Opioid Tapering With Cannabis: A Regimen

SweetSue said:
And here I was trying to feel good for what the Republican Party did for us when they forced their members to run that Medicare Bill through that allowed the bastards to sell their addictive poisons at any price they so choose, and we could do jack-shit about it. :straightface:

Every once in a while I forget I’m a child of light that spreads joy. :laughtwo: There, I’m back. Lol!

Careful with the Suboxone @PCaddict. It’s near impossible to get away from that particular poison. :hugs::hugs::hugs: Not that it can’t be done as your endocannabinoid system strengthens, just that you’ll have to be extra-patient with the taper.

I’d think higher CBD ratios would be most helpful when that time comes.

We’re wired to heal, and the longer you pursue a serious cannabis regimen of any sort the more you should assume your system is recovering the strength to take back homeostatic monitoring at top speed. In time one can expect to need less cannabis to heal. Then it can fall back to maintenance status and recreational use. :cheesygrinsmiley:
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Thank You sue I may not get them filled because I really don't want to fall down that rabbit hole again. I think what is happening in politics is Really Bad on a lot of fronts. Your work is appreciated Very Much. This is a Great thread and a Great help for many of us. I think things will be better for me once I have grow my own at the moment it is too cost prohibitive for me to buy enough to make oils for caps and butter for edibles to last me. I am popping seeds at the moment so after this grow I will have some then in the spring I will grow more.
 
hey, miss sue, or anyone else- anyone know if that THING, when u forget the entire conversation, half way through ur own word/speech... that ever stop, after quittin the dope?
 
SPARECHANGE said:
hey, miss sue, or anyone else- anyone know if that THING, when u forget the entire conversation, half way through ur own word/speech... that ever stop, after quittin the dope?
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By “dope” you mean....? :laughtwo:

If cannabis is what you’re referring to, then the answer is “No.” Develop a good sense of humor and embrace it. Lol!

Our brains also like to switch gears when we walk from one scene to another, one room to another, one conversation to another. The brain can only focus on one thing at a time. Some of us just process faster than others. Lol!

When I walk into another room for something I repeat over and over the reason I’m going just to overcome this tendency. :laugh2;
 
PCaddict said:
I am popping seeds at the moment so after this grow I will have some then in the spring I will grow more.
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You’ll do well. I can feel it from here. :hugs::hugs::hugs:
 
sorry, i was referring to legit opioids.
 
yeah, they scrambled my thought process, so badly, i actually have to procrastinate (FIRST!) n then, literally, schedule a day, for serious pprwrk and more often than not- mom's gotta proof it! i know... humiliation. but even phone calls, freak me out; never knowing what'll come out. n then, the forgetting... it's mental. i rely on text...
 
and this was prime opioid effect- i wasn't touchin pot. used to be real sharp. now... I'm a 2yr old, with the palsy. 2mo O free, tomorrow.
 
SPARECHANGE said:
and this was prime opioid effect- i wasn't touchin pot. used to be real sharp. now... I'm a 2yr old, with the palsy. 2mo O free, tomorrow.
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Hang in there it does get better. It takes forever but it does start getting better been 6 months free from opioids for me with the exception of a little Suboxone in August. I only had dry flower to get me through I expect things will get even better once I have some to turn into oil from this up coming grow. Stay the course
 
oh, totally. i just wondered if the mind "perks", from them, are to b chalked up to the permanent file, or hopeful file. but I'm good. never threw that drunk, over the knee so... yeah. ty, though, for the peek at the future.
 
good day, all. going to do 2 mbe oil runs, today. will return, with effects from unmm- black domina: dried, not cured... and white widow xtrm- well, one, today & the next report, tomorrow, or i won't feel any nuances.
 
Hi All,
I would like to share my wife's opioid tapering regimen with anyone who may find this helpful.
Opioid Tapering
My wife had been on the fentanyl patch for years - prescribed by our family physician.
In 2006, she started on a 50 mcg patch which was to be changed out every 72 hours. The purpose, to alleviate constant, intense pain (loin pain haemetura, tumour in remaining kidney - the first kidney was removed in 1996 due to cancerous tumour - not qualified for a transplant due to her mother taking thalidomide, too many internal anomalies that would make for a very unlikely match).
Very quickly we found that the fentanyl dose and frequency of the dose were lacking - it was increased to a 75 mcg patch every 48 hours. This was all during 2006.
In 2016, a few months before I retired, my wife was prescribed nabilone for nausea and to help her sleep. This worked very well and when we did our research on the drug - we were surprised note that nabilone is synthetic THC!
Over the next couple of months (the start of 2017), we came to the conclusion that real cannabis would be a better answer than nabilone. Not trusting the quality/availability et al of buying grey market cannabis here in Northern Ontario, we decided to start growing in June of 2017. With much help from this site and youtube and lots of trial / error / frustration initially - we stuck with it and now are growing successfully.
During the same time period my wife became a medical marijuana patient. Indica oil was the preferred substance at the time and works very well, but also very expen$ive to purchase. With our GYO licenses, we are nearing the point of independence from dispensaries. Now we use dry decarb in capsules (size 0) and also vape a few times per day (CDB - daytime, THC indica blend - evening). Still use some indica oil purchased from dispensaries. If you get your GYO license with the help of Bodystream here in Ontario, you are allowed to continue to purchase prescribed cannabis products for a period of time (this I presume in case of garden failure). We know this because once my wife had her GYO renewed - yearly renewal with Health Canada, she was cut off by her provider. Has anyone else in Ontario or the rest of Canada had a similar experience?
Tapering Method
  • The plan was to wear the 75 mcg patch for increasingly longer periods of time up until 72 hours of wear time (remember she was wearing the 75 mcg patch for 48 hours since 2006). The comment that I have regarding the time increments is to make haste slowly, in other words the tortoise wins the race. We started with 1/2 hour increments say for three days, then increase to a 1 hour increment for three days, then try to go to two hours after three days, et al. This will require getting up at odd hours to change the patch - well worth it!
  • At that point, start wearing a 50 mcg patch starting with 48 hours and increasing it to 72 hours as outlined above.
  • Following that, start the process over with 25 mcg patches until again wearing for 72 hours.
  • At that point, we had wanted to drop down to a 12.5 mcg patch, unfortunately we could not get access to them.
  • Instead, we started blocking the patch with a band aid 10% at a time and also increasing the amount of area blocked each time and we stayed with the 48 hour wear time progressing until the complete patch was covered. The reason for blocking was to avoid cutting the patches which could cause the patch to release the fentanyl all at once.

As of March 21, 2019 she has been fentanyl free.
The tapering process took around 6 months start to finish after a couple of false starts. This is not a cut and dry process.
When things get tough, you may not be able to increase the patch wear time for a couple or three changes. That's OK - don’t go backwards.
We had no help from our family doctor other than prescribing the patches as needed.
The doctor’s solution was to use methadone instead of the cannabis!

“The world is full of people who have never, since childhood, met an open doorway with an open mind.”


― E.B. White

 
Now that’s the kind of detailed help this thread hoped to see replicated over and over again.

You all make me proud to be part of this outreach. :hugs:
 
And I have to say the idea of covering the patch with a bandaid was a brilliant stroke, and I expect to see that show up again, now that you’ve shared it. :hugs:
 
hedzenmedz said:
Hi All,
I would like to share my wife's opioid tapering regimen with anyone who may find this helpful.
Opioid Tapering
My wife had been on the fentanyl patch for years - prescribed by our family physician.
In 2006, she started on a 50 mcg patch which was to be changed out every 72 hours. The purpose, to alleviate constant, intense pain (loin pain haemetura, tumour in remaining kidney - the first kidney was removed in 1996 due to cancerous tumour - not qualified for a transplant due to her mother taking thalidomide, too many internal anomalies that would make for a very unlikely match).
Very quickly we found that the fentanyl dose and frequency of the dose were lacking - it was increased to a 75 mcg patch every 48 hours. This was all during 2006.
In 2016, a few months before I retired, my wife was prescribed nabilone for nausea and to help her sleep. This worked very well and when we did our research on the drug - we were surprised note that nabilone is synthetic THC!
Over the next couple of months (the start of 2017), we came to the conclusion that real cannabis would be a better answer than nabilone. Not trusting the quality/availability et al of buying grey market cannabis here in Northern Ontario, we decided to start growing in June of 2017. With much help from this site and youtube and lots of trial / error / frustration initially - we stuck with it and now are growing successfully.
During the same time period my wife became a medical marijuana patient. Indica oil was the preferred substance at the time and works very well, but also very expen$ive to purchase. With our GYO licenses, we are nearing the point of independence from dispensaries. Now we use dry decarb in capsules (size 0) and also vape a few times per day (CDB - daytime, THC indica blend - evening). Still use some indica oil purchased from dispensaries. If you get your GYO license with the help of Bodystream here in Ontario, you are allowed to continue to purchase prescribed cannabis products for a period of time (this I presume in case of garden failure). We know this because once my wife had her GYO renewed - yearly renewal with Health Canada, she was cut off by her provider. Has anyone else in Ontario or the rest of Canada had a similar experience?
Tapering Method
  • The plan was to wear the 75 mcg patch for increasingly longer periods of time up until 72 hours of wear time (remember she was wearing the 75 mcg patch for 48 hours since 2006). The comment that I have regarding the time increments is to make haste slowly, in other words the tortoise wins the race. We started with 1/2 hour increments say for three days, then increase to a 1 hour increment for three days, then try to go to two hours after three days, et al. This will require getting up at odd hours to change the patch - well worth it!
  • At that point, start wearing a 50 mcg patch starting with 48 hours and increasing it to 72 hours as outlined above.
  • Following that, start the process over with 25 mcg patches until again wearing for 72 hours.
  • At that point, we had wanted to drop down to a 12.5 mcg patch, unfortunately we could not get access to them.
  • Instead, we started blocking the patch with a band aid 10% at a time and also increasing the amount of area blocked each time and we stayed with the 48 hour wear time progressing until the complete patch was covered. The reason for blocking was to avoid cutting the patches which could cause the patch to release the fentanyl all at once.

As of March 21, 2019 she has been fentanyl free.
The tapering process took around 6 months start to finish after a couple of false starts. This is not a cut and dry process.
When things get tough, you may not be able to increase the patch wear time for a couple or three changes. That's OK - don’t go backwards.
We had no help from our family doctor other than prescribing the patches as needed.
The doctor’s solution was to use methadone instead of the cannabis!

“The world is full of people who have never, since childhood, met an open doorway with an open mind.”


― E.B. White
Click to expand...
Methadone comes with its own demons so good you didn't go that route. Withdrawals from that is really bad. I was on it for 14 years and was dropped all at once. Not because I had a dirty urine never did in the 14 years I was on it. They said it was due to the laws changing so they dropped me all at once, No taper and nothing to help with the withdrawals.:(
 
Yeah.... that deserves a hug. :hugs::hugs::hugs::hugs::hugs:
 
hedzenmedz said:
Hi All,
I would like to share my wife's opioid tapering regimen with anyone who may find this helpful.
Opioid Tapering
My wife had been on the fentanyl patch for years - prescribed by our family physician.
In 2006, she started on a 50 mcg patch which was to be changed out every 72 hours. The purpose, to alleviate constant, intense pain (loin pain haemetura, tumour in remaining kidney - the first kidney was removed in 1996 due to cancerous tumour - not qualified for a transplant due to her mother taking thalidomide, too many internal anomalies that would make for a very unlikely match).
Very quickly we found that the fentanyl dose and frequency of the dose were lacking - it was increased to a 75 mcg patch every 48 hours. This was all during 2006.
In 2016, a few months before I retired, my wife was prescribed nabilone for nausea and to help her sleep. This worked very well and when we did our research on the drug - we were surprised note that nabilone is synthetic THC!
Over the next couple of months (the start of 2017), we came to the conclusion that real cannabis would be a better answer than nabilone. Not trusting the quality/availability et al of buying grey market cannabis here in Northern Ontario, we decided to start growing in June of 2017. With much help from this site and youtube and lots of trial / error / frustration initially - we stuck with it and now are growing successfully.
During the same time period my wife became a medical marijuana patient. Indica oil was the preferred substance at the time and works very well, but also very expen$ive to purchase. With our GYO licenses, we are nearing the point of independence from dispensaries. Now we use dry decarb in capsules (size 0) and also vape a few times per day (CDB - daytime, THC indica blend - evening). Still use some indica oil purchased from dispensaries. If you get your GYO license with the help of Bodystream here in Ontario, you are allowed to continue to purchase prescribed cannabis products for a period of time (this I presume in case of garden failure). We know this because once my wife had her GYO renewed - yearly renewal with Health Canada, she was cut off by her provider. Has anyone else in Ontario or the rest of Canada had a similar experience?
Tapering Method
  • The plan was to wear the 75 mcg patch for increasingly longer periods of time up until 72 hours of wear time (remember she was wearing the 75 mcg patch for 48 hours since 2006). The comment that I have regarding the time increments is to make haste slowly, in other words the tortoise wins the race. We started with 1/2 hour increments say for three days, then increase to a 1 hour increment for three days, then try to go to two hours after three days, et al. This will require getting up at odd hours to change the patch - well worth it!
  • At that point, start wearing a 50 mcg patch starting with 48 hours and increasing it to 72 hours as outlined above.
  • Following that, start the process over with 25 mcg patches until again wearing for 72 hours.
  • At that point, we had wanted to drop down to a 12.5 mcg patch, unfortunately we could not get access to them.
  • Instead, we started blocking the patch with a band aid 10% at a time and also increasing the amount of area blocked each time and we stayed with the 48 hour wear time progressing until the complete patch was covered. The reason for blocking was to avoid cutting the patches which could cause the patch to release the fentanyl all at once.

As of March 21, 2019 she has been fentanyl free.
The tapering process took around 6 months start to finish after a couple of false starts. This is not a cut and dry process.
When things get tough, you may not be able to increase the patch wear time for a couple or three changes. That's OK - don’t go backwards.
We had no help from our family doctor other than prescribing the patches as needed.
The doctor’s solution was to use methadone instead of the cannabis!

“The world is full of people who have never, since childhood, met an open doorway with an open mind.”


― E.B. White
Click to expand...

It takes a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggg ass time to taper off of this stuff. Awesome work and show of patience. I am glad the provider was willing to work with you to make a successful plan.

SweetSue said:
And I have to say the idea of covering the patch with a bandaid was a brilliant stroke, and I expect to see that show up again, now that you’ve shared it. :hugs:
Click to expand...

Agreed.

PCaddict said:
Methadone comes with its own demons so good you didn't go that route. Withdrawals from that is really bad. I was on it for 14 years and was dropped all at once. Not because I had a dirty urine never did in the 14 years I was on it. They said it was due to the laws changing so they dropped me all at once, No taper and nothing to help with the withdrawals.:(
Click to expand...

I challenge anyone to show me a law or guideline that recommends sudden stoppage of opioids in anyone who is using them appropriately (and sometimes even when using inappropriately - that's a case by case issue, though). Please understand this is not directed at you in any way.

I am happy for those that have found a way off of these drugs. I am happy for those who have found alternative means of pain relief that are less dangerous. For those that need these medications and continue to use them appropriately you deserve praise and compassion as well. Those who have misused them, I hope you get the help you need before things go really bad for you.
 
40 months ago, I was put on opiates (oxycodone) to alleviate the pain caused by metastatic prostate cancer. Ultimately I was given Xtandi in addition to the regimen of other disgusting drugs they were treating me with. My PSA dropped to zero and in November of 2019 I stopped feeling pain, by Christmas my strength returned, my limp went away and I started feeling pretty. That left me with a 100mg per day synthetic heroin habit. In January I knew I had to kick. They prescribed a drug called Lucemyra that blocks withdrawal symptoms. I took it for four days even though they told me to take it for eight. While it worked fine, it messed me up worse than oxycodone ever did. The drug affects the brain stem (yikes). Anyway at about two weeks my body function which had adapted to the opiates started to normalize. Complete lucidity came after about four weeks.
 
:welcome: dean. How are you doing now? What are you doing to stay clear?

What can we do to make the journey softer and more loving?:hugs:
 
And “Whew!” :hugs::hugs::hugs:
 
SweetSue said:
:welcome: dean. How are you doing now? What are you doing to stay clear?

What can we do to make the journey softer and more loving?:hugs:
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SweetSue:

It’s so nice that you express concern. However, staying off opiates is not a big deal for me. I was weeks away from death and in agonizing pain when my doctor prescribed them even though I never liked either “ups” or “downs”. (I’m really more of an “outs” kind of guy.) I’ve been consuming cannabis for 55 years so that was always part of my regimen.

I’ve received Provenge which is an immunotherapy treatment, Lupron (androgen deprivation drug or as I call the every three month injections, eunuch shots) which switch off testosterone production in the testes and adrenals, and when that failed Xtandi which addressed smart tumors which produce their own testosterone.

After 13 years of defying the odds, I feel great. I have no idea if chemically induced remission will become permanent. I’ve seen so many incredible advances since my diagnosis, I feel hopeful that I’ll outlast this disease.

I’m back in the gym and day by day my bodily functions are re-stabilizing after 3.5 years of opiate use. While I’m still fighting like hell against this bizarre and insidious disease, I love my life. I’m blessed with three sons, a wife of forty years and three incredible grandchildren.

I suck down about 30 to 50mg of THC daily, mostly with a vape pen. At seventy years of age, I try to live each day as if it’s my last even though I hope to last another thirty years so I can be there for all my grandchildren’s milestones - graduations, weddings and other triumphs.

I’m off to Maui at the end of this month to vacation with my family. I’ll spend the summer in my gardens and by the pool. Next winter, for the first time in four years, I will be able to ski, a sport which I’ve missed dearly.

In spite of my tribulations, I consider myself amazingly lucky. Start opiates again? Ha. If I was able to kick with over 800 pills in my medicine cabinet, I don’t think that they present any temptation at all.

Again, I thank you for both your concern and for the resources that your threads on this site provide for so many. You are obviously a terrific woman. I wish you all the best for you and your loved ones.

Thanks again and Peace

DG
 
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