Introduction

[Paramedic_UK]

Hello everyone,

I'm a 42 year old paramedic living in England who is currently in chronic pain management (off work on sick leave at present). I have been in and out of pain management for many years now and unfortunately due to changes in the law in the UK, I can't resume my job until I'm able to stop all my meds. Drug driving laws have changed drastically over here recently involving driving Group 2 vehicles (i.e. ambulances) while on prescription medication.

I'm current on 50mcg/hour fentanyl with 10-20mg oxycodone (PRN) for breakthrough pain along with 300mg pregabalin (have only just recently discontinued this however along with discontinuing 10mg PRN diazepam).

This is a much smaller dose of opiates than I've been on when previously prescribed opiates for pain. For example, the last time I was prescribed the fentanyl patch for pain management I was prescribed from 100-300mcg per hour (titrated up) so as you can see my current dose is a lot smaller.

Over the years I've been prescribed virtually every different opiate there is at widely varying doses and I currently feel that I'll be able to manage my pain without opiates and do my job long term however I must get off everything safely first.

I have an appointment at the pain clinic 1st August and hopefully from then onwards we will devise a plan to get me off my meds which are stopping me from doing my job and manage my pain in the long term without them. We need to work out a reasonable taper plan (my GP is very supportive) as I can't simply everything. I've foolishly done that in the past and the withdrawl from fentanyl is absolutely BRUTAL!!.....I once had to stop from a high dose of methadone tablets (60mg - 3 times per day) for the weeks due to a mix up with my script and that was really awful but fentanyl withdrawl really is in a class of it's own

Well sorry for going on a but there but that's my story and I kook forward to participating in future with everyone

Take care everyone and God bless.

[remar]

Hi, and welcome to the Pain Management forum. I know you will like the members here. Everyone is so nice and caring. We also have very knowledgeable members.
I'm glad to hear you will be working with your Dr to taper off of your medications.
I really appreciate they kind of work you do. Paramedics have saved the lives of many people I know, including myself when I had a heart attack.
We're here to support you and help you anyway we can.