HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

SUPER SCARED!

Support Forums
>
Chronic Pain
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 12/12/2012 5:04 AM (GMT 0)
I am currently using 50mcg of fentanyl patch every 72 hours. My problem is that I had to cancel my next rx refill appointment. (No car and no ride). I can't be seen until Jan 10! I have one patch left that I will put on tomorrow. My back has been getting worse. I have been having an increase in "breakthrough" pain. I am so scared of the pain once the patch wears off. How long does it take for it to be out of your system? Is there anything I can do to get through the next 3 weeks? I heard that the "withdraws" can be bad. How true is this? Is there something I may be able to ask my primary for that is similar? I don't want to sound like a dope head or a junkie. My right side is killing me to the touch all the way to the top of my foot. I went to a neurosurgeon yesterday and he wants to do a bone scan and a CT scan. What does a bone scan consist of? Please help! Thank you for any input and advice!
Posted 12/12/2012 6:11 AM (GMT 0)
Heatherj,

I'm sorry that you are stressed about this :(

Coming off the fentanyl patch *can* be extremely hard.... I hate to say that :( If you've been on this for awhile - it's built up in your system and you are used to getting this med. Fentanyl can be particularly difficult to come off of.

First - is there anyway that your PM might help you w/ this situation? For instance, there have been a couple of times where I've been too sick to go to my PM - and he has written scripts for me to pick up... and then I see him the next month. Is this a possibility?

Are you taking any breakthrough meds? (Just wondering if you have anything else on board that will help).

Re: your primary doctor.... if you are under contract w/ a PM doctor, you can't get meds from your primary. There are meds that can help w/ the withdrawal symptoms -- but I'm hoping there's something you can do to hopefully avoid putting your body through withdrawal.

If this worst case scenario happens - my advice to you is to NOT remove the patch at the 72 hour mark... and keep it on for another day -- hoping there might a little more medication in it.

Re: bone scan -- an IV med is given... and this goes into your bloodstream and bones. A camera will take pics of your bones w/ the IV med in it... and they are looking for *hot spots* (bright spots) that can indicate where there's a problem.

Good luck, Heather... hate to hear what your going through. Let us know if it's a possibility to get some help from your PM doc....

--Tina
Posted 12/12/2012 6:40 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Heather, I agree with what Tina told you, try calling your PM doctor, and tell him your situation, and see what he can do to help you, or another thought, I am assuming that you have a Primary Care Physician if nothing else if you can't talk to your PM and get any help try talking to your PCP and explain your situation to him/her and ask the doctor if he/she could call your PM doc and intervene for you. Doctors talk to each other all the time, and if you can get in to see your Primary Care Physician and who knows may they will call them and get it taken care of for you. I am sure that your PM knows what will happen if you suddenly go off your meds. and if he is any good type of doctor at all I am sure he will not want you to be in extra pain or go into withdrawals.  You really have to be your own advocate here and do what is necessary to keep yourself out of pain.

 

Heather I don't know what your cirrumstances was,  that you could not, some way get to your appointment, but not to sound hard or anything because I know that things can happen, but do you have any friends or relatives or anybody from a church that could take you to your appointments?  I know when I had to have my colonoscopy I didn't have anybody to drive me there or take me home, I talked to my parish priest and he told me about a service our little town has that has volunteers that do just that type of thing, and gave me the person to contact, now I really hated to do that, but I just did not have a choice, so I called the person and explained my situation, and they said OK but  they asked for donnations to pay for gass. Well I gave them twenty dollars, for gas, and they said that was plenty. But I live 40 miles from the city that my doctors and hospital are in, and the person had to wait till I was done with my procedure and then bring me home. I am really Thankfull that my town has this type of service.  Now  I am just wondering if you could possibly have something like that or similar available to you where you live? Just a thought because  you know I think pain meds are every bit as important as any other type of medication that  you take. And with that said like other medications, such as heart meds or BP medications, or any of a host of other type of medications, that you have to take on a long term daily basis, you just can not suddenly quit taking them. So you do need to find out what you can do to prevent that from happening.

Please keep us informed on how you come out on this,  I know how I feel when I miss a taking my meds and I sure would not want that to happen to you.  I think this is important!  Oh and I would not worry about the bone scan or CT scan they are a piece of cake! Anyway talk to your doctors ASAP and get your pain med situation resolved.  I wish you all the best and Good Luck to You!

 

White Beard

Post Edited (White Beard) : 12/11/2012 11:50:12 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 12/12/2012 5:43 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Heather...

I just went back to read a few of your other posts to try and familiarize myself with your story...

When was the PM appt set for? Is there any way you can find a way to get there with a friend, or have someone load you enough money to take a taxi..Or as WB mentioned...finding an organization that has volunteer drivers..I'm just very concerned for you being on Fentanyl and then going to nothing...

I think you are also on Lyrica....were you supposed to get a refill for this medication as well? As in will you be out of that med too? That one is pretty dangerous to stop abruptly.....Opiates cold turkey can make someone terribly miserable but unless there is some underlying condition it is not life threatening....

But medications like Lyrica have warnings about not stopping suddenly.

Also, there are a few PM Drs. that have a contract that you sign that say you can only miss one appt. each year or else they can release you...So I'm hoping that this would be your first one and things will be ok with the Dr.

I think from reading that you've been on the Fentanyl patches since late September....This Dr. switched you from 3 Percocet to the 50mcgh which many of us thought that was a huge jump in medication......My point in mentioning this is that it seems your Dr. isn't stingy with medications....so I would think that if you can call and speak with him directly in that you are in a really tough spot....that maybe he can find a way to get the prescription to you or at least call in some things for you to make the withdrawals easier...

If you are out of the Lyrica....that is one that he can call into the Phramacy for you so I would at least make sure he does this.

As others wrote, you need to make absolutely sure that your PM is aware BEFORE you get any other opiates from your Primary or even the ER as controlled substances are so highly regulated and monitored that it's meant to be only one Dr. prescribing at a time. So, if you end up having to seek out care....just call the PM first.

I really hope that you can figure out a solution...Keep us posted!
Posted 12/14/2012 1:09 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Heather, I had one occasion that I had to cancel my PM appointment due to a sick child. The next time they could get me in was in two weeks and my meds were due to be refilled the day after my cancelled appointment. Their office was closing for an extended weekend as well. On this occasion the PM office called my local PCP and asked them to write a script with just enough to get me thru to the rescheduled appt. If you can do something like this with your drs, just make sure it is well documented by each party so that it doesnt come back to bite you.

Each month I try to give myself some flexibility with my meds as well. I dont take the full amount of break thru or change my patches a day late. Just enough to give me a few days extra incase the pharmacy is out of stock (which happens frequently). This would not be a solution for a 3 week situation but its something to think about, may or may not be feasible based on what a person takes.

Hopefully you came to some sort of solution today. Please keep us posted.

Hugs,
Shell
Posted 1/15/2013 4:58 AM (GMT 0)
I finally got my patches on Friday! I was so happy. I had a brief talk with my PM and wants to do some tests. (I posted a thread a few minutes ago). Thank you for all of great advice.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply