Anyone who's used Fentanyl patches?

[moonshyne777]

Hey all,

  I talked to my doctor and he lowered my dose of oxy down from 3 20mgs a day to 3 10 mgs a day and prescribed the fentanyl patch. Yesterday afternoon I put the patch on and didn't take much oxy. I'm also taking them orally now instead of snorting them. Not a huge step but a little one. I havent taken a dose of oxy orally in months so its a step in the right direction for me. Anyways by nightfall I was feeling depressed, sad and just crappy. I thought it was the patch but after doing some reading I found out that it can take many hours for the patch to kick in. The crappiness I felt was most likely the onset of withdrawals from not taking my usual amount of oxy. I had thrown the patch in the garbage before I did my research (dumb) and this morning put on a new patch and chewed 3 10 mg oxys. I am going to try and not eat any more oxy until late this afternoon. I am wondering if anyone on here has successfully switched from oxy to fentanyl patches? At least on this patch I could get adequate pain control and stop the oxys altogether. I am currently prescribed the 25 mcg patch but in order to get off oxys alltogether may need to use the 50 mcg patch. I know anything can be abused but I have no intention of trying to abuse the patch. I just want to get off these oxys but still live my life in as little pain as possible. Anyone here offer some advice. Also, I have an appointment tommorow at an addiction centre and and hoping to get some direction from them. I am not going to pursue the methadone route but might consider suboxone if I can't leave the oxys alone even after switching to fentanyl. I am pretty confused right now. On one hand I know I'm an addict. On the other I'm an addict with spinal stenosis and a host of other back problems documented by both MRI and CT scans. Its a tricky situation but I'm hoping with the help of my pain mgmt doc and addiction doc to get a handle on it. Anyone with experience with switching from oxys to fentanyl please advise. I think I will also be posting this in the Pain Mgmt forum on here.

[Calamity2]

Yep sounds like pain mgmt is where you are headed rather than to be free of opiates. Some people have too much pain to manage w/o opiates. I didn't think I could. Honestly my pain level is pretty high some days. But I put in the TIME free of opiates to allow my body to adjust to dealing with pain. I also use OTC to take the edge off. Moonshyne I'm not suggesting you are not honest about your pain level at all.  I just want to make sure you know its possible to get the edge off your pain without the pain of trying to live with opiates if you are a addict.  

[moonshyne777]

Hello all,

I'm not using the patch at all. It gave me a horrible headache. I am going to ask for subutex or suboxone at the addiction centre today. They are doing an assesment on me and then will set an appointment for me to see a doctor. Hopefully very soon I will be able to start on this. I am sick of being hooked on oxys and not feeling healthy.

[Florida_Guy737]

I used the patch and would advise not to go dow that road.  I actually had to use percs to taper from the patch and then taper the percs.  The patch is a really strong med...really strong.  Please do your research before traveling down that path.

Guy

[Sjoggie]

For what it's worth, my doc had said she has a paraplegic patient who is in constant pain and he couldn't handle the oxycontin but the suboxone did work for his pain.

There is a major opiate in the suboxone which I can't spell but starts with a B.  There is also subutex which is the suboxone without the additive in it.

I hope it goes well for you tomorrow and that you can get relief.

Lizzy

[moonshyne777]

Well, I took the patch off. The reason being is that I got a HUGE headache from it. I am going to the addiction centre tommorow and I'm probably going to be put on either Suboxone or Methadone. I am going to try and avoid methadone but the problem is Suboxone is ok for getting off oxys but doesnt do much for pain. The methadone does help with pain and gets you off oxys so I have a feeling they will recommend that for me over the Suboxone. For me, as long as I get off these damn oxys and can live free from chasing, buying and snorting pills then that to me is good enough. Total abstinance from everything isnt really realistic for me because I have spinal stenosis and other back problems that prevent me from living pain free without meds. But if at the very least I can free myself from the addictive behaviours that go with oxys and maintain somewhat of a normal life then thats much better then where I am right now.

[Sjoggie]

I do know that fentanyl is worse to stop than oxycontins, plus with the patch you much not get it over heated.  That would rather mean no hot tubs because if you get your body temp up too high or if you put a heating pad over the patch you will release too much at one time.

Do not chew any oxycontins!!!  They are time released.

I'm glad you are seeing someone at an addiction center.  They can hopefully give you the advice that will work for you.

Good Luck!