forced to reduce opiates

[tree-pagan]

Hello, I'm new here today, and just wondered if anyone else is being forced to reduce their opiates with no alternative? I am very worried...

[Wiganladlovesapie]

Hi I’m Andy. A very warm welcome to you. I don’t have an answer to your question, so sorry. But I’m very sure someone will answer you soon. I am here though if you feel you can share your story x

[RobbieT]

Fentanyl gave me my 'life' back - & then just under a year on the lowest dose patch they (him & specialist) took me off it. I was given Cymbalta & it was back to being in bed all day, unbearable pain, sudden weight loss, stomach burning & so on.

My psychologist was so alarmed at the state I was in that she rang the doctor's & demanded that they get me in to see me urgently. Back to specialist. More lectures on the evils of fentanyl. I was practically sliding to the floor in agony. Finally I just looked at him & told him he HAD to put me back on it. My husband was with me & totally backed me up. I walked out with a script.

On my next visit to GP, she (my usual doctor now has passed me on to new female GP) tells me to try & leave patch on an extra day & see how I go. I've been through all this before...

I've spoken to a few fellow fibromyalgia suffers here in NSW Australia & it seems that many of them are backing away from opiates & other strong meds.

All I can suggest is to let them see you at your very worst & try to be as assertive as possible. I am 64yrs & a responsible patient when it comes to my meds. Yet they treat me like an irresponsible idiot. How dare they.

I wish you all the best. Hang in there & keep up the right to try to stay as pain free as possible. xxx

[KatieRL]

Hi tree-pagan and welcome to this excellent site. Has your Dr explained why they are reducing your meds?

[Hidden]

dtb.bmj.com/content/56/10/118

An interesting article.

[Amkoffee]

I don't know what country you live in but in the US the CDC issued guidelines in 2016 that have screwed up most of us chronic pain patients. I know that other countries such as the UK and Canada also started this campaign of eraticating the opiates that have given us our lives back. Since the initial crackdown happened Canada has changed their opinion on opiates and have even made marijuana legal across their country. It's insane what's going on in the US and there are many advocy groups fighting this egregious attitude. I don't know what the current climate is in the UK as far as opiate usage. I have been told that the UK has stopped allowing pain pumps which in my opinion is an atrocity in itself. There is so much more I could say about this issue but I don't want to make this post any longer. If you'd like more information than just PM me.

[Lionheartglassback]

What it is with opiates when you’ve took them for a long period of time your body gets used to the drug therefore it becomes useless all your doing is stopping withdrawals. The best thing to do is come off it. It also makes you pretty ill while withdrawing so take it easy 10mg at a time x x

[Nexia121]

The reason why most specialist and consultants want chronic pain patients to come off the opiates and that’s because it’s been proven that they can actually increase your pain, usually if you are on over 120mg of morphine or it’s equivalent. And the amount of side effects just make you need more meds to deal with them.

I’m not saying it’s right what they are doing and saying but personally I’ve decided to try reducing my pregabalin and see how I go. If that goes ok, then I’ll look at my Fentanyl patches.

Good luck! X