Can You Cut The Fentanyl Patch In Half (Page 3) (Top voted first)

I asked my doctor the same question yesterday, she said "no", because once it hits the air, the strength starts to dissipate, or weaken. So she put me on the lowest dose, as I hope to get off them and all meds eventually.

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Never tried fentenol patches but it's all that's available today so I'm gonna cut one and try it tonight but scared AF

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I'm unclear regarding "overprescribing me" I understood you to say you receive a prescription every 28 days for 24 100mcg fentanyl patches labeled apply 1 ever 36 hers but you were verbally instructed to apply one every 48 hours rs. And now he reduced your quantity 6 patches = 18 patches (apply one every 48 hours) for 24 day supply. Is that correct? You need 12 patches to take as prescribed and you still have 6 extra to use for loss/patches falling off etc....I'm certain I misunderstood something....have you been using more than one every 48hrs?

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Granny, fortunately, I have only gotten up to the 25 in the three years I've been on Fentanyl, but I'm getting well enough not to have much pain on my patch change day. I used to use a gel type patch because they worked better. My first step in trying to get off the stuff was to switch to Mylan. Now I'm trimming off an eighth of an inch of the patch because I'm afraid to go straight to a half dose. Next time, I'll try trimming a quarter inch. It's hard to tell if I'm really ready, so I think the slower the better. My doctor is willing to drop me to a 12.5 whenever I give the word, but then I'm stuck with that dose for 28 days. If it's not enough, I'll have a painful month. If I trim them, I'll know before I commit.

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Re: Verwon (# 1)

How does cutting the patch release more medication?

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My wife of 16 years died suddenly and unexpectedly 24 hours after placing a cut 100mcg Fentanyl patch on her shoulder! Do not cut these patches! When you cut them, the barrier is broken, causing the patch to release too much medication too fast!

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Re: Marlin (# 50)

NEVER cut a fentanyl gel patch (Actavis), but you can cut the tape type (Mylan). My doctor has okayed it. I am reducing my dose very slowly over a couple of months, and I don’t have to suffer withdrawals.

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Re: Kelsey (# 16)

I am weaning myself off the patch by cutting 1/10 of an inch more off every few patch changes. Usually I experience no WDs at all, but sometimes I feel a little crappy for a couple of hours before the next change. It’s slow but painless. Only cut Mylan, never cut Activan.

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Hi kelsey. We are pretty much in the same boat. I'm only on 100mg every 36 hrs. But my Dr has been giving me 24 every 28 day's 4 over 5 yrs. Now last wk he took 6 away. And next appt said he's only giving me 8 or 9.I'm terrified he's going to kill me. It's almost happened 10 yrs ago on a much less powerful drug. Landed in hospital ICU 6 times in just under 4 months. Unconscious. Anyway I'm petrified. I'm crying my eyes out as I type to you. I notice your post was very recent. I'd love love love love love love to be able to email you. I'm in Canada. I could call you if I knew ur numb. Maybe if u didn't mind giving me ur email. Even if u just wanted to open a new email just to post here. Then we could go from there. With our real reg email. Seems to me that we could be a really awsome support for eachother. I believe u said u r 48.I'm 50.did I mention I'm in Canada? Lol.I Also suffer HORRIFIC neuropathy as well. And clogged arteries both legs.which are unfixable bcuz I am DISGUSTINGLY skinny nowadays 104lbs. My vascular surgeon said my veins are too tiny to act as an artery and said I'm too skinny to survive the 9 hr surgery. He's known as the best in Canada and told me in 40 yrs I'm the very first that he has no idea how to help me. My arteries arnt from my diabetes tho.its from smoking 3 packs a day. I quit cold turkey on Aug 20/14.well with the Evape. It's been a life saver. If ur wanting to quit hon. Have u considered the Evape. U can get nicotine diff strengths. Or 0 nicotine. I'm telling you that ud be amazed. My husband quit cold turkey on day 1 as well and soo many other's that I've introduced it's too.100% of them quit smoking the very first day too. Plssssssssssss get back to me. .bye for now. Ur new friend in Canada. Cheers!

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NOTBUYING, I don't doubt they got sick after an hour of patch falling off. I forget to change mine and suffer no ill effects. At other times I'll forget to put another one on and suffer no ill effects. But sometimes, sometimes if I'm an hour late changing it..I start getting sick. There are times where I leave one patch on for over a week-with no ill effects but yes, sometimes I get sick by changing it an hour or so late, so who knows. I just changed my patch that was dry, and crackled when I breathed. I'm hoping I can go two weeks on this on and perhaps just cheek a bit every other day till its out of my system.

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I have never used a patch a friend gave me and my husband a 25mg so we cut it in half taped it and put it on but problem is we don't feel it what should we do to make it kick in

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Hi about the smoking I'm on 100mg patch every 36 hrs for past I lost track of the yrs. I've quit smoking Aug 20/14.blocked arteries from smoking 3 packs a day. Anyway I used the Evape. Quit cold turkey on day 1 of the Evape. U can get either 0-32mg nicotine. I started with 12 my. Then 6mg then 3. Still on 3 but use 0% sometimes as well. Not sure if ur still smoking or not. U cannot get cancer from nicotine. The tar is where the cancer comes from. Blocked arteries r from nicotine. So obviously 0 nicotine is best for me since I've already got blocked arteries.I'm at risk of losing both but especially my right (driving) leg. Already my Harley is now a trike. Now switched to forward controls. Now hand controls and now looks like we're converting it to an automatic this winter for next spring. Thank gawd hubby is very extremely smart with these things. Saved us 10s of thousands so far already. Hope this helps abit with the smoking

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Omgggg Mac. pls help me do the same. I'm on 100mg teva-fent every 36 hrs. Never thot withdrawal was possible if ur not abusing them. my Dr has been over prescribing me for 5 yrs. gives me 24 every 28 day's. Too many people dieing in my small town with not even 1 stop light. None due to my Rx.so last wk all at once he cut me back 6 patches. I'm hurting bad. Crying as I type! Now next appt he said he's only giving me 9 total. I'm terrified the withdrawal will kill me. Bcuz 10 yrs ago. It almost did. I was hospitalized 6 times in 3 month's. In ICU unconscious. Almost died. My family is petrified he's going to kill me. Also my pharmacist Is afraid 4 me too. They are both good buddies and their always in cahoots. Anyway their accusing me of filling my Rx early. I got Rx every 28 days for 24 altho he'd write 36 hrs on it.. he wrote Rx every 28 days. Pharm filled it 28 days. Seems to me that I'm the ONLY 1 who followed protocol. Will tell you this much tho. We're not planning on going down alone that's for f'n sure. Yes I'd love to be weened. But he's going about this all wrong. Making a really bad career decision. I'm in Canada. I'm a 50 yr old woman. Horrific diabetes..both legs clogged arteries. Have best vascular surgeon in Canada Apparently and he can't fix me. I'm too thin. 104lbs. Anyway too much to type but there's no help for my legs. Havta sell my Harley soon. already tried it out. already got fwd controls. Now new hand controls too.next is to just make it an automatic bcuz I havta literally stand up when changing gears cuz hurts too much.but what good is Making it automatic if I don't have legs! Crying my eye's out right now bcuz my Dr got me to this place and now that he's panicking it's ME who's made to suffer! ! Can u pls get back to me should u see this. In fact anyone who has been where I am. I would love your hear from anyone who can help. What can I do about him over prescribing me in the first place?

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I call bulls***. There is no way you got sick from a patch falling off in only 1 hour. This is a very slow acting medicine that is absorbed into the fatty layers of your skin. It takes at least 6 to 12 hours to take effect and about the same time and usually longer to begin feeling withdrawal when a patch falls off. It's happened to me several times and it took well over 12 hours to notice the patch was gone. The withdrawal effects come on very slow after that starting with a migraine. There is no way you were that sick in 1 hour from a patch falling off.

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No, you can't cut it in half and the reason for it is because it is time released and cutting the patch could cause you to get too much of the medication at once, which may result in a dangerous overdose.

Learn more Fentanyl details here.

Are there any other questions or comments?

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