghghhghhg was she ever wrong