Fentynyl - short term use

[Serinde]

Hello, I am new to these forums and I've looked through many threads and seen how helpful people have been with their knowledge and experience. I have been on percocets 7.5 for about a year and a half, and about 4 months ago got off morphine sulfate 60mg ER. My pain since getting off of the morph has been on and off and at the end of last month my primary doc prescribed me the 50 mcg/hr fent since my pain had been getting worse and he wanted to try this because I'm about to leave for a masters program because without pain meds, I am basically non-functioning. So I started taking them, replacing them every three days for the first two patches, but I started reading into it and became concerned. He also upped my daily percs for the breakthrough pain, so I started to replace them every four days. Then I took a three day hiatus before putting another one on, and during this time the only problem I really noticed was it taking a little bit longer to get to sleep but only like an hour. So essentially in 22 days, I've used 5 patches overall. I'm moving away in fourteen days, so if I stop using the patches and just use percs (up to six in a day, though usually I don't take that many) along with clonzapam (up to 2mg a day, again usually I don't take that much), do you think I will have much of a withdrawal period, and if so will it last very long considering I have been taking it less than a month and less than originally prescribed? I would like to not use the left overs and not have to worry about it before I move away in two weeks. I just don't know if there has been a build up in my system that will hold over for a few days and then Withdrawal symptoms will hit me like a freight train.

Thank you all for any help! I definitely do not want become dependent on these patches for years and then have to go through a horrible w/d period if I can stop it before it starts. Again, thank you so much!

[Serinde]

Also, are there any suggestions for tapering off this medication? Or since I've been on it less than it a month, would it be better to just kind of stop?

[Serinde]

Thank you for the responses. I have taken them as prescribed, if not less except for awhile back when I sometimes took an extra perc when getting off the extended release morphine. Once I saw how intense fentynyl can be, I started spreading them out to be four days. So essentially for my months prescription, filled on July 29th, the first two I replaced after three days. Then the next one I replaced after four days, then with that one I took it off on the fourth day and didnt put one on until yesterday which was about 3-4 days without having a patch on and I didn't really feel any negative effects during that period. So I'm curious if I just ripped off the one I have on now, do you think I won't have too many withdrawal symptoms, or at least too intense. Or if I do, it won't last very long? I've experienced a few days of withdrawal symptoms before so I know what to expect, and I know everyone experiences it differently, but since I've only used five patches in 22 days do you think the withdrawal symptoms won't last very long?

Again thank you for your comments!

[nursegirl6572]

Stop now while you're ahead, Fentanyl is an EXTREMELY powerful drug with very intense w/ds.  You would be better off tapering down if possible, have you talked to your doctor about that?

Did you abuse your pain meds or take them as prescribed?  You're in the right place.  You will get lots of support here.

[ROSYouralright]

I think you are very lucky that you are stopping before you have been on them very long. Wd's do suck some but if you've ever had the flu then kinda brace yourself for it to be like that. You can totally STOP and be okay. Congrats on getting your education and stopping before it turns into a nasty addiction.