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What Causes Slight Withdrawal Symptoms During The 40th Hour After Taking Fentanyl?

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Posted on Mon, 5 Oct 2015
Question: I take fentynal 32 mcg every 48 hours but it seems to wear out sooner than that. I start to get increased pain then start getting symptoms of XXXXXXX withdrawals at around the 40 hour point. What should I tell my dr.?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (50 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Sounds like a good start already

Detailed Answer:
this is not unusual. it commonly occurs. it is often from how well the patch makes skin contact

trying. other spots.
trying the addition of bandages around it to hold it on are some tactics that have helped some people in similar conditions

an

the way you stated the situation right now was perfect.

thank you

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (9 hours later)
I have tried other places to install the patch and found that there are certain spots that do not make contact very well. I also have used tegaderm film to "secure" the patches in place. When I talk to my regular doctor about this problem I get looks of doubt like they think I want more patches or stronger patches in order to achieve some kind of high. Well, I get zero high from these meds and that is not a factor as far as I am concerned. I need relief...last month I would wait to change patches until I felt the symptoms of being sick then change. Which was normally before the prescribed 48 hours by 6 to 8 hours. That left me about 5 days short putting myself in a bad spot of going thru full on withdrawals and dealing with major pain until I could get a refill. Is there some kind of genome test that could tell if my body processes these type drugs faster than others that I could have done to give some sort of scientific reason that this happens?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
sure.

Detailed Answer:
testable too, but frankly, when the symptoms fit a well-known pattern, basically it's hard for that not to be correct.
If a drug, hits a high then a low instead of giving a constant level, this is the pattern it would give. Furthermore, fentanyl patches are pretty notorious for not being as constant a dosing as they say they are....

by the way... there are more than one brand of patches and it might be psychological (I doubt that it is psychological, I think it is the drug levels) BUT all of my patients do not like the generic patch. All.

so... try different brands especially the brand-non-generic and.... you can get a urine level of drug at 12-24 hr and at 72 hr and see the level of drug in the urine. This is a bit crude since it has to get in and out and the concentration of the urine has to be in the same ball park. Morning specimen after first day and after third day would likely show a 20-50% decline in level and prove it.
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman

Addiction Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :1985

Answered : 4214 Questions

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What Causes Slight Withdrawal Symptoms During The 40th Hour After Taking Fentanyl?

Brief Answer: Sounds like a good start already Detailed Answer: this is not unusual. it commonly occurs. it is often from how well the patch makes skin contact trying. other spots. trying the addition of bandages around it to hold it on are some tactics that have helped some people in similar conditions an the way you stated the situation right now was perfect. thank you