I am currently on day 22 of a fentalyl detox ... after the forst 3 days of punching my self in the face and wanting to end life a drup called lofexidine took away a percentage of the pain. It takes 16 weeks to get righ again if your renal system has not been damaged by the dependence. I had a year of chemo, radio and surgery in 2011 causing this to be prescribed and this withdrawal experience has bee worse than that entire year. Fentanyl should only be used in palative care or to end of life use, If you can stand the paranoia , innumeracy, and alarming spending habits it creates. Actually I never found it to be a great painkiller but its hard to admit during the intial euphoria it creates. which you quickly get used to. DONT TAKE FENTANYL it is so pure and strong it will destroy your natural happy systems forever. The NHS knoe how to prescribe it but no idea how to get you off it, Forget the fliue like withdrawal systems its brutal and dangerous and flue very pleasant by comparison. I hope taking the time to do this stops just one person taking.
I agree with you. They just say cut it down by xx microgram per month, but offer no support or advice. I statred to cut down and went into a complete slump and was taking other analgesics, co-codamol and fentanyl like smarties. After a while I just stopped it and stayed where I was (75 microg patch.) I am looking at Cannaniboids. (CBD) It is available but expensive unfortunately. NHS does have Sativex a 50:50 mixture of CBD and THC, but will not prescribe it. They only will for MS patients. It is cruel as the judge said. See this story: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/judge-refuses-jail-cancer-victim-4125347
I must say when I first started using fentanyl I was very happy with it and it changed my life, but now some years down the line I am in trouble as I must have analgesics for an autoimmune sensory neuropathy. If I cut down I get withdrawal symptoms!!!
It is strange that they will not even do a trial. The company that makes Sativex, that it grows the hemp in this country and then exports its products, both THC and CBD to other countries if you do the research. CBD is harmless and in a number of patients it will help for pain. I am just not prepared to buy weed of unknown quality illegally. There is a form now that contains almost 0% THC, the psychoactive part you do not want. The authorities know this but it suits them to make it into some awful, horrific drug. They did the same in the USA first with alcohol with the prohibition and more recently with cannabis. 22 States in the USA now have Medical Cannabis programmes.
There have been many reported success with Suboxone (buprenorphine)
Yep I'm not happy with Fentanyl either, although I was only on it for about 6 months (75mcg patches.) and decided to give them up. I'd had enough of the daily sweating and fact that they never really did anything at all for my pain. I have degenerative disc disease and a herniated disc, along with a bone tumour in my pelvis for which I've had major surgery but It can't be fully removed.
Anyhow I count myself lucky with regards to the Fentanyl withdrawls as I didn't get any at all. Mainly as I went stright back over to my max dose dihydracodine which stopped any withdrawls from the Fentanyl. HOWEVER I know for a fact that if I try to stop the dihydracodine I'm in for a rough ride, because when I stopped that initially to go over to Fentanyl, the 3 days of withdrawls were absolutely terrible.
I wish I'd read more on fentanyl before I started using it. My GP said nothing about problems with side effects and the potential of horrendous side effects. I'd only been on 25mcg a week when I startd with violent muscle spasms and couldn't control my arms and legs. I stopped using the patch, thinking since I'd only been on it a week it would be easy. I went through 24hrs of writhing, sweating, crawling skin sensations, flu like symptoms and crying and feeling suicidal before I called the GP, who adviced I go back to 12mcg. My symptoms improved but I still have less violent muscle spasms despite having increased my dose of oxcarbazepine to it's maximum and feel so depressed and cry at the slightest thing. And of course my pain is back.
I so wish I had never started on the fentanyl.
I plan to give myself 3 clear days when I don't have any responsibilities to try coming off it again and I just hope and pray I've got the strength to do it this time.
Wish me luck
Diane X
Good luck Diane !!
Please dont leave it too long before Detoxing as the stuff is so pure it will eat into your systems. You may also need a few more days to deal with some fatigue. There is an old hypertension drug called clonodine which can help numb the withdrawal and prescribed for hot flushes in females. It is similar to lofexodine which i used but that a 15 day detox. Im on day 33 after 3 years ob stuff ... terrible day today after 3 quite good ones... whicshing you luck
Harvey
It definitely gives you the worst constipation ever! I now have a full rectal prolapse and will need to have my colon removed through my abdomen to fix it, because of the severe constipation messing up that particular area of my body. Stay away from Fentanyl!!!!
Harvey, you are correct! Fentanyl did seem to help my pain in the very beginning but perhaps my mind was fooling me and it was just the feeling of you for phoria distracting me from my actual pain. Having been on this medication for seven and half years, I agree it is not something that should be prescribed for pain unless it's for palliative purposes.
and how are you feeling now Harvey? I still find myself wanting to 'punch' a different part of my body just to distract me from the horrific withdrawal symptoms.
you mentioned you were on day 22, what day are you on now? How are you managing now, any better yet?
We also have medical marijuana programs in Canada, I live in Toronto and can go into a store that is for medicinal use only and I must show my medical marijuana card before they will serve me. I don't go there anymore but when I did, I found the edible products worked the best because the effects lasted for the full day. I have tried sativex and another product-one was a spray and the other was a pill but for me, neither help with my pain.
it is a shame that in your country the government and powers that be will not open their minds to the definite beneficial properties from medicinal marijuana products. Here in Toronto it has been decriminalized but not legalized unless you are on the federal government program but even that program has now been put on hold. Fortunately in our big city the police do not hassle anyone who goes to the medicinal marijuana clinic and they do not hassle the clinic. There are specific rules we must abide by and as long as we do, we remain members in good standing and the police all of us alone. I'm so sorry that your country is not doing more to promote safe medicinal marijuana programs.
Good morning Harvey, I was wondering if you suffer(ed) from severe insomnia after stopping fentanyl? I am on day 13 and am sleeping 1 1/2 hrs a night and twice I have slept 3 hrs. I feel I am losing my mind: memory problems, no pain control is very difficult, no bowel movements, extreme loss of appetite, weak and lethargic, laboured breathing, painful severe sneeze attacks...and a plethora of other withdrawal symptoms.
How are you coping? Have (do) you suffer from any similar withdrawal symptoms such as the ones I listed?
Will I ever sleep again? So exhausted; headaches eyes dry, itchy, hurting.
My doctor started me on .1mg clonidine to calm my thrashing legs, body restlessness and anxiety. It has helped significantly with those symptoms but it has caused my BP to drop to 105/67 which may be contributing to why I am weak, dizzy, lethargic and possibly also to my laboured breathing (mind you, I was experiencing all of these symptoms to a lesser degree before I started this medication).
Thanks for your support Harvey!
Janet in Canada
Hi
You must remember you have been on a Very Potent Opioid drug and withdrawal, if you have been on it for a while, can take ages to get through. Get some glycerine suppositories to help your bowels to move. Any pharmacy should have them. I am glad you are consulting a doctor, but sometimes they forget these little things.
When you have been lying down, sit on the edge of the bed for a couple of minutes to give your BP time to stabilize, especially at night. Turn the light on or a torch, so you will not faint in the dark.
Good luck and hang in, it will get better,
Raphael in the UK
Thanks for the words of encouragement! Every bit of support helps.
Diane,
I sure can relate to what you have said. When I first started on fentanyl (75 mcg patch) I was up the woods camping and after about a week I realized I was not acting quite right (not eating, running in to town for no reason, just kind of out of sorts) so I thought to heck with this...and took the patch off. That night was from hell, the spasms I experienced were like nothing I have ever had, it scared me to death, I was alone and thought it would never end. After taking a handful of valium had no effect, I put the dang patch back on, and now, 15 years later I am trying to take my dose down from 100 mcg every other day to every 3 days and it has been so very hard, I never expected this, I have been trying now for about 6 months and after I hit 60 hrs and my legs start the barest twitching I run for a patch. I know that makes me sound like a sissy, but I am damn scared of those spasms. I think if I actually tried to completely get off the patch it would kill me. I would want to be in a "real" hospital (no drug/alcohol clinic, thanks) with very compassionate docs who would not be afraid to make me comfortable. And, worst of all, I depend on my hydrocodone (vicodin) to control my pain. The only reason I wear the patch really is to stop any withdrawal symptoms and that, I think, is a travesty. I am sure no one knew about fentanyl withdrawal when I started it, or if they did, they didn't tell me. I hope you can find those 3 clear days and can have someone with you and you succeed in getting off this horrible drug. I have found great support here, and I hope you will check in from time to time to let everyone know how you are doing with your quest. I think this is the only place you will get some truth about it, and good advice. We are the face of fentanyl withdrawal, and it is not a happy face.
All the best to you.
Leigh
I read your post and was greatful the only thing I was suffering from was severe anxiety and hyper vigilant. Dr. gave me .25 mg Xanax (10 pills). I went from 25 mcg to 12 mcg and had only been on it for 10 months. Well..the 7th day was misery! I shivered, ran fever, increased blood pressure and every muscle in my body hurt. The Xanax helped but barely. Sleep was not an option. Bad diahrrea no apetite. I called my Dr. and he sent me to the emergency room. They gave me clonodine, bentyl, zofran and .50 mg Xanax. I finally slept 12 hours last night. My doctor also has me wearing 2 12 mcg patches...1 for 3 days and 1 for 4 days. I feel normal today!!! The er doctor said this takes 2 weeks. I am on day 8 so I am almost there.
It's very hard to get off fentanyl. For 13 years I was on 2-100 patches every 36 hours I was introduced to fentanyl by a pain Doctor after a 24 day coma, and a battle with MSRA, which was introduced to my blood stream during an operation. I removed my last 25Mcg. Patch 8 days ago. I'm finally free from that 3 day cycle and the monthly refill that has to be hand a delivered prescription. The one thing I can do now is stay away from addicting drugs. I did use cannabis to help with withdrawal symptoms. I feel it helped me very much. I hope this is helpful to you.
Hi I am on day 3 coming off Fenthyl 100 patch now on 75 I feel so bad flu feeling headache body pain . Is this going to get worse? My doctor gave me 4 75 patches then I will drop to 25 and so on . I went in last week and told them I want off I don't feel like it was taking away my pain . But I still have the Dilaudid.
I am coming off Fent patch . I am at 75 now 3 more to go then to 50 so on my worrie is now my right back kidney area hurts so bad not sure if that is anything that anyone else has has . Feeling a bit better then day one .
Thanks for for any advice
Sounds like your doing well coming off the Fentanyl, It's a terrible thing to come off especially if you try to do it too quickly. Youre doing it the right way. The flu type symptoms are a normal reaction to coming off such a drug and should be passing off slowly.
You'll find that you'll get all sorts of weird aches and pains when coming off somthing you've been on for along time, I wouldn't worry too much at the mo but obvioulsy do get checked out if it carries on. I've had various different pains too that I don't remember having previosly whilst taking various new medications and coming off them.
I was lucky really as I was only on 75mcg's of Fentanyl for a couple of weeks or so, and I opted to come of it as it was doing nothing for me. I can honestly say though that in my case the withdrawl symtoms coming off Dihydrocodeine where worse than coming off the Fentanyl. However now I'm on max dose Tramadol and Morphine amongst other things for pain.. So I'm not worried about the withdrawls as i'll likely be on this sort of thing forever.
I hope the rest of the weaning process gets easier for you deb.
Hi there. I have beenon Fentany 100 mcg every 48 hrs for almost a year now for extreme nerve pain in my residual limbs following a double below knee amputation. I am detoxing for different reasons. My doctors here in Toronto WON'T perscribe it anymore because they are afraid of what the College of Physcians & Surgeons may think. So they give me this stupid drug and only offer me Suboxone, which I don't even know will work! I am on day 3 of detox and feel like DEATH!! And the worst is coming on day 5 when I have to go COLD TURKEY for 12 hrs in order to start the Suboxone. I don't know if I will make it through, and I think this is the dumbest way to medically detox because I am in so much pain, and the Docs are the ones that started me on this and now after a year with NO improvement in my extreme pain that stops my life and confines me to a wheelchair because I cant wear my prosthetic legs due to the pain! I don't understand why the doctors saved my life from an invasive Strep A bacterial infection, cut my legs off, if I am left to a life like this? Or kill me with this drug and leave me with all this pain? I guess all I can do is try. I'm a 42 yr old law professional, married, mother of 2 young beautiful girls, now a double amputee (who can run on the treadmill, when I'm feeling pretty good, on those prosthetic legs, I'll have you know) now hurting really, really bad...
HELP!! Day 8 of fentanyl 50mcg withdrawal and I'm still climbing the walls!
Was on tramadol (100mg), pregabalin (600mg) and the fentanyl for 5.5 years. Pain doctor decided I was suffering hyperalgesia and so wanted me off all the medication.
In replacement of these she gave me 40mg zormorph morning/night and oramorph for breakthrough pain and withdrawal.
The last couple of days I've had a couple of hours where I've felt 'normal' but my arms and legs are so restless, twitchy and electric shock type pains going on!
Had no oramorph for the last 2 days as I'm frightened of becoming addicted to that too, tonight, I have had a daily allowance within 2 hours because I can't cope!
Do I go back to my consultant or push through this with the hope it'll get easier?!
Any advice highly appreciated,
Emx