Gosh I'm so sorry Desi!!! I' didn't mean to scare you out of your wits! By "big gun" i meant "really powerful". Fentanyl is usually only prescribed when all the other opioids have failed.

And by 'don't go cold turkey or it could kill you' - actually - i really did mean that part. My friend with RSD went through horrible withdrawal when an extremely dumb nurse told her it was ok to just stop, rather than taper, off the fentanyl. She had a huge psychotic episode and her blood pressure and heart rate went berserk, and could have caused heart failure. This is true about any powerful narcotic drug though especially one you have been on for a long time.

People with RSD need to be especially careful to taper so as not to put extra stress on their hearts. Because RSD creates inability to regulate body functions such as temperature and blood pressure, people with RSD more likely to have stroke and other cardiac events in the later stages.

I'm so sorry if I sounded panicky, but it's only because I feel so protective of all my friends with RSD!! please forgive me...