Withdrawal duration

[Soonerdean]

I have cronic pain in my feet and went to a pain mgmt doc last Jan.  He put me on a 25mcg Fentanyl patch.  This worked for about 3 weeks and I finally wound up on a 75mcg patch.  My prescription benefit expired as these things are VERY EXPENSIVE so I decided to go off the med.  The doc told to do a 50mcg patch for 3 days then another 50mcg patch for 3 days then a 25mcg patch for 3 days and all would be well.  BOY WAS HE WRONG!  

The last week I have had all the symptoms of DT's.  Chills, cramps, depression, confusion, etc.  My question is how long do these symptoms usually last?  For me the depression is the worst thing and I will do anything to get past this.  Thanks in advance for any help you could give.

[Jinx_777]

today is day 9 off of it and the original pain is excruciating.  like the day i woke up in the hospital.  the rls and other wd symptoms EXCEPT insomnia are pretty much over, but this original pain is bad.  definitely don't want to live with this.  i cannot lay down, stand, walk or sit without bad pain.  
i think having such great pain relief for 8 or so months and then blasted back to the pain is just too much.  have not got used to it again and don't know if i can

[philnoir]

Are you feeling withdrawal symptoms or is this chronic pain because you stopped your pain medication?

This is one way people test their need for pain medication -- go for a few days without it.

There is an herb, available from a tree that grows in southeast asia, called Mitragyna speciosa or more commonly, Kratom. Brewing a tea from the ground leaves of this tea can reduce withdrawal symptoms.  For more information, message me privately.

Stepping down from 50ug Fentanyl to nothing is a huge step. A better strategy might be to step down to 50ug for a month, then 50ug every 4 days each for the next month. then 25ug for a month, then 25ug for 4 days for the next month, then 12.5ug for a month, and finally 12.5ug for the 4 days each for the next month. THis gives you 6 months to detox.

Also, you can use other, short acting opioid medications to detox from fentanyl. Since your oxycodone offers no relief, I wonder if you are experiencing the only the pain of detox, but that pain combined with the pain of chronic pain.

Mollyrae is an excellent support person on this. She's been there and done that. Stay in touch with her.

Opiate withdrawal can b dangerous to your health. Please don't use "toughing it out" as an excuse to make yourself miserable.

We would all be very happy to see you meet your goals, but we don't want you to hurt yourself in the attempt.

[Jinx_777]

at 3pm today i will be going into my 4th day since taking off the 50 mcg patch and it has been pure hell.  i am in such excruciating pain, i would rather die than feel like this one more day.  i still have oxy for bt pain, but that doesn't touch these withdrawal symptoms.  have not slept in 3 days and my bones feel like they are crushing.  it is a fairy tale wish that wd only lasted 72 hrs

[vereena132]

  I also was on Fentanyl for 8 yrs. at 150mcg. I tapered down at 25mcg per mo. and after getting to 50mcg I was so miserable I decided to cold turkey it and could barely walk for almost 2 weeks. that was on Jan 20th and still am recovering. If I was you I would take a much slower taper. The withdrawals are hell but can be done with a true desire. Wishing you the best of luck!!!

[catwoman64]

thank you thank you thank you!! i have been trying to tell my friends that all along!  i kept telling them that i am not addicted to my pain medication.  i dont get a high feeling or a buzz or whatever else they call it and i dont want to either ,.  i take it to take care of my pain and if my pain is not that bad i dont take it!!!!  i tell them this all the time and i get aggravated because i feel like they are trying to make me feel like im some kind of addict and i know im not....... i dont even like taking pills and i dont unless i absolutely have to....again    THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

[extrmeski]

I have to agree whole heartedly.  I weaned myself down after a year of being on 100mcg every two days on the patch plus up to 8 percs 7.5's.  Tried as hard as I could to cut as far as I could over 3 months.  I am on day 10 of not having anything and although it isn't as bad as the first 4 days I am still having sever difficulty.  Yesterday I felt like I was fainting all day.  Still little or no sleep, and I feel nausiated, dizzy, achy, and a huge lack of energy.  Then I read this could last for months???  I'll go nuts before then.  Doc's wont help I violated the terms of my pain mgt agreement.  

[kadin212]

Ask the doc about suboxone to help with the withdrawls, you will also have to withdraw from the suboxone but the symptoms a much milder. It was a life saver for me!

[Jaybay]

Sorry to disagree, but the "withdrawal only lasts 3 days" theory is nothing but a pile of bull tacos.  While there is certainly a mental component of detoxing, the idea that all physical symptoms magically go away in 3 days is just a fairy tale.  In my own case, after 2 years of taking the fentanyl patch, simply lowering the dose by 1/3 took 6 weeks for me to feel physically human again.  So much depends on how long the person was taking the medication, their own metabolic rates, and pain levels.  Detox is very individualized, and without ESP, nobody can say with surety how long it will take a person to detox.

[nicaber]

Be careful as well because there is a huge difference in addiction and dependence. do you crave the medicine for the euphoric feeling of the drugs even if you're not in pain? if so, you're addicted. if your body is just physically dependent on it and you don't want to take it unless your body is in pain, that it's your body that is the problem. it's dependent. don't confuse these two because it can be very upsetting to people when they are called addicts when they truly are not. i don't want to be on pain medication nor do i crave the "high" feeling of a pain killer. i take it so i am not on the floor crying and throwing up. just a word of advice for everyone reading this.

[nicaber]

I am currently on fentanyl lozenges and take 6 a day- 600mcg for chronic pancreatitis. I also take 20mg of methadone 3 times daily. i've had the fentanyl withdrawal symptoms and they are the worst because of the quick dissolvement of the lozenges and patches. i used to be on the patches as well but didn't have a hard time stopping cold turkey since i still had the fentanyl in my system with the suckers. fentanyl is a very addictive narcotic and not many people know about these because they are more used to vicodin and morphine and stuff. this stuff is stronger. I've upped my methadone and now am down to 2 suckers a day and i'm trying to get over the hump to be off completely and then wean off the methadone but my pain is now affecting me. witht he fentanyl the muscle aches (what I call feeling like my bones are breaking all over my body) are bad. These will all subside after 3 days. that's how long it takes to get it out of your system but fentanyl is very pyschological since it's taken with an oral sucker or a patch. it's a visible thing. when i got off the patches i've been told to cut the patches into 1/4's and go slower than you're doing!!!! take a month and every 2 weeks take off 1/4 of the patch and then drop to the 50's and then 25's. soon you'll only have a 1/4 of the 25 and it should keep your pyschological problem in check while trying to wean slowly. believe me, fentanyl is a nightmare. one of my doctors told me to take 1 less every 3 days and i've been on these for 4 years! that's not goign to happen that quickly! and that was before i even had methadone! i'd wake up in the middle of the night because i couldn't go 10 hours without my fentanyl lozenge! good luck. seriously- do the 1/4 of the patch technique! it helps.

[soundgarden123456789]

After i had a horrible experience with oxycontin, vicodin, and ativan combo one night my body temp dropped to 94..5 degrees and stayed from 95.5- 96.7 for a month.  I was freezing cold while wearing 3 sweaters, a jacket, 2 pairs of pants, socks, shoes, and the heating in my house was set to 85 degrees.  So i would say a week of withdrawal symptoms seems normal but it could be as long as a month.  Don't do the drugs if you aren't willing to take the risk.  Being borderline hypothermic is the worst feeling ever, but being high is the greatest feeling ever.

[nogiveup]

Withdrawal last 72 hours the rest is psychological. Just as your brain learned to expect this drug you will eventually stop having symptoms. Be careful with the addictionologist ,you will be scared to death to get treatment. It can be dangerous but you are over the worst. See a mental health practioner for depression. If you were taking the medication the way it was prescribed you are not an addict. How is your pain? What are you doing for that?

[Jaybay]

Fentanyl can be one of the more difficult meds to stop taking without experience withdrawal symptoms.  Your doc is way out of line with that fast of a tapering schedule.  Have you told him what is happening to you?  There are other meds that can help with the w/d symptoms, and you NEED those meds.  Immodium can help if you're getting diarrhea; Hylands brand "Restful Legs" can help with the muscle spasms and creepy crawly feelings; and try anything you can get your hands on as far as over-the-counter sleep aids - melatonin is a good one.

[ggin35]

I have never been on the patch but I am 4 days off of vicodin and doing ok. I had horrible withdrawals for the 1st few days. You will get better info about this on the addiction forum. Good luck and I hope you feel better!