Please help!

[Losingmylife]

I have been on fentynal pain patches for 2 months and need to taper quickly.  I am currently at 75mcg/hr and want to know how long I should stay at each level as I step down.  It has only been 2 months of this and I hate myself for ever getting mixed up with this stuff.  Any help on a taper regimine would be much appreciated!  

[Losingmylife]

Thankyou for your words of encouragement!  I have 3-25mcg patches that I plan on using as a 50 mcg step For 3 days and a 25mcg step down for 3 days and then next week I will quit all together.  I think this will make for a very difficult 3 day work week next week, but be better in the long run.  Is this what you were talking about with your post?  I just don't think I will sleep much next week.  And that will be tough as nails!!  Will this be better than staying at 75mcg and then quiting ct?  I think I know the answer to my question but wanted to ask anyway.

[Losingmylife]

Thanks soooo much for your reply!!!  That was what I was looking for as far as a comparison between fentynal and hydrocodone...  I know this will be hard!!  There is no easy fix to getting out of the clutches of narcotic pain killers.  I have a normal blood pressure, but have the clonidine left over from a previous detox where I only had to use the minimum amount to get through...  That was coming off of morphine/hydrocodone.  I have been strugling with pain management/addiction for awhile due to 4 knee surgeries in the last 5 years...  I just think that now I can get by with non-narcotic pain management instead of being on these drugs...  I never feel like myself and forget simple stuff all the time.  I feel like the "medicine"is stealing my life and want to be clean and clear so I remember these awesome years with my 4 year old daughter!!

[Jaybay]

Fentanyl detox is easily comparable to detox from oxycontin.  Even though you've been on it short term, it's a fairly stout dose and two months is more than enough time to build up a good tolerance.  If you were taking any other narcotics pre-fentanyl patch, it's going to drag out longer - there's just no way to predict how long or how awful your detox will be.  If you normally have high blood pressure, going cold turkey isn't a good idea since withdrawal drastically raises blood pressure.

Remember, I said "humane" when I talked about a 4 or 5 month taper.  That means little to no withdrawal symptoms until the final jump, and even then it's not too unbearable.  There's no way to completely escape withdrawal, but if you can control yourself (or if you can't, have someone else to control your dose) a taper plan seriously minimizes withdrawal symptoms.  

To give you an idea of what you're dealing with, roughly 8 pills of 10 mg hydrocodone a day equates a 25 mcg/ hour fentanyl patch.  It's probably closer to 10 pills a day to be honest, and that's distributed evenly over a 24-hour period.  NO spiking of the dose allowed.  That's what I meant when I said fentanyl withdrawals will only laugh at vicodin.  It won't make any difference so you might as well forget about it.

Are you on the patch for pain management?

[believe0509]

Your Dr can give you scripts for the lesser mcgs. You should only have to use them the allotted time of three days. The withdrawals may not be bad.  I was on them for three months 100mcgs and I had a lot of discomfort after they weaned me down but that was thirty more days than you. Call your Dr before u do anything. Don't be scared. It may not be that bad at all.

[Losingmylife]

I have only been on for two months why would I take all that time to get off.  I'm sorry but it doesn't make sense to do a 4 or 5 month taper for a two month stretch.  Maybe I'm missing something.  Please explain and Inform me as much as you can.  I really need the help!  Thanks in advance!

[Losingmylife]

I have a four day weekend for thanksgiving and I think I will rip the bandaid off.  This has to happen and I'm not gonna get a better 4 day stretch to do this except Christmas and I would rather ruin thanksgiving than christmas...  I'm talking about time off work.  I have an extremely stressful job that requires me to be on my game everyday.  I can take the 4 days and if after that I'm still in major withdrawal I can buy another day or two calling in sick.  That gives me up to maybe 6 days to "circle" the wagons for this.  I have clonidine and trazadone with imodium and some benadril for the snotty nose.  The only thing  I can't stand is the lack of sleep.  I know I will not sleep at all for atleast 4 or 5 nights.  Lots books to read and movies to watch...  I will be posting here alot next week.  Do you know what I will be in for...  Like the difference between vicodin withdraw or oxy withdrawal...  I know the vicodin was much easier than the oxy...  Does that mean this will be that much harder?  Or will the short time on offset the power of the narcotic?  Any words of encouragement will be soooo appreciated!!  

[Jaybay]

You are going to be in a world of hurt if you rip off that patch and try to go cold turkey.  Fentanyl withdrawal will only laugh at vicodin.  Matter of fact, it's a horribly bad idea with possible medical repurcussions.  You seriously need to talk to your prescribing doctor and do this the right way.  A humane taper from 75 mics will take at least 4 to 5 months.  I know because I'm doing the same thing myself - WITH my doctor's help.  Why do you need to taper quickly?

[LeaAnn807]

I kinda got lost looking at the posts on my phone!!  The fentanyl Wds may be more intense but basically the same symptoms as any opiate. They'll last about 4 days for the worst part. I'd just do it now and be done with it!!!  Dragging it out with the vicodin just causes more misery.

[Losingmylife]

Thanks for your kind words.  Do you know what to expect with fent withdrawals.  Are they similar to vics or much more nasty?  I'm just curious about what I am gonna go through...

[Losingmylife]

Thanks for the support and I guess what i'm saying is that once I get a week clean from fent I will go off the vics as well.  That way I'm off the one drug and only on the other for a very short time.  Last time I was in this position it was morphine to a short stretch with vics and the withdrawal only lasted a couple days.  Just wondering if I can duplicate that again...  I'm sorry and I just can't say enough how much I hate being in this position.  I've had 4 knee surgeries in 5 years and at age 37 have trouble doing anything that requires bending down...  I used to play basketball 4 or 5 times a week and then had to stop!  I love and miss that game like most people would miss breathing!

[IBKleen]

No apology for the two posts. I just wanted you to know members were talking with you here and didn't want you to miss anything or think folks were not responding.

[IBKleen]

Well, you can surely go on the Vicodin if you want to but you chance prolonging the withdrawal. The process is never pleasant but it is a matter of rip the band aid off fast or slow. I prefer quick and would just get it over with. We all want to lessen the withdrawal and we all look for a pill or any other way to do that. Many of us how found ourselves stuck on the pill that got us off the first drug and after a while the detox gets harder and longer. You are in a unique position that you were on them such a short time. All that being said, the choice is yours and I wish you the best.

[Losingmylife]

Thanks for the support.  I will talk to the doc as well but wanted to get some opinions here as I know experience in this field is worth as much as a degree...  I have fought my share of demons with this sickness!  I hate that I am right here again!  I just know that length of time using is a big factor in length of withdrawal and wanted to get some other opinions on what to expect.  I would rather get back to a short vicodin withdrawal and limit the discomfort with fentynal detox.

[IBKleen]

Hi,

If the take Vicodin after the Fentanyl, all you are doing is prolonging the withdrawal process. It is switching one narcotic for another. You should really consult your doctor and let him/her taper you properly. And yes, since you have been on a relatively short time you should not go through full blown withdrawal.

Let us know how you make out.

[Losingmylife]

I started on the 25 patch and worked my way up to where i'm at and have only been at 75 for a couple weeks...  Does that help at all...  I mean I know about withdrawal and all that comes with it, but I also know that lenght of time using has one of the largest factors in the detox stage.  

[Losingmylife]

Thanks so much for the advice.  Will the vicodin really work to get through the first few days after takng the patch off?  I know about the Thomas recipe and also have clonidine available...  Sorry about takng so long between posts.

[Losingmylife]

I started on the 25 patch and worked my way up to where i'm at and have only been at 75 for a couple weeks...  Does that help at all...  I mean I know about withdrawal and all that comes with it, but I also know that lenght of time using has one of the largest factors in the detox stage.  

[LeaAnn807]

Yes.  But don't use both.  Take the patch off, and just use the vicodin if that is the way you want to go.  You can do it cold turkey though, and it won't get dragged out a long time.  If you do the vicodin, only use it a couple of days and stop it.  Otherwise, you have just switched, right?  The Thomas Recipe on the health pages (top right of this page)  has helpful info.  There are things you can get OTC to help the WDs.  Hot baths are great for aches and pains and muscle cramps.  Imodium is a MUST.  I'm sure you know why! : )

Also stay hydrated with gatorade and apple juice.  Exercise and fresh air as much as you can get too.  Helps physically AND mentally!  

[Losingmylife]

Would vicodin work to help the taper process?

[LeaAnn807]

It's going to be hard to taper with a patch unless you have the 50 mcg and 25 mcg patches too.  You may be able to get your doctor to switch you to another med to taper or give you something to substitute in it's place.