At 6 months, I believe you should be off pain meds. Long term use can also damage the small intestine, not from constipation.

Pain in the back can be from sitting at a desk and gets worse with computer use. If you haven't been real active, the areas that usually flare up first are the lower back, hips, knees and upper back. Physio can help but I think they move too gradual and start to easy. There are stretched and things that help.

I was on 150 mcg/hr of fentanyl patches for about 6 months and weaned off in short time. 5 mg withdrawal shouldn't be noticeable.

If you aren't drinking enough water, that makes muscles hurt, too. We all have different hydration needs but constipation and muscle pain points to hydration issues. Dry skin is another sign. If you start with Christine's suggestion and go up gradually from there, you will find what works best for digestion, skin and mental clarity.

Any radiated tissue in the throat will hurt a lot more when dry, too. Constant sips versus guzzling water helps keep the throat moist. Too much water at once can bring on a bunch of other problems.

If you strengthen the upper and lower back, you should see some results within 2-3 weeks. There are some simple stretches like laying in your back and bringing your knees to your chest and holding for 20 seconds, with the small of the back as flat to the ground as possible. Also, sitting in your knees, bending down with the arms stretched out will help the shoulders. Find where it hurts and gentky stretch in that direction. It hurts because the muscles are bound up and sometimes nerves shifting in the bound up area. Another one is laying flat in your stomach with your arms straight out, perpendicular to the body with a clenched fist. Point the thumbs towards the ceiling and try to lift them arms up. Imagine reaching the pointed outward thumbs towards the ceiling, lifting the arms as high as possible. This stretches the rhomboids and scapular rotation muscles. They will atrophy if you don't do this regularly.

I hope this helps in some way.

SCC Stage IV, BOT, T2N2bM0
Cisplatin/5FU x 3, 40 days radiation
Diagnosis 07/21/03 tx completed 10/08/03
Post Radiation Lower Motor Neuron Syndrome 3/08.
Cervical Spinal Stenosis 01/11
Cervical Myelitis 09/12
Thoracic Paraplegia 10/12
Dysautonomia 11/12
Hospice care 09/12-01/13.
COPD 01/14
Intermittent CHF 6/15
Feeding tube NPO 03/16
VFI 12/2016
ORN 12/2017
Cardiac Event 06/2018
Bilateral VFI 01/2021
Thoracotomy Bilobectomy 01/2022
Bilateral VFI 05/2022
Total Laryngectomy 01/2023