How to get off the Fentanyl patch?

[A man of faith]

After having a nerve condition called reflex sympathetic dystrophy a lot of the symptoms miraculasly disappeared!  Unfortunately for over 7 years I've been on the Duragesic Fentanyl patch....2 100's every other day.  I've cut down to 100 every 3 days, but the pain is just awful some times.  Would it be best just to quit cold turkey to get it over with or continue slowly reducing it.  I would sure like to be off it to see how I'm really doing.

[moosewatcher]

I am 27 yrs old diagnosed with Rhematoid arthritis and fibromyalgia.. I started the fent patch about a year ago along with taking vicodin and soma( muscle relaxer) I am wanting to get off the patch due to the reason one of my friends had a patch leak into her blood steam and she died?!? I am scared as ever but every time I try to get off them .. oh wow the side effects from not haing it, is awful... anyone have any thought on helping me get off.. I ahve three kids and want to see them grow up and live life with them, but I can't stand the pain with out the patch.. I am kinda in a rock and a hard spot?

[patchjockey]

Hi, I have been on pain management for a botched surgery for over 5 years and the patch is the only thing that works for me. I am presently on 50mcg every 3 days and sometimes I try to stretch it to 4 days. My pain doc specializes in these meds and is extremely strict about going to other docs to ask for meds and such. I asked him the other day how to taper off painlessly and he told me to only use half of the patch. To do that, you only cut off half of the backing. You do have to tape the patch on if you do this. It takes twice as long for the medicine to dispense. He says he has had patients that did this until they were completely off and it was very easy and not unpleasant. You are trying to get off of something that works the same way heroin or crack or anything addictive works so it will not be a cakewalk. I am also curious to see what my pain levels would be without but I know if it's too much, I will have his support. I commend you for trying to find out how to do it properly before just doing it and suffering the consequences. Since I work full time in IT and maintain important data centers I can't have a situation where I can concentrate and function so I am very grateful to have found this medication. Fentanyl saved my life as I was ready to give up when he started me on them. I was on Oxycontin and it screwed me up to where I almost lost a really good job. I swear that will never enter my system again. Anyway, good luck and try it the way my doc says to. He spends alot of time researching these things and I trust his judgement without questions......Good luck

He also gave me OPANA for breakthrough and told me to use it accordingly. He is

[HITMAN187]

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

[divineblessmae]

just wanted to know if you are able to put a patch on for one day and then take it off the next and re-apply it later??? is there any combinatino of these things that work? I ran out of my oxycodone and i need about 3 days worth of medication and i have had this fentenyl patch for a little while and i am thinking i will have no other choice... but is it going to be too much???

mae

[GA Guy]

You're posting on very old posts..and many people may not answer because they will miss it. Click the green "post a question" box at the top of the page and post your question as a new post. Then people will answer.

[boothole]

I have been on these Fentanyl patches (100 mcg) for about a year and I am desparately looking for a way off them. HELP! I've hed many medical problems lately and ended up on the "patch".

What I would really like to know is: Is it possible to ween off the patch? Right now I'm more concerned about what is happening to me mentally than physically. Has anyone ever heard of weening off? No doctor I've seen has an answer for me. I was told Suboxone isn't for me. I heard once about detoxing at a place somewhere and that sounds very expensive.

Is weening possible?

Thank you for reading this and any help you might provide.