Sbennet you realize that
morphine will have the same kind of detox that the
fentanyl did dont you? It is NOT true that opioid detox can kill you. This is very rare. This can only happen indirectly, for example you have been sick throwing up and having diarreaha for days and have not ate or drank anything and die. Or you fall asleep and vomit and choke on your vomit. The only drugs with a detox that really can be deadly are GABA agonists like benzos (and alcohol) because they cause seizures and someone can die having a seizure, people who have experienced both benzo and opioid withdrawal say benzo withdrawal is far worse.
Anyway my point is do not let this scare you, it may feel terrible when you are withdrawing however, the chances are VERY slim that you will die. The possible relief that could be gained by using opioids for some people far outways the temporary discomfort (which is what withdrawal is) of withdrawal. And yes, I have experienced withdrawals before, they are terrible but I would gladly experience them again for the relief I gain from my medications.
And as for how to slow down the release of the patch, I would say that keeping it from getting warm is very important. I dont know about the saran wrap idea, but it may work, the only issue is that it is a bit worrisome to mess with the patch. Is it possible for her to et some sort of medications to control her symptoms until she acclimates to the patch (hopefully less than a week). Med like
Reglan for nausea and things like that. Was she already opioid tolerant when she started the patch, what meds was she on before the patch? Just curious.
I hope your wife feels better and I hope that the patch works well for her and that it take care of her pain with minimal side effects. Take care,
Circa