Fentanyl 50 Mcg/hour Transdermal Patch (Page 13) (Top voted first)

I WAS PRESCRIBED THE 50 MCG/HR FENTANYL PATCH FOR CHRONIC BACK PAIN & DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE. I WAS GIVEN THE PRESCRIPTION SEVERAL WEEKS AGO. I JUST GOT IT FILLED 2 DAYS AGO BECAUSE I'M AFRIAD TO USE IT. I HAVE READ ALL THE PATIENT INFO, RESEARCHED IT ON THE NET & TALKED TO SEVERAL PHARMACISTS AS WELL AS MY PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN. ALL OF THE PHYSICIANS & PHARMACISTS TELL ME THAT THE PATCH WILL HELP ME WITH THE DAILY PAIN. THEY SAY THAT THE PATCH SHOULD NOT CAUSE ME ANY HARM BUT THE ONE TING THAT'S STOPPING ME FROM USING IT IS THE RESPIRATORY SIDE EFFECTS & POSSIBLE OVERDOSE. I'M SEEKING SOME ADVISE FROM PEOPLE THAT HAVE USED THIS DRUG BEFORE WHETHER IT WAS A GOOD OR BAD OUTCOME. I AM OPOID TOLERANT BECAUSE I'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS PAIN FOR THE LAST 5-6 YEARS. WHEN I HAVE A BREAKTHROUGH OF PAIN & HAVE TO SEEK EMERGENCY TREATMENT OTHER PAIN MEDS GIVEN (IV OR IM) DON'T WORK ANYMORE. ER'S HAVE GIVEN ME MORPHINE & IT DOESN'T EVEN TAKE THE EDGE OFF THE PAIN. DILAUDID DOESN'T WORK UNLESS I'M GIVEN MORE THAN 3MG'S & THAT WEARS OFF AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR IF IT LASTS THAT LONG. WHEN I'M IN SEVERE PAIN MY PRESSURE RISES. I'M AFRAID OF THE PATCH B/C I DON'T WANT TO FAINT OR PASS OUT FROM A DROP IN MY PRESSURE. I'M CURRENTLY TAKING VICODIN 7.5/500 EVERY 4 HOURS. I HAVE NOW BUILT A TOLERANCE FOR THE VICODIN AND IT HAS BEEN CHANGED TO PERCOCET 5/325 & SOMETIMES I CAN TAKE UP TO 3 OF THEM EVERY 4 HOURS. I'M ALSO ON OTHER MEDS THAT I BELIEVE WILL INTERACT WITH THE FENTANYL. I TAKE LEXAPRO, ATIVAN, CLONIDINE DAILY. I NEED SERIOUS HELP!!!

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Well i guess i need to ask my doc to up me to 8 mg 3 times a day. Mornings and evenings are the worst. Fortunately i am taking marihuana oil which lasts for 12 hours. If you can get your hands on some try it. Then u can maybe get better pain relief. I am in Canada so right now its all over here in BC. Ya they treat you like you are a junkie i agree. I went for 2 years no UA's. Then every 2nd month UA's. And guess what i got a false reading or whatever. So. There are days i just shouldnt see my doctor. He is the only pain/methadone doctor (he tried pushing that stuff on me as well) in the small town so he has people lying to him everyday 20 times a day

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My question relates to the delivery system. I have been prescribed the Fentanyl 50 MCG/Hr Patch. I peel off the back of the patch and stick on but it never stays put. I don't understand how the drugs seep from the plastic to your skin.I don't know how to get the patch to stay where I d tick it on. I have used First Aid tape, scotch tape, and bandages.
Does anyone else have this embarrassing problem? Do you have the solution? Please hep me if you have the answer. Thanks ever so much!

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hi, I also have had chronic pain for a long time (7 years). I have been on Fentanyl for about 5 years, was on VIcodin and Oxy before I was on the patch. I also take one oxycodone for breakthrough pain but i too am still in pain. BUT I do rest daily to help it go down. I do muscle relaxers and dont work full time so I dont stress my nervous system.

Do you work ? Nap? eat healthy? try to destress? use ointments? what kind of pain do you have? I was rear ended in 2006 so I had a severe neck and head injury. It damaged my neck structure and also my brain has programmed the response as exaggerated and I think all CP is somewhat in the nervous system. I hope you have some better days soon. u can e mail me directly too:
{edited for privacy} Blessings, V, Colorado

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Deseana, the medication is gradually absorbed through the skin but it usually takes about 6 hours to begin feeling pain relief. I also had trouble with them staying on but eventually found the best way to apply them. Mylan brand is best in my opinion.
1. Find a place that you won't be constantly bending - for me it my arm, just below the bicep. 2. Make sure that the area is clean, dry and free of lotion, deodorant, etc. 3. I use a hair dryer to briefly warm the area, then l apply the patch keeping my hand over the site for a good 3-5 minutes. I hope this helps!

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I've been on the fentanyl patch for 7 yrs. I started out with morphine and when my does got to high I started with 25 's @ 72 hrs. over time I've increased to 100 but couldn't handle the side effects. I'm a small frame person so I didn't want to loose any more weight. My Dr. switched me back to the 75's and I change it every 48 hrs. This has worked great for me, I know with every increase I would get sick to my stomach and have some bad headaches but like I said I didn't want to loose weight. I also take percocet 4/5 a day. Anyone starting this med or increasing the dose will feel some kind of effect. They only last a couple of days so just be patient because for me I've been able to live a better life and I don't ever feel high. I function the same as I did just without the incredible pain that I use to have. I use the clear patches ( I prefer them they are much smaller than the jell ones ) and I make sure that my skin is clean and dry before I put it on. I bathe every day and never had one come off just the opposite. Sometimes it tears at my skin when I remove it so I do it in the bath and peel at it slowly. Just remember to replace your patch because you will start to suffer with drawals and it takes hours for the feeling to go away.......

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hpe to find a dr who will help me . Is colorado a nice place? Can u get help with pain there without hassles from people or dr's?

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My mom has cancer of unknown primary that spread to her lymph nodes in her neck. They did every test and did not find the primary site. She is 77 and is on 100mcg fentanyl and 40 mg hcl cr onyneo three times a day. It scares me is this to much meds for her age.

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Pretty simple question, I hope. I have fibromalyga and many spine and disc problems. I am also in my mid 40's and have started to get the dreaded hot flashes. I get very hot and sweaty. I am on my 2nd pack of 50 MCG fentynal. They definitely do not work for the full 72 he's. Could this be because the hot flashes are causing the medication to release at a higher doses during these periods and has anyone else had this happen? Even if it's due to physical exhortation or very hot weather?

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I have degenerative disk disease (L4-L5)ruptured, sciatica nerve pain and osteostenosis. I have been on opiots for 6 years. I Started with Lortab10/ 325, quickly placed on percocet 10/325. Since perc is oxy, I changed to oxycodone (perc minus the tylenol)due to tylenol causing liver damage. I have remained on oxycodone since, 15 mg for 6 months then 30 mg for the last 5 years. Oxycodone is IR ( instant release) and wears off fast (so my doctor gave me Fentanyl with it ER (extended release). I did an oxy while having a fentanyl patch on and it made my heart race and blurred vision. I thought I was overdosing. I believe the oxy metabolized too fast and I felt I was going to die so I stopped the fentanyl. I then tried opana for my(ER) instead and it is oxy&morphine combined. Opana worked but it's hard to locate and outrageously expensive if you don't have insurance like me. I then decided since I take oxy that's half of what's in opana, to switch to morphine ER. Both medicines make an opana and is easy to find and much less expensive. So...I now take oxycodone IR 30 mg 4x a day and morphine ER 60 mg 2x a day. I also take Zanaflex (muscle relaxers) to keep my muscles relaxed and to provide better sleep. I can say from going on seven years now of living with chronic pain that my combination of medications are a great regimen and provide excellent pain management.

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I have problems with a blistering red painful rash around the edges of the patches which worsens when I'm hot and sweaty. Any suggestions?

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I appreciate your comments very much. Until people have been in our shoes, they don't really know what it's like to live in constant pain. I have degenerative disc and joint disease, non-alcoholic hepatic stetosis (liver disease), Barrett's esophageal disease, asthma and COPD. I think that's quite enough myself lol I have had 1 back surgery back in 1995 and have been on pain meds ever since and they keep getting stronger as my tolerance goes up. I have been to back specialists and they have told me that I am in-operable because of the fast pace in which my back is deteriorating. I also have 72% spinal deterioration according to my last MRI. I just started on the 50mcg/HR of the Fentanyl today and I am to keep 1 patch on for 3 days to start with. Before the Fentanyl I was on OpanaER 15mg and had to be taken off of them because of breathing problems. I am also on oxycodone HCL 15mg and take 1 every 4 hours as needed for breakthrough and let me tell ya, I take those 6 per day! Unless I don't want to be able to get out of my chair that day. I have also been switched from Lorazepam 1mg 3x's per day to Clonazepam 1mg 3x's per day as the Lorazepam has started to become ineffective. I have also found that meditation really helps me a lot as well. I am able to quiet my mind and get in the "zone". There is nothing better than feeling that peace that comes with meditation :) Sending all that suffer from chronic pain my Love and Blessings for healing. Namaste~♥

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I think starting at 50 MCG might be the problem, especially considering all the other meds. I started on 12 MCG every 3 days & eventually went up to 75 MCG every 2 days. I used 8 mg Dilaudid for breakthrough every 6 hours as needed. Fentanyl is quite powerful so we have to be careful. With the help of weekly deep tissue massage, warm water aerobics, chirp & TENS unit I weaned (gradually) down to 25 MCG & 2 mg Dilaudid twice a day

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you are taking too much

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Hello I have been on the 75mcg patch for a year. I have had no adverse side effects from it. I also take several meds with it.

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Hi Lori, when I used my first patch of the fentanyl, I experienced the same thing as I have hyperhidrosis (sweating condition) and the patch made me break out for the first 2 times I used the patches. For me, it did go away after that. In about the second patch, I even felt like the area was bruised. Like someone punched me in the arm. That also went away. In my opinion, now that I am used to the fentanyl, this is the best medication I have ever been on to take care of the chronic pain I go through. As for the sweating them off, I use tegaderm patches by Nexcare which can be purchased at the pharmacy for about $10 for a box of 10. They are waterproof and keep the fentanyl patch in place very well and keeps it dry. I hope that this has helped you a little bit Lori. I wish you all the best! Especially healing :)

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Try "tegaderm". It is made by Nexcare and the box I get comes with 10 in it and is around $10. I have a sweating condition (hyperhidrosis) and the tegaderm helps to keep the patch in place for the full 3 days that I wear the 50mcg/HR fentanyl patches. I hope this will help for you as well! Blessings

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Have any of you on Fentanyl tried using the Mylan brand patches? I
sweat a lot as well & have sensitive skin. Mine stays on through swimming in both salt & chlorine pools. I have found that my mid-upper arm is the best location to keep it on.

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It's interesting that in spite of how well you follow the rules,doctors who discriminate against patients deliberately,even though you're legitimate and had been assigned to a pain clinic to receive monthly medicine,NOW due to the pharmacist leaving,PC has to pickup the slack.As a veteran under the control of UN-ACCOUNTABLE PHYSICIAN/ADMINISTRATION- veterans are paying a huge price.medication is being discontinued suddenly for NO reason, save the doctor can and NO one will challenge his behavior.

If I could take what is offered-I'd be glad as long as it works. However, when medicine that I've been on for 14+ years-even pain clinic pharmacist was approving- has been/is being denied, discontinued, I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND. I was put in the same situation x4 years ago. I couldn't handle the horrible pain, I asked a cop to take a shot at me as I was unable to deal with the debilitating pain. YET, I've almost begged the VA. APATHY IS THE BEST THEY CAN DO.

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I'm so sorry for what you are you going through. I had been on Fentanyl, Dilaudid & Flexeril for 1.5 years after a back injury. My PCP of 20 years was my prescriber, because he knew me better than the pain docs. When l moved to SC, l was not able to find a PCP willing to accept me & the pain management doctors flatly told me that he wouldn't write for either med. I used to fly back to my PCP every 3 months in order to get my meds. I was diagnosed with breast cancer & l thank God that my oncologist & surgeon personally convinced a new team of PM & PCP to accept me.
Are you eligible for Medicare?

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What kind of episode.i have psycogic episodes when i try antidepressants.noone else has posted about this.

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