Currently on 12 mcg duragesic/fentanyl patch

[roo1177]

I have been trending down for six months. I was on the 50mcg patches...then the 25...now on the 12. I used vicodine and sometimes the stronger norco for the withdrawels. Now I want to get off completely. My doctor says I should just stretch out the intervals that I put the patch on. He says I should be able to go off the 12 mcgs without narcotics... and he will not give me any more vicodine or norco to help with the withdrawels.

I have SEVERE withdrawels when I try to go more than three days on one patch. I convulse pretty badly and hallucinate. I am getting more and more nervous and anxious and the suicidal thoughts are always with me now...where as before they only came when I was trending down. Considering how hard I fought to get well and survive it is really odd to me to constantly be thinking about death.I really want off this patch. I was wondering if it would be possible to take the patch off without additional narcotics but with something else to ease the withdrawels. My doctor did give me ativan to help with the anxiety, but it doesn't seem to help much and I just can't take more of these symptons.

Is it possible to just rip the patch off at home and just go through the convulsions? I keep chickening out because the symptons get so bad. In other words...has anybody gone off 12mcg patches on this forum without the use of other narcotics and if so would you mind sharing how you did it?

Thank you.

[Bobbleheed]

just came across this thread.  I started the patch journey about 6 month ago.  Started on Butrans and transtec......didn't hit the spot (severe pelvic and abdominal adhesions cause my pain).  Moved onto Fentanly.  50mg  I have turned into Satan!  Anger, moods, hatred - got im an absolute b*tch!  Decided I needed to get off this crap.....pain clinic doc said 50mg for 3 patches worth (changing as per instructions on box), next comes a 12mg+25mg patch (both at same time) for 3 patches worth, then comes 25mg (3 patches worth), then finally 12mg.  First 2 w/ds weren't too bad.....I know what a full one feels like- I ripped a 50mg off and went cold turkey for 27 hours ----- thought I was dying! NOT RECOMMENDED!.  Bad 6 day w/d when I started the 12mg patches.  Doc now said I've to start on the 20mg Buprenorphine patches until I see him at end of Jan.  Perhaps if you follow these instructions, maybe even stringing out the patches a bit longer in between drops, you will have some success?  Starting to feel more human now that the evil Fentanyl is almost out, just hope the Butrans tapering will go smoothly.  
Good luck to anyone = this aint an easy road.......it's worth it though :-)

[IBKleen]

Hi Kevin,

I assume you came here from a google search. You have posted in a thread that started a little over 3 years ago. Many of these members are no longer active here. If no one sees this post it will go back to archives and you won't get any answers.

So, go to the top of this page, hit the green "Post A Question" button and follow the instructions to start your own post. You can copy and paste exactly what you have here.

Additionally, there is a PM community here at MH that you may find more help from. I have provided the link below for you:

http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Pain-Management/show/53

Either way, I hope to see you post and get as much information you need from the site.

[kevin1061]

Jacqui-
My wife is on a 200mcg/hr dose for her chronic back pain from a broken back and failed fusion. She has been moved up and down in dosage, and currently has been prescribed 2-100mcg/hr fentanyl patches every 2 days, rather than every 3 days.
Were you on a 2 day or 3 day schedule, or is there a 200mcg/hr patch out on the market?  So far, all I have found over the 100mcg/hr patch is in oral form for cancer treatment.

[Coonus]

I have been on opiates for eight years and now my docter does not want to help me. He said if I go for bone scan and nothing looks loose then I have to go to methadone clinic. I work two jobs
and without my Medication I can't do it but he said I'll just have to tuff it out. I dint know what to do. It's like it's all been a lie to him or somthing. He also miss diagnosed me and I ended up having hip surgery as result. Now I have degenerative arthritis in joints where pins where placed,that's where pain comes from. He ha put me on a roller coaster of drugs over the eight years and now he decides it's time to come off. I have no problem with this if it's done properly. I was on 200mch of fentanyl and 100mg of oxycontin per day,he then dropped me to 40mg of oxycontin and 100mcg of fentanyl. I was in agony so with pleeding he put me to 60mg of oxycontin and 150mcg of fentanyl. Now he has dropped me to 80mg of oxycontin period and says not to call him and he does not care about withdrawls thinks I should not be having any. I still have pain and I can't be at my jobs going through withdrawls. Any advice would be awsome at this point. Thankyou

[Carol218]

50 mcg fentanyl every 48 hrs several months. dr. said leave patch on 5 days then just stop. can't get past 3 days. just in er then hosp for 2 days for chest pain - anxiety an dpanic and drug interaction turned out. loaded up w/ new patch, voltaren, ativan and many heart attack drugs. orig injury c spine. artificial disc repl 4/07. excruciating pain arms, hands fingers worsening almost dail since 8 mos ago. can't find why. agony to type. need off fentanyl also have percoset 10/325 - told to take 4x day. also have xanax as needed and lunesta for sleep. wany to taper patch - how? how to find dr to help? i am so sorry for us all. God please help us, hands on fire.

[extrmeski]

Hey curious, you tapped into a very old thread.  If you feel drowsy on the patches they are too strong for you.  You can read mine and other threads on here but fentanyl is one of the nastiest drugs to get off of.  If you can avoid using the patches Iwould suggest that you do so.  W/D's on the patches are horrible and can take forever to feel normal.  If you have the mylan patches you can cut them in half or quarters, if they are the gell filled ones you can't cut them.