DrugBuyers.Com: Fentanyl Withdrawal

Hi... I have not tapered off the patch, but I am on it. I am on 50mcg's... and it's not just YOU. The patch only lasts 2 days on most active adults. I now am allowed to change mine at 60 hours, which is very helpful. But, I still have a 24 hour period with significant pain, which is why I order Norco for breakthru meds. My doc will not give short-acting narcotics for breakthru's, so I have no choice as most people on the patch, or even oxycontin, are also prescribed breakthru's.

Even my pharmacist thinks the prescribing information should change. His father is also on the patch, and changes every 48 hours. I just want you to know that you are not alone, and that even professionals believe the dosage to be inadequate. The problem with the patch on active adults is that it is meant (originally) for geriactrics and terminally ill patients, who were not active. In reality, from what I understand, the more active you are, the less likely the patch is to last 72 hours.

I take many Norco on 'day 3'. My husband knows every third day is gonna be tough... 'i am day-3-ing' is what I call it. It takes several norco at a time to break the pain, every 4-6 hours, for about 18-24 hours, but then I can get by on days' 1 & 2 of the new patch without many breakthru's for the most part. Sometimes it's not easy... but it's better than life without med's at all. By far.

I think you need to talk to your doctor. I also lost 2 patches this month... a mistake. My husband put my new ones on me before he left for work, while I was sleeping with our sick son, whom I had been up with all nite. When I got up, I went to take off my old patches (I had not changed at 60 hours, forgot, so it was 72 hours when this happened) I accidentally took off the NEW ones instead of the OLD ones and threw them in the toilet. I all of the sudden realized I may have made a mistake, called husband in a panic... he told me that yes I had taken off the new ones. I got them out of the toilet, rinsed them off... called the doc, not there. so called pharmacist, who told me they were no good.
I put them back on anyway. I am gonna have to pay out of pocket this month for about 10 days of patches, as our insurance is cancelled for this month. Husband started new job, no insurance until Oct. 1st. Anyway, the absolute worst possible time for a loss. So, I kept on the barely working patches for a full 48 hours. It was not too bad, they must have been working somewhat, but I did go thru almost all of the rest of my Norco (from an OP).

I guess what I am saying is, I think you should talk to your doc. What I also do, which I have not told doc, but don't think is a problem, is I overlap the patches for 12 hours, since it takes the new one 12 hours to kick in, and the old one 12 hours to completely leave your system... I put the new ones on at 60 hours and take the old ones off at 72. I have found this to be the key to the maximum pain-free period obtainable. COnsider trying this as well, if you can get the doc to change you at 60 hours. It is not gonna help to up your dosage, it will still wear off at 48 hours, unfortunately.

Now, my doc was prescribing 2-25 mcg patches at a time, don't ask me why. So, that means #25 -25mcg patches a month. My new insurance will NOT cover more than 15 patches even with an override, so I have to get him to change it... which will not be easy. I have to have him script 2 boxes of 50's, and 1 box of 25's. That is the only way to give me the closest quantity, while keeping within my insurance rules. I think he is afraid of the higher dose ones, my pharmacist says he does this alot, and even asked my doc once (about another patient) of just switching to the higher dose, at which point my doc went off on the pharmacist. Weird, I don't understand why I have to wear 2 patches intead of just one most of the time. He even gave me the 50's once, but only for one month, and then switched back to 2-25's. I am getting off track, just wondered if you maybe know something I don't?

I am so very sorry you are going thru this. I can't believe you have gone 5 days already. Is there any possibility you can talk to your doctor about changing your dosage-length?

I would definately order Norco to help ease the withdrawls, and I HIGHLY recommend using Nyquil and Immodium caplets (Nyquil has a chemical called DXM which is chemically related to morphine, and Immodium IS an OPIATE, which will feed the opiod receptors, but does not cross the blood-brain barrier... I have even seen it recommended for Heroin withdrawl, so I am sure it will help you some) I have used both quite successfully when holiday'ing from my meds... please give it a try, they really, really work, with a little IBU and maybe a muscle relaxer.

good luck, hope this helps.
mas