Getting off morphine

[clmmaf]

After years of back issues, I had 5 surgeries in 19 months. All failed. Ended up on 150mg of morphine a day. Two weeks ago my doctor of 8 years told me there is nothing more he can do for me. Handed me a script for Percocet since I had not been on those for over 6 years and a referral to a pain clinic. Well I tried to wean myself from the morphine, and its not going so well. I filled the Percocet script but didn't take any while I was weaning. I am on hour 33 without morphine. I took a Percocet to see if it would help the withdrawal symptoms, but it didn't. Im going crazy here with the sweats/chills, insomnia, restlessness. My question......why in the hell would this doctor not put me on a schedule to wean off after over 2 years on morphine. I know I will get thru this but how much longer do I have to deal with these symptoms? I can handle the little things like runny nose, and feeling mopey, but this sweating shaking and chills is too much. Don't have much nausea...yet. I have some morphine left but after 33 hours of not taking one I surely don't want to have to start over. Guess ill take it one day at a time, and hope for the best.

[jethro733]

Hey there, yeah one day at a time is the way.  As far those percocets go I'm not sure of the oxycodone content (we don't have them in N.Z) but I'd assume they are 10mg?  Just a guess why they are not helping your withdrawal symptoms is they are quite a low relative dose compared to 150mgs of morphine/day.  

This currently sounds like more a transition question than a no more opiates one, correct me if I'm wrong by the way.  I'd suggest that you stabilise for a few weeks after coming off the morphine and assess your pain levels when your body has re-wired a bit before going to the pain clinic.  Long term opiate use is hard on the body, and tolerance escalates eventually.    

[jifmoc]

Hi, can't speak for your doctor. You are detoxing right now, obviously. Since this is a substance abuse forum, are you looking to quit opiates?