Hi all,
We took the question about discontinuation guidelines to a pharmacist at Mayo Clinic. Here's what she had to add to the conversation:

"There are no specific guidelines for tapering long-term opioid therapy in patients with chronic noncancer pain. The Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense have suggested tapering the total daily dose by 20% to 50% per week. Some medical facilities will decrease by 10% of the original dose every 5 to 7 days. The taper your physician suggested does not seem unreasonable, but there may be room for adjustment if you’d like to talk with her about that. I’m glad that you are feeling better now. It will be very important to have her available so that you can contact her or a colleague if you are noticing withdrawal symptoms as you continue to step down in your dose.
As you understand, it is important to be in touch with your provider during this taper. It may be a good idea to stay at your current dose until she is available to guide you the rest of the way." ~pharmacist, Mayo Clinic

@beausonge, how are you doing today?

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