The Fentanyl Patch

[melluedtke]

I am new to this forum and just want to get some advice about the patch I started taking it on 29 January of this year after getting off a methadone and was on it for six years for chronic shoulder and neck pain at first the doctor put me on 25 MCG by Monday the first I was in so much pain that I called the doctor and she told me to put on two patches because she thought possibly needed to be on a 50 MCG patch what my question is since one patch put on Monday and I put the second patch on on Tuesday and might even getting 50 MCG or do I need to go one day, just the 25 MCG or on Friday, February 5, 2010 put on 25 MCG which will equal to 50 MCG I do not want to mess around with these patches because I know that they are very powerful but I just want to take the dose that is correct and take it the right way if anyone has any suggestions please message me oh and previously been methadone that I was on was 30 MG per day.

[SHELLBELL79]

I detoxed under the care of 3 psychatrist/Addiction Specialists. I was monitered for 3 days and did not taper off the fentanyl b/c I was already having bad w/ds on the 150mcg patch. My tolerance went up really high. So I had to detox cold turkey pretty much. One of the doctors gave me a 5 day taper using Tramadol and clonodine and 800 motrin. It didn't do anything. The doctors told me their is no way you can die from w/d off opiates, they said you will feel like your dying but your not!

[NoMoMeth4me]

May I ask if you did a medically supervised taper of this medication or did you decide to stop on your own and got off without tapering down?

ALL opiates have withdrawals associated with them and if you stop 'cold turkey' like I did with Methadone you are going to be in for a hellish time and I know that from experience.

However, IF you are under the care of a physician and tapered slowly, the PAWS do NOT need to be this uncomfortable and they can prescribe other medications to ease it.

It can be LETHAL to abruprtly stop any long term opiate so I'd advise anyone considering it to re-consider it and speak with a medical professional.

[chasingthehigh2]

wow that is just terrible!!! my heart goes out to you!!! i couldn't imagine what u went threw!!!! so glad u are doing okay now!!

i am off the fentaqnyl and to hear your story i am so glad I am!!!! have a good weekend and tc!

[SHELLBELL79]

Hi, I have severe chronic pain illness and went on the fentanyl patch 21/2 years ago. I started at 25mcg and it took 2 days to really get in my system and work. I had no side effects and was pain free for a month and a half. Then it stopped working, I tried to go up to 50mcg and it helped with the pain but it made me have a major amount of energy , made me manic and then severely nauseated. I stopped it and started having restless legs, pain in my joints and thought I had rhemitoid artritis but I didn't. It threw me into w/ds and I was still taking vicodin. I had to up my vicodin. Then 6 months later I was put on opana er, them oxycontin, and them went on 75mcg of fentanyl. Within 2 months I went up to 150mcg and wanted to detox b/c my tolerance was getting way too high and my doctor wouldn't go past 150mcg. So I decided to detox and went through the worst experience and pain of my life. I was in total hell in torture for a month! I know tell people to never ever take the fentanyl patch b/c its the strongest pain medicine in the world, its 100 times stronger than morhpine and 50 times stronger than herion! No one should be on this drug unless their dying! It ruined my pain tolerance and what I went through stopping it was the worst ever.I don't wish this drug on my worst enemy!! I thought I was dying and wanted to die! I was in constant , non-stop pain allover my body, thrashing back and forth violently for 7 days and nights straight! My skin burned all over for weeks, didn't eat for a week and fainted a few times. I felt like a 200 yr old woman. My heart was beating out of my chest, I didn't sleep for months....these are just a few things! Please get on another pain med, not methadone, fentanyl,or subutex!!!

[chasingthehigh2]

thats good! good luck hope they are working for u!!!

[melluedtke]

Thanks for the comment I have a doctor's appt on the 15th of feb.

[chasingthehigh2]

I would do what the doc said and try that. so for the first patch on the 3rd day u can put a new one on. then when u put the 2nd one on wait til the 3rd day also. 3rd day meaning u can put a new one on. I was nervous about the patches also but they do help for the pain. just try and keep track of the day u put them on use your calendar. Now u will be running short cause your doc told u to grab another 25mcg so I would even make a apt here for next week and then discuss it with him so u don't run short before the end of the month. Good luck and if u have any ???'s feel free to message me! best of luck!!! also there is a secret to the patches also where to put them for better relieve! got them off a few friends from this fabulous web site! private message me!