Quitting Opioids “Cold Turkey” Increases Pain Sensitivity

What you said does make sense.  From what this new research has found, it sounds like the withdrawal you went through probably increased your sensitivity to pain.  That's why even though you're taking the same medications as before, you're not getting the same degree of relief.  I suspect you'll eventually get back to where you were, but it will probably take quite a while. 

hi, i had the same thing happen to me, i had to wait days for my mrdication, i went thru hell, and finally after the pharmisit got to reading the fax, i recieved my meds. i called the dr. that prescribed them and he said from then on to CALL him and then TELL the pharmisit to CALL him....haven't had any probs since then..knock on wood!!!...amd the idea of drinking your oain away, well guees what DID the same thing,,,and with the ban coming up, concerning vicodin and percocet, don't you think we are going to have so many more people "turning to the bottle" so to speak, what a shame..because we could THEN have people turning into alcoholics and what is the FDA going to do then??? it is just a horrible outlook, when and if they DO ban these meds....best of luck to you and i hope your pain gets better? wrong word?..but i hope your pain meds start to help you. as they did before, cindi

So glad I'm not the only one thats been through this. With the thought of certain meds being taken off the market, it's no wonder so many people commit suicide.

hi, if you have read some of these posts, which i am sure you have, there HAVE been some people who lost love ones to suicide because oof thier pain, and you are so right, it;s true, that there isn't more suicides...how tragic...because a dr, can not understand someones pain, and is ""looking" or "wondering if someone is a drug seeker. i am ashamed to admit, on one of my reaal bad days, about a year aago, i dumped my pain meds on my bed and thought for a second or 2, how it would be, to be finally out of pain...i quickly thought about my 4 children, mt husband and my new and only grandson and put them away and have not done this again...my mom who passed  alittle over 2 years ago from cancer....and i lost my daddy 6 months later after he put a gun to his head...he had rhiemotoid arthritis and in terrible pain and my mom basically did everything for him...sorry , i have tears runningg down my face to think i could ever have thought about doing, what i thought about doing...and thinking how i felt after my daddy did what he did....its just too painful to even think about....cindi

It was news to me about how the sensitivity can be hightened after being off pain meds

cold turkey or tapering.

This afternoon visiting an uncle in the nursing home, my inside upper arm felt like it had a fire burn on it. So tender and hurt to the touch.

I want to thank everyone that wrote back, my appreciation goes far beyond anything I could put in print.

Thanks again.

"loves company"

You and me both!  I've been taking tramadol for fibromyalgia pain for well over 10 years and it has continued to work well for me.  I haven't even been tempted to try any of the new medications for FM.  As the saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."  As long as the tramadol continues to work for me, I have no interest in trying anything else. 

Hi Bill – Thanks for sharing your experience.  I've heard that methadone is a particularly difficult medication to get off of. 

I agree with you.  Quitting cold turkey may be a good way to quit smoking, but it's a very bad, and potentially dangerous, way to get off of opioids – especially when you have chroic pain problems. 

I'm glad to hear you have medication that works better for you now.  Take care.  – Karen