From personal experience, I think the use of highly addictive analgesics needs a lot of research by every potential user.
My GP prescribed Oxycontin for the pain I was getting, ms hug. This was in 1998 and the prescribed dose went up from 20mcg daily to 160mcg over a period of 4 years. In 2012 this was changed to 75mcg fentanyl transdermal patches which seemed to work well.
Over the last ten months in conjunction with my GP the patch strength has been reduced to 12mcg looking to completely stop using them in Jan 19.
I have felt so much more alive since reducing the meds and I would like to say to people considering strong analgesics to really consider it seriously and look into other ways to help with pain and spasticity.
It really feels to me, that I’m getting a bit of my life back and will no longer have to rely on these patches.
It has been 20 years for me on these strong analgesics, and it seems to have passed me by in a flash, so please be careful anybody who is considering these drugs.