Advise please, tapering off 125Mcg Fentanyl Patches and Android app for pain mgmt.

Good afternoon,

I hope this finds everyone doing well and warm! It's way to cold in Indiana with no relief in sight, sure doesn't help cp.

I had my monthly appt. with my primary care doc this morning. He writes all my scripts including narcotics because I refuse to see a pain mgmt. doc in our area ever again.

I was put on fentanyl patches 8 years ago by a pain mgmt doc. started at 75Mcg, upped to 175Mcg within a matter of months along with a boat load of other meds that had me so drugged I didn't knows up from down. At the time I only had fibromyalgia, chronic migraines, planter fasciitis and then she diagnosed me with spinal stenosis with 9 hemangiomas.

Anyway, it's a long, very strange story but I changed pain doc's asking to get off the fentanyl patches after 2 years and they did help me cut the dose down to where I am now 125Mcg every 72 hours but told me I could never go lower or get off of them the rest of my life.

Then I developed central sleep apnea, my brain doesn't tell me to breath. I stop breathing over 100 times in 5 hours. Bowel issues, they simply don't work without digital manipulation. No fun. Bunch of other symptoms my doc's say are caused by the patches. They have wanted Mr to go off for a couple years but I was scared, reading the experiences of the giving members here who are so caring and willing to share has giving me the courage to do it.

My questions are,

1) Do you think how long I've been on the patch will make it more difficult to go off as far as side effects go?

2) If it were you would you taper off 12Mcg or 25Mcg a month or something else all together?

3) If you have experienced this what was the most difficult part for you, pain, emotional impact, physical symptoms, something else.

4) My breakthrough med is hydrocodone acetaminophen 10-325, does nothing for my pain. I have enough to last a year because I don't take them but he kept writing scripts for 180 da,h month even though I took the full bottle to prove I didn't take them. Do you think as I get the opioid out. of my system they might give Mr some pain relief?

5) Is there anything else you can tell me about what to expect, how to prepare or anything? I admit I am scared, more so of the possible emotional effects than pain. I had a very rough experience going off Prozac many years ago when I was put on it for fibro and I was only on it for 6 months.

I also wanted to ask if anyone could recommend an Android app for recording medications, pain levels, sleep, activity, pain chart type stuff plus a little more that will maybe graph it for you. I have tried a few but they all seem to be lacking like the person who developed them is clueless.

Thank you for any insight you can provide, the notes I made from reading old posts here were invaluable at my appointment today. If you haven't been to the doctor yet this year for pain meds the new questions are a real hoot.

Gentle hugs,
Deborah

Thank you Susie. I spoke with my Internist on Fri. I quit going to pain mgmt some time ago. The pm doc's have refused to even consider lowering my fentanyl dose claiming my pain is to high and I need to be on them for the rest of my life.

I've tried 4 pm doc's and they all had me on way more meds than I'm on now without any more pain relief. It seems to be the prevailing mind set of the pain medicine community around here and has created a lot of conflict between them and other medical providers. My physician no longer refers patients to pain mgmt unless it's to one of the larger cities.

That also means I don't have access to anyone licensed to prescribe clonodone (sp) or the other meds to control detox symptoms. According to my doc it takes a special licence to prescribe them. My doc is figuring 6-8 months to get completely off the fentanyl, I had hoped to have it done sooner but after what I have read here I am prepared to go along with his timetable unless my body tells us different.

thank you again for responding to my post. Blessings and pain free days to you,

Deborah

Hmmmmm, there's no license required for Clonidine... Its a medication used for high blood pressure and anxiety. Perhaps he's just not familiar with it so he isn't comfortable prescribing it. I know addictionologists have special training as far as subuxone (spelling?) But that's only if you are using the med at levels reserved specifically for addiction. Any doctor can prescribe it for pain management. But hey, if he isn't comfortable with using it, then its probably better that he doesn't prescribe it for you. I'd hate to see you rush into this because of your desire to be off of pain meds, with nothing to help with withdrawals... And you get discouraged and scrap the idea. The reason for the clonidine is to help your taper be more successful. Its like quitting smoking with a patch vs cold turkey or losing weight through weight watchers vs cutting to 1000 calorie a day diet with no help... One has a higher chance to work.

Good luck to you! We are happy to help with moral support! We just want to seelowu get the desired end result. I know that with my pain I'll be on medication the rest of my life.I'm glad you have an alternative!

Did I say never? I don't see a never?

Oh No ! Your not getting off on a technicality Linds !! Lol

The rest of your life better be a long time from now and that means all kinds of new genius's and inventions to be born that may just be your answer . I tell my kids it could maybe turn out their own children discover new procedures or treatments that stop CP. Could be one of yours even .