Addicted & abandonded by Physician

[Moonsblu]

Thank you

 

[rmet4nzkx]

What is the name of your state? Missouri
I have been on fentanyl pain patches for almost 2 years. The doctor that put me on it gave up his practice and we had to get another. The new doctor has prescribed fentanyl to me also for 9 months. Now that I need to be taper, dosed down and off of fentanyl he has refused. I am on 100 MCG/72 hr. His office called and a girl told me since I was only on 25 MCG and it was only a narcartic that I would not go through withdrawal. I told her I was on 100 MCG for almost the whole 2 year period and I tried to take myself off Aug/2005. It takes only 17 hours for fentanyl to drop to 50 percent in a persons system. I experienced high anxiety, panic attacks, profuse sweating running down my body, skin crawling, unable to stay still, stomach cramps, hands shaking, and feeling I was losing my mind, which is the beginnings of withdrawal, and when I couldn't stand it any longer, I put another patch on. A physican to taper you off fentanyl takes you down 25 MCG's at a time over a period of 3 months and gives you meds for high anxiety and gives you 2 other drugs ( I can get the name of these for you). You still go through withdrawal being tappered down is the reason for the additional meds. I received another call saying a perscription was waiting for me of only 5 patches of 50 MCG and 5 patches of 25 MCG. I picked it up and told the girl I was not having it filled because it was not the proper formula to be taken off of fentanyl. I then received the next day a registered letter, stating he would no longer be my physician and only in emergencies for the next 30 days would see me and to get another physician. He has abandonded me and left me to find a physician who would be willing to taper me off of fentanyl. I have called a few and no other physician wants to get into another physicans mess and tell me they don't know enough about fentanyl to help me. All I have read about fentanyl drug addiction, (it only takes a few weeks of being on fentanyl to become addicted) tells me to not do this alone because I will be placed in acute withdrawal. What can I do? I have very few patches left and can get no help from the medical community in the city I live in from another physician. I am now facing acute withdrawal in a few days. Please advise and help. Moonsblu

This medicaiton is a drug of last resort and addiciton is a natural consequence of this medication.

Why are you taking this medication?
Why do you need to titrate down and or quit?
What other medications do you need to take but cannot take because of this medication?
What other medications do your currently take?
Do you drink alcohol?
Are you able to regulate your environment in regard to heat?
What to you plan to replace this medication?

The prescribing information for this medication changed in June 2005 and FDA issued some warnings in July 2005, what does this mean? This means that you and your doctor need to reevaluate your use of this medication and your lifestyle while on this medication.
Neither physician is responsible for the above changes if you are thinking along the lines of malpractice. I don't know what is in your chart or why you are claiming to still be on 100 rather than the 23 dose, perhaps you have not followed the instructions for downward titration? At this point you are not going to find a local physician to supervise your withdrawl.

You will need to seek a detox program where your withdrawl can be supervised, there are several methods including what is called rapid detox, but the availability will differ depending on your location and your resources.

While this may seem to be abandonment to you, physicians are regulated in regard to these matters. I suggest you start calling detox programs, you might start with asking your insurance for a referal to a detox program.

 

[ellencee]

Moonsblu
You can and should (in my opinion) wean yourself off of the Fentanyl patch. You can start by removing the patch for increasing intervals of time. Depending on how many patches you have remaining, start this when you only have enough patches to follow this regimen. Remove it for 4 hours when you get up in the morning and for another 4 hours before you go to bed. Do this for 2 days. Then, remove it for 6 hours twice a day for two days. Then, for 8 hours twice a day for two days. Then, remove it at night (12 hours) for two days. Then, don't put it on again.

While awake, increase your fluid intake to once an hour intake of at least 12 ounces of non-caffienated, water-based drinks such as caffiene-free green tea (hot or cold) but make it yourself. Prepared green tea drinks offer none of the benefits of drinking freshly brewed green tea. Add lemon and Splenda for additional benefits.

While awake, increase your exercise in the same manner. Once an hour do something that raises your heart rate for at least 5 minutes.

If you find you can not sleep deeply and awake refreshed, eat a baked potato before you go to bed. If that doesn't work and you are not allergic to Benadryl, add Benadryl 25 mg one hour before going to bed and do not increase your metabolism before bed by taking a shower or exercising.

As for medical-legal advice, your primary physician has done nothing "wrong". Different medical advice is available on withdrawing from medication such as Fentanyl. Some sadistic folk still encourage abrupt withdrawal and panzertanker and I render care to those who suffer serious complications from following such advice; yet such advice is not necessarily negligent!

Take your life back and get off of the drug!

EC

 

[panzertanker]

Moonsblu
You can and should (in my opinion) wean yourself off of the Fentanyl patch. You can start by removing the patch for increasing intervals of time. Depending on how many patches you have remaining, start this when you only have enough patches to follow this regimen. Remove it for 4 hours when you get up in the morning and for another 4 hours before you go to bed. Do this for 2 days. Then, remove it for 6 hours twice a day for two days. Then, for 8 hours twice a day for two days. Then, remove it at night (12 hours) for two days. Then, don't put it on again.

While awake, increase your fluid intake to once an hour intake of at least 12 ounces of non-caffienated, water-based drinks such as caffiene-free green tea (hot or cold) but make it yourself. Prepared green tea drinks offer none of the benefits of drinking freshly brewed green tea. Add lemon and Splenda for additional benefits.

While awake, increase your exercise in the same manner. Once an hour do something that raises your heart rate for at least 5 minutes.

If you find you can not sleep deeply and awake refreshed, eat a baked potato before you go to bed. If that doesn't work and you are not allergic to Benadryl, add Benadryl 25 mg one hour before going to bed and do not increase your metabolism before bed by taking a shower or exercising.

As for medical-legal advice, your primary physician has done nothing "wrong". Different medical advice is available on withdrawing from medication such as Fentanyl. Some sadistic folk still encourage abrupt withdrawal and panzertanker and I render care to those who suffer serious complications from following such advice; yet such advice is not necessarily negligent!

Take your life back and get off of the drug!

EC

Fentanyl is an excellent pain medication, but a nasty drug to try to get off when you are dependent...

EC has given you a good timeline to follow. Theoretically, you can detox off fentanyl 100mcg in 7 days. I see that your primary tried to taper you, and you refused the new doses.

You need to find an addictionologist in your area ASAP. If you do not have enough patches, then you need help. If you cannot find one, then you need to hit the ED as soon as withdrawls set in (that is when addiction specialists will use other meds to get you "off" the fentanyl).

As for the legal situation, your pcp prescribed you a tapering regimine which you refused to do. That means a 30 day emergency care notice with dismissal. Which you got.

Nothing wrong with that, legally.

You need to find a more compassionate person to care for you anyway......

 

[Moonsblu]

Thank you

 

[gharrell1]

My experience

I was on 3 100 mcg patches every two days for almost 3 years before my Dr. implanted an interthecal morphine pump. After my second adjustment of the pump I reduced myself to 2 100 patches. Again, they increased the pump and I went to one patch. The next one and I went to zero patches and have been without the patches for 4 days now.

The key to fentanyl is to reduce them as soon as your pain is lowered. I could have had greater relief from the pump but I opted to lower the fentanyl as soon as i got relief. My doctor has told me that my doing this was fantastic and that most people opt for the relief first and this causes problems. They are going to adjust my pump several more times and I will start lowering my MSIR morphine pills from 6 30 mg tablets per day hopefully down to zero.

I understand that you didn't do what I did but you should probably try to contact a pain doctor that specializes in extreme pain. They know how to get you off of fentanyl with the least discomfort. I had my patches fall off while on a trip overseas and by the time I realized what the problem was I experienced the same symptoms that you had. You can do it as long as you keep lowering the medications. I hated the drugs and decided that my first priority was to get off the drugs.

 

[Indiana Filer]

Posted a bunch of meaningless drivel to someone else's DEAD thread

Gharrell, please do not necropost or hijack someone else's thread. If you have a question, you can start a thread of your own.