Fentanyl questions and update

[tishbite]

fentanyl questions and update

so after being in the hospital on & off in excruciating pain they have put my on a 25mg fentanyl patch because i have become tolerant to the IV dilaudid & they didn't want to give me more then 2 mgs at one time. i got an endoscopy and colonoscopy yesterday and it showed that i had some narrowing where the surgery was performed so they opened it up a little more. it also some some inflammation in my small intestine and colon. so my crohn's is definitely still active. they have taken me off humira because they think sinse i went off it after surgery for so long that it will not effect me any longer so i think they are going to try cimzia now? i hear back from them in a week about biopsy results. i am still taking methotrexate pills 25 mg once a week though.
my real question is how addicting is this fentanyl patch from 1-10 (10 being most addicting)? so far sinse i have taken it i did not sleep last night. i'm a in a really good mood and seem to have a lot of energy but that is starting to fade a little. i have been really agreeable all day. why is it making me so anxious and full of energy? will i loose a lot of weight taking this patch? i have been holding a stead 111-115 weight and i don't want to loose a whole lot more weight.

 

[Manzyb]

Sorry you are still feeling crappy!

I don't know anything about fentanyl so I cannot offer you much advice there. I hope they start getting you sorted out soon. Are they going to put you back on steroids to help the inflammation and narrowing?

 

[David]

I'm afraid that Fentanyl is THE most addictive painkiller on the market today. Even moreso than Oxycontin. On the 1-10 scale it is a 10.

I hope you feel better soon

 

[Lilyw]

so after being in the hospital on & off in excruciating pain they have put my on a 25mg fentanyl patch because i have become tolerant to the IV dilaudid & they didn't want to give me more then 2 mgs at one time. i got an endoscopy and colonoscopy yesterday and it showed that i had some narrowing where the surgery was performed so they opened it up a little more. it also some some inflammation in my small intestine and colon. so my crohn's is definitely still active. they have taken me off humira because they think sinse i went off it after surgery for so long that it will not effect me any longer so i think they are going to try cimzia now? i hear back from them in a week about biopsy results. i am still taking methotrexate pills 25 mg once a week though.
my real question is how addicting is this fentanyl patch from 1-10 (10 being most addicting)? so far sinse i have taken it i did not sleep last night. i'm a in a really good mood and seem to have a lot of energy but that is starting to fade a little. i have been really agreeable all day. why is it making me so anxious and full of energy? will i loose a lot of weight taking this patch? i have been holding a stead 111-115 weight and i don't want to loose a whole lot more weight.

Yes, Fentanyl is very addictive. I use it regularly for a chronic pain associate with medical condition.
When taken for medical reasons I hate using the word addicted ( makes me feel like I'm a druggie out looking for it ) would rather say your body becomes physically dependent on the drug, becomes used to it being there so you need more of it to function in a 'normal' state. Fentanyl sits at the top of the scale of opiates so there is nothing to go to next.
If you can avoid it I would because you end up on a slippery slope where nothing will relieve your pain.

Lily


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[tishbite]

oh man. i'm really stressed out. i didn't put my patch on for one day after i took off my first one and i was in so much pain it was awful. i took dilaudid and it quieted it down a little bit but i ran out of dilaudid and ah. i put the patch on. thank god it is a small 25mg. i hate the idea of becoming physically addicted to something however being in pain is not an option anymore :/ thanks for the responses

 

[Lilyw]

If you have to have then you have to have it - please don't beat yourself up about it. I decided a long time ago that these medications are here to help us and being in pain is not a life worth living so I just take it and hope for the best. All you can do really.
Lily

 

[DustyKat]

Chronic pain is not a desirable state to be in either.

Yes, Fentanyl does have the potential to become addictive, how addictive is difficult to say as a persons response and experiences with these drugs is so varied. I have looked after many a person that has used Fentanyl patches, as directed, for chronic pain management and once the original cause of the pain was successfully treated they have weaned off the patches with no issues. I have also looked after patients that have become addicted and unfortunately there is no rhyme or reason to it.

Speak with your doctors about your pain and where they envisage you are going with your Crohn's.

Have you ever been referred to a pain management clinic/team?

Hopefully once the reason for for pain is brought under control you will wean off the patches with no ill effects.

Just as a side note: I deal with people every day that are on patches, Norspan & Fentanyl, for the duration due to pain that will never resolve. They are on the lower doses and it allows them to function and live life with a degree of normality. Are they addicted? I don't know but the fact that they are not seeking higher and higher doses and are only use the patches as directed leads me to believe that they are not. That is not to say their body isn't dependent on that patch, it may very well be and probably is, but they have been able to reach a compromise on what is needed to get by.

Dusty. xxx

 

[tishbite]

ah you are all so helpful. i'm really not trying to beat myself up about it but i have addiction problems that run in my family and it's all just stressful you know? i have never had a problem with addiction. i barely drink, i quit smoking cigarettes 2 years ago when it started effecting my crohn's and i smoke weed for some pain and nausea. i just don't like pills and things like that. chemicals. which is unfortunate because i have crohn's and it's really unavoidable because of the fact that my crohn's isn't responding to treatment very well :/
i see a pain doctor regularly and he is at a loss of what to do with me at the moment. i am in and out of the ER in pain and having puking and dehydration/not being able to absorb nutrients nor gain weight and surgery was suppose to help with that but is just isn't. i don't know what to do either.
I have myalgia's and he want's to treat those as well with some no opiods but right now my stomach pain is just taking over.

 

[DustyKat]

If you have never been referred to a pain management team I think it is well worthwhile. They will look at the whole picture, know what treats what type and location of pain best and really are far more up on these type of things than regular docs are.

Are you on any supplements?

Have you had your levels of B12, Folate, Iron Stores and Vitamin D tested.?

Dusty. xxx

 

[Sybil Vane]

I had a hard time on fentanyl and couldn't eat. I had to shove tiny bites of food in my mouth even though it repulsed me. Like an idiot, I decided to just rip the patch off and found out why you really have to wean off. I had tremendous withdrawal symptoms, but I was on a higher dose of the patch. I was on it for 6 weeks due to complications from my last resection and I will say that it is a godsend when it comes to pain. It really took care of the pain, but please make sure you wean slowly off of it. It also had some psychological affects for me, including anxiety and depression. I was very happy to finally be off of it and back to my old self, but that is only my experience.

I think "addicted" isn't the word, but dependent. Your body becomes dependent on the drug so that's why you need to wean off of it. If you're taking it as prescribed, then don't give yourself a hard time about become dependent on a drug that you need to function.

 

[tishbite]

I have been referred to a pain management team and see them however, I haven't been in, in over a month due to schedual conflictions and the fact that my GI doc is currently treating my stomach pain with fentanyl after a hopsital visit a month ago because I was no longer responding to IV dilaudid and they didn't want to give me more then 2mg IV at one time which I was consistently needing every hour.
most of my nutrition levels are low because my body will not digest nutrients. my vitamin d, zinc, vitamin d ( i live in seattle so that is also just kind of a given), b12 (mostly because i am vegan but i can't eat meat or dairy because it causes me to flare even worst) albumin/protein are all low. i take a multi vitamin and have been considering starting pro-biotics again to try and help regulate my crazy stomach. i am in the bathroom at least 15 times a day and it is so painful before and during the bathroom trips :/
thanks for the response. dependency does sound like a more suitable word definitely.