Français

Use this form to find a sample tapering protocol for a specific opioid and dose. This protocol is based on a 10%-20% reduction every 1-4 weeks, with the last third of the program taking the longest. 

Schedule for reducing the dose of my opioid medication

Choose the opioid drug you take:

• Fentanyl (Duragesic, APO-fentanyl, Co fentanyl, Mylan fentanyl, PMS fentanyl, Ran-Fentanyl, Sandoz-Fentanyl and Teva-fentanyl)

• Hydromorphone (Hydromorph Contin)

• Hydromorphone (Jurnista)

• Morphine (Kadian)

• Morphine (Morphine SR, Sandoz-Morphine SR)

• Morphine (MS Contin, Novo-Morphine SR)

• Morphine (M Eslon)

• Oxycodone (OxyNeo)

DO NOT REDUCE YOUR DOSE WITHOUT YOUR DOCTOR’S OR PHARMACIST’S SUPERVISION

See your doctor or pharmacist to develop a personalized plan that’s right for you.

CAUTION

Your tolerance to opioids will reduce as you cut down your dose. This means YOU ARE AT RISK OF OVERDOSING IF YOU QUICKLY GO BACK TO HIGH DOSES OF OPIOIDS. Always take opioids as prescribed.

WITHDRAWAL SIDE EFFECTS

When reducing the dose of an opioid too quickly, some people may experience withdrawal reactions (e.g. insomnia, anxiety, nausea). Various strategies and treatments are available to manage withdrawal side effects. Talk to your health care provider to prevent severe withdrawal symptoms.

WARNING

DO NOT CUT SLOW-RELEASE TABLETS IN HALF. Cutting pills in half destroys the slow-release coating on the pill. You may receive a higher dose and risk overdosing.

More information

If you would like additional detailed information about opioid deprescribing, click here to see the Opioid Tapering Template produced by RxFiles Academic Detailing.