You won't have withdrawals from the patch after being on it for just a week. If you do experience withdrawals it will more than likely be from the hydrocodone. Do you plan on starting up with the hydrocodone once you stop using the patch? If so, you should've have any withdrawal symptoms. If you do they will be minimal.
Opiates were never meant for long term usage. As our tolerance grow we continue to need more and more as our previous dose just doesn't do the job any longer. Before we know it we are taking absurd amounts with little to no pain relief.
There are many of us here who suffer from chronic pain and have successfully controlled it with non narcotic antics. I feel one thing doctors need to do more is figure out how to treat the pain instead of mask it with narcotics. After we've been on opiates for some time our brain somewhat gets "rewired" and it will actually create more pain in order for us to give it what it wants.
Have you consider stopping the opiates all together so you can reevaluate your pain level? That's another thing that should be done which doctors rarely recommend.
Either way, we will be here for once you're ready.
Best of luck!
Brian
Hello, I have had chronic pain for at least 10 years. The Doc kept upping my pain patch until it got to 100 and a fifty patch When I wanted to stop using it I had to go into the hospital for 4 days of hell. Please be careful get help from your Doctor those patches were the toughest thing I had to stop . After that they put me on 10 mg of morphine then upped it to 20 mg of Oxycontin that helps a little but not much. Now I need a chest x-ray and blood work done Afraid of what the test results may find, but MUST have it done.25 is the lowest dose you can be on so I'm sure it won't be as hard on you to stop. The itching means you are probably allergic to it so tell your Doctor right away- my best to you! .