Dear Priscilla,

When we are on such strong meds like the Duragesic, we tend to develop a tolerance to them. That is why over time we need a higher dose to achieve even amounts of pain relief, and they run out on us sooner than they are supposed to. I was on Fentanyl patches for 8 or 9 months, at one time getting up over 100 mcgs. I tapered down, and then eventually off, of them, about 15 months ago.

I am so sorry that you feel your doc was trying to deceive you by not giving you your scripts at one time. And that you've experienced withdrawal symptoms without an effective antecdote. It seems like you could use a better doc at this point, one that is more willing to work with your insurance company on gaining authorizations for your meds and who will evaluate different options for you so that you aren't so sick all the time.

When you've reached such a high dosage on your meds and they wear out on you so quickly and you're just not doing well with them it's time to consider other options. There are a lot of high quality time release opiods out there that you DON'T currently have a tolerance for that you could consider that may be really effective for your pain. The trick is to switch to one of those for a while so that you can get the relief your body needs. By switching on and off meds on a timely basis you can attempt to avoid the tolerance issues you seem to be experiencing right now. In essence, your meds aren't working all that well for you.

I used Suboxone for about 3 weeks or so when I went off Fentanyl, I could have used it for twice as long. But if you are switching to another med in the same family you may not experience the withdrawal effects that I did.

Have you considered Lidocaine or Ketamine infusions for your RSD? Ketamine has been extremely effective for me, I highly recommend it.

I truly hope that you can get this straightened out. So sorry for your suffering....take care and keep us posted, Sandy