Fentanyl 50 Mcg/hour Transdermal Patch (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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I AM ON THE 50MG FENTAYL PATCH AS WELL FOLKS. LOOK, I'M AS OPIATE TOLERATE AS THEY COME. 13 SURGERIES. IN THE LAST 6 YRS. ITS RIDICULOUS FOR THE DOCTORS TO THINK A PATCH WILL KNOCK OUT THE IMMEDIATE PAIN. SOME FOLKS DO NEED A BOOST WITH A FEW NORCO.THERE'S NOT A PAIN PILL OR ER IV DRUG THAT'S NOT BEEN IN ME. SOME DOCTORS ALLOW A 2 DAY USE OF THE FENTANYL-ASK THEM.. I AM.. OR THEY WILL BUMP YOU UP 2 THE 75MG OR EVEN THE 100PATCH IF THEY SEE APPRORIATE. ITS HELL ON WHEELS TRYING TO KEEP OUR BODY'S STABILIZED. THE DOCTORS ARE NOT IN OUR BODIES. THEY REALLY DON'T KNOW OUR PAIN, BUT THEY MUST ABIDE BY THE LAW AND DO THEIR JOBS TRYING TO HELP US. I HAD MY FIRST SURGERY IN COLLEGE 1992. ITS BEEN HELL SINCE. NO MORE CUTTING . THEY GAVE ME A EMPI/TENS MACHINE WHEN I FAILED MY MRI ON MY BACK. I WAKE UP WITH PAIN, LIVE(OR TRY) AND GO TO BED WITH IT..THE CYCLE NEVER STOPS. MOST PAIN MANAGEMENT DOCTORS WILL TRY THE PATCH FIGURING WE NEED THE 24HR. ROUND THE CLOCK OPIATE, BUT THE PATCH ONLY GIVES SO MUCH AT CERTAIN TIMES. I KNOW I NEED A SUPPLEMENT, BUT SCREW TRAMADOL AND DARVOCET.. EVERYBODY IS DIFFERENT. WE ALL RESPOND DIFFERENTLY. NOONE REALLY KNOWS WHAT TO DO. THEY PUT US ON THESE PILLS FIRST AND WE GET HOOKED. THE PATCH IS NOT FOR EVERYONE, BUT TRY IT. GIVE IT A CHANCE. I WAS AFRAID TOO. ONCE WE R TRAPPED, WHAT DO WE REALLY DO?? OUR WHOLE LIVES REVOLVE AROUND FINDING A RELIEVE FOR OUR PAIN. OUR BRAINS HAVE BEEN AFFECTED AND MUST REVERT TO OUR OPIATE USE. I BET MORE THAN HALF OF YOU OUT THERE SAY, ITS NEVER ENOUGH . BUT, MY PAIN IS REAL AND I BELIEVE ALL OF YOURS IS TOO. WHAT DO WE DO??? THERE REALLY IS NO ANSWER EXCEPT PRAYER FOR ME. I CRY OUT THROUGH THE DAY TRYING TO FIX MYSELF.THE MORE THEY GIVE US, THE MORE WE GET SCREWED UP.. THE CYCLE WILL CONTINUE. I SIMPLE WANT TO LIVE MY LIFE AND WAKE UP WITH A BRAIN THAT WORKS TO LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST. I CAN'T GET THERE. IT IS SCARY AND SEEMS TO HAVE NO END. WE PUT OUR BODIES IN THEIR CARE AND WE GET NO RESULTS. SOMETHING IS WRONG GUYS?????? HOPE EVERYONE MAKES IT THROUGH ANOTHER PAINFUL ' DAY. BLESS U ALL.............

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Do you get all your prescriptions filled at the same pharmacy? That is very important, especially when you use as many meds as you do, so the pharmacy can keep track of possible problems and interactions for you.

You are clearly taking way too many of the other meds, the Vicodin and now the Percocet, you are putting yourself in a very dangerous situation by taking so many at once, that is not safe.

I am sure that the fact that you have developed a tolerance to them and a normal dose is no longer helping your pain, this is the reason your doctor prescribed the Fentanyl.

This drug is 80times stronger than Morphine.

First of all what these drugs cause is primarily CNS depression, this is central nervous system depression, very rarely do the really effect someones blood pressure and since you are already opiod tolerant and have used drugs in the same class with no problems, then you will more than likely not have any problems with this one, either.

Much of what you are already taking have interactions that enhance the CNS depressant effects, such as Clonidine with your Ativan, Percocet with your Ativan, and other combos.

So if you have not had any problems from this so far, you are more than likely in the clear. Since you have also consulted the doctors and pharmacists and they are telling you to use it, then I do not understand why you still have such severe worry.

These interactions are normal for these types of meds and since you have an opiod tolerance, you are not going to find other options that will continue to help you.

You are also putting yourself in way more danger by taking several of the Percocet at once every 4 hours than by using the patch. Percocet contains Acetaminophen and the max a day that you can safely use of that is just 4,000mgs or 4grams, after that you start to cause severe organ damage such as liver failure. So by even if you just take 3 of them ever four hours, you are taking over 5,850mgs or 5.85 grams of Acetaminophen a day, clearly in the toxic level and that should be of bigger concern for you than the patch.

The only thing I can tell you is to try the patches, I am sure you will be surprised since they will not cause any different interactions than the drugs you are already taking.

You can keep posting this question and calling and asking doctors and pharmacists and you will continue to get the same advice.

I am not sure what other answer you want here, no one is going to tell you to go ahead and keep doing what you are doing with the Percocet as it is extremely dangerous.

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You know they probably won't post this ... But here goes, I read about all you people taking all this pharmcuitials. The pest pain meds I've found and I am now 60 back pain started in the 70's after first surgery (which I never should have had) is Heroin. The govt. says that there's no medicimalo use for heroin. I say bullsh*t. There are a least 6 countries that now have Heroin programs. Most of the people on the program are just flat out drug users, they don't have pain but can't deal with life's challenges without this drug. I am seriously thinking of moving to Switzerland to get on one of the 25 clinics there. I would not use inject it in the vain, but rather in the muscle. If you can get heroin without the cut (that's found on the streets) it's an organic and I've found it controls pain better than all those other money taking drugs that the big pharmaciels want us to use. Simply but, they could give out heroin through the pharm. but it would be too cheap for the pharm to make. So our govt, thanks to paid lobbiests by the pharm's has made that drug illegal. And one can remain of the same dose for years. You don't have to increase big time. Just the truth.

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Robert I think you're on to something. Heroin is not the only drug that this has happened with. Marijuana and Cocaine are two other examples of naturally occurring pharmaceutical compounds which have been made illegal. Yes of course ANY drug is subject to abuse. Many abuse the 'legal' prescription drugs anyways.

Why specific drugs have been made illegal is more about the money than actually protecting the consumers. Natural drugs like marijuana would be too easy for people to grow on their own ... so the big companies did not want that to take away their market share and prohibited them. Too many special interests in the government today.

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My name is Teresa. I am 35 years old, diagnosed with degenerative disc disease, arthritis, spinal canal stenosis, and have recently been diagnosed with at least 2 discs in my cervical vertabrae(neck area) that are currently touching my spinal cord, which easily can lead 2 paralysis. I was diagnosed 5 years ago with most of these conditions and got kicked around from doctor 2 doctor because I was too young 2 supposedly suffer from any of these things. I went to the chiropractor for 3 months, 3x a week, had massage and physical therapy, have been on at least a dozen different types of meds, and finally ended up with a foraminotomy in my neck after repeated and unnecessary testing by drs that didn't believe my pain existed. After having neck surgery, I thought I would get better. When I finished my post-surgical therapy, I returned to work and immediately started experiencing low back and leg pain. Not 2 months had passed when the pain interfered so much with the type of work I was doing that I was back at the orthopaedic specialist when and where I was informed that the degeneration is spread throughout my entire spine. I have had 3 back surgeries, because the first one failed and left me in worse pain than I had been in prior to the procedure. Luckily, although I live in a somewhat smallish town, we have an excellent pain management specialist. We tried cortisone injections which did nothing but leave me with spinal fluid leaks which are fixed ny injecting your own blood into the space where they initially put the injection, but that did nothing but encourage a large blood clot to accumulate in my spinal canal and created headaches of the worst kind as your spinal canal is under constant pressure ad it is a closed system, so the clot caused extra pressure and I was hospitalized a number of times just from the headaches. Once we realized that there was no way my body could handle the injections, I was given a tens unit that delivers small doses of electronic stimulations to pain riddled areas. Since the problem wasn't muscular in nature it only provided temporary relief. We then tried med changes, morphine pills and injections, muscle relaxers, anti anxiety meds to try yo keep me from tension related pain, nerve meds to stop the intense burning and tingling and sharp stabbing pain throughout my entire body. Last year in October, my Dr suggested a neurostimulator implant that helps your nerve pathways and brain to interpret pain as a pleasurable tingling sensation instead. I had the temporary implant for 5 days but was in so much pain from the procedure that it was very difficult for me to gauge whether it was beneficial, but by that time Dr and I had found a good combination of meds that we decided it was worth the try to have the permanent implant. One of those medications was, and still is the fentanyl patch. 5mg(milligrams) total over a 72 hour period-but this is in combination with oxycodone, 7.5mg 4-6x daily, neurontin(gabapentin), 2400mgs, soma(muscle relaxant), 700mgs, xanax,2mgs, and an antidepressant. Have had much better days since the implant, the fentanyl, the right combination of meds, and one of the most important and caring physicians I have had the entire 5 years. My condition is so that I will never be pain free, and I have been put on government disability due to that. For others out there with similar stories, hang in there and be knowledgeable and persistent with your medical care. If I had not with mine, I would be on such bad shape that I wouldn't be able to function. God bless all of you, and keep looking for the right specialist, and never give up hope. I am as pain free as I will ever be, and I couldn't be happier. Pray. That all of you will be as fortunate as I.

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THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR INSIGHT TIM. I HAVE BEGUN WEARING THE PATCH AND SO FAR ITS SUCCESSFUL. I THANK EVERYONE FOR THEIR ADVICE. aS OF RIGHT NOW, THE PAIN IS SORT OF UNDER CONTROL. I'M HAVING LESS BREAKTHROUGH PAIN. I HAVE ALSO RECEIVED ANOTHER LUMBAR STEROID INJECTION. SO WITH THE GRACE OF THE GOOD LORD MY PAIN WILL NO LONGER HINDER NY LIFE. THANX AGAIN!!!

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I have just been perscribed Pentanyl 50 MCC/HR every 72 hours. I have been on hydromorphin 4 and 8 mg since October of 2009. This is my second bout of Cancer, first was lung Cancer and they took out my top upper left loob. Now I have had a 9.2 lb Spleen out in October and still have the terrible pain. I was off the hydromorphin for 3 days and didn't realize that I was going thru withdrawal, with shaks, sweats, depression. I told my doctor today that I had run out of the medicine and he immediatly gave me perscriptions for Pentanyl and hyromorphin 4 mg for spikes in pain. He also told me never stop taking the medication without consulting him first. I have taken the hydromorphin right when I got home today and it has not only eased my pain but has started to stop the withdrawal. I guess I just wanted to try and live with the pian if I could but now I realize that is not an option for me at this time. I also take many medications one being xanax 1.0 mg three times a day which I have been on for over 27 years from a gun shot wound that I received while making a bank deposit back in Feb of 1982. My doctors and pharmasist all know my meds that I am on and have checked for any conflicts in the drugs which there are not. I will try the patch starting tomorrow morning, but as other have stated I am scared of taking it. Bless everyone on this forum with pain and my God give us some relief. If anyone knows of side effects of taking the Fentanyl, please let me know. Thank you.

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I have been on the patch many years. After tryinng everything including oxycontin. This med works like no other. I will improve your quality of life 200 percent. However it interects badly!!!!!!!! with ativan, xanax, clonipen. Do not take it if you are on any of these. You will have a physcotic episode that will last for hours. DO NOT MIX with the above mentioned meds.

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I posted on the 9th of March regarding my being given a perscription for Fentanyl 50 MCG. I have tried the 72 hour patch and I feel that it is to much for me. I had part of my right lung taken out in 2006 and being on the patch made me gasp for air. I also was very drosy on the patch. The pain was gone but not breathing good and very tired all the time I was on it makes me feel I should be on a lower dose. I have called into my Drs office to ask to have the dose droped down to 25 MCG and to see if that is better for me. I also take Xanax 1.0 three times a day which I have been on for over 27 years. I am taking my breakthrough meds Hydromorphine 4mg four to six times a day. I am going on 61 years old and have had many operations so I can tolerate the pills but the patch really bothered me. Has anyone had this experience? Is the Fentanyl patch something you hvae to get used to over a period of time? I have been on steriods from October 09 to present for my blood platletts were crashing and every time they drop my dose I count goes down. This made gian 70 lbs on the steriods which I know has an effect on my breathing. Any feed back will be greatly appreciated. My we all some day go pain free. God Bless

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I WAS ON THE FENTANYL PATCH. IT IS A VERY STRONG PAIN KILLER. I WAS ON IT FOR THE SAME REASONS AS YOU. THE ONLY PROBLEM I HAD WAS SKIN RASHES FROM THE AREA I APPLIED THE PATCH. IF YOU FEEL SICK DO NOT TAKE THE PATCH OFF OR YOU WILL GO THRU WITHDRAW ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. GO TO THE HOSPITAL OR CALL YOUR DOCTOR.

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i was involeved in a tructor trailer accient i almost died in the such accient since that time which happend in december 2006 i am taking oxicontin, diffrent dosage but recentlly i was almost 1 year and half with 240 mg a day, now i am on fentanyI 50 mcg/hr, today is my first time to use it and i,m so nervese, good luck for every one

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I have been through 3 failed back surgeries with terrible pain in my foot, calf, leg, and lower back. I have been on most all of the meds. previously mentioned.

I want to warn all of you about the terrible withdrawals that are only hours away when you run out, or use all of your narcotic pain killers. It has taken me over a year to wean myself completely off of Oxycontin. Take your doctors warnings about tolerance seriously. I started with Vicodin, then Percocet, and over a 5-6 year period of time I was up to 480 mgs of Oxycontin per day.

The withdrawal, even with a very gradual decrease over an 8 month period of time, is the absolute worst thing a human being should have to endure. Please do your very best to stay at the lowest possible dose. As soon as you build up a tolerance and move to a higher dose of any narcotic you are getting deeper and deeper in trouble. So please stay on the lowest dose possible.

I am currently on the 50 mcg Fentynal patch. I am still in a ton of pain, but I am in a much better place than taking enough narcotic to kill a horse.

I wish you all the best of luck, I know what you are going through.

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Omg I know I know, and if you try and be proactive with what they want to pump inside you, then they get all indignant. I ask for the patches at this clinic and I ask for what kind of breakthrough medication and what strength. No bull, what grounds are they going dismiss me, so I do my homework. This last appt, I told her I didn't want oxycodone anymore because it rasied my tolerence and the vicious cycle begins. I'm on these 15 IMM morphine tabs...so far they are working if I take 2 or 3, which is not what I want to do. So if we change the breakthrough right.Maybe I can try somethinhg or nothing for that matter. All these pain docs want to do now is do IV's that cost 2500 a pop. So who knows whats going happen to us all who are dependent on these meds. Chonic pain, anxity, depression. ?....gezzz. I only have insurance if not for disability whick took me 6 years of torment to get. Medical professtion are way over worked and the are newly out of technology colleges for what a nurse should be doing. Worlds a mess and we are in it. God help us all. I wish you all the best, believe me I know been through it too.
get

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Katie, You can report a pharmacist here: pharmacy.ca.gov/consumers/complaint_info.shtml if you live in California. If you live in a different state just google "report pharmacist" and your state's name and you should get plenty of help there.

As for getting shorted on meds I'm well aware I'm not the only one that has happened to. It's just frustrating as hell when it keeps happening. I wasn't sure who you were referring to about that. The thread doesn't list responses where it's obvious that they belong. For me the folks at CVS are the culprit and I have never had trouble with The Medicine Shoppe (my "go to" for mail order scripts).

You'd think that with EVERYTHING on computers that the pharmacist would be the person who is keeping track of possible reactions, side effects, or anything else a little hinky… I kid you not, a few weeks ago when I needed some antibiotics… the doctor AND the pharmacist both dropped the ball and ordered and filled the exact medication I'm allergic to. Not once, but TWICE!!! And using 2 different kinds of meds. I had to tell them, on both the scripts, that I was allergic to that medicine.

There should be alarm bells going off in the pharmacy or something when that happens.

Don't get me started.

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Jac,
I can really empathize because I'm a veteran,and the Veterans system is attempting to block all narcotic pain medication from being prescribed even for chronic pain patients/legitimate.a priest even commented that all veterans were either addicted or alcoholics.so we do have an uphill battle.I can't tell anyone how t ride a bicycle unless I've done it,so how can anyone tell a patient in pain what they feel and expect them to just deal with it.I will keep you in prayer,I do a lot more now

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I've been on fentanyl patches and breakthrough medicine for 19+ years.now once again (4yrs ago) the physicians redefined my established diagnoses in order to take me off the medicine that worked.Has anyone else hurt so bad that you would rather go to sleep and not be because no one will listen .I'm not suicidal I'm in pain,pain greater than my resolve can deal with.why live in pain that destroys and devastates quality of life from 98% down to maybe 3%.NOW I can barely walk and doing simple things hurt so much I don't know what to do.
Please if anyone else has ever felt this way,what made it better?
Because I can't take their prescribed drugs they ignore the issues.
Pain changes how we see,relate, and function.

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I have done every opiate, every strength. I was taking 6 roxys 30 a day and now am on 75 dent plus 2 30 mg roxy for breakthrough. It's the perfect combo for pain, plus I take 4 mg of klonopin for anxiety. Any questions I'm confident I can help

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Lydia......re: fentanyl and benzo's......(klonopin, Ativan, Xanax, etc). I am sorry you had that kind of reaction. Many people are on fentanyl and benzo's, both, at the same time and do not have the kind of reaction you did. ( I'm a nurse who has had many patients on these meds). I am glad you shared your experience but it is not a given that if you take one of those meds then do not take the other....ie: klonopin and fentanyl. Yes, they are both CNS depressants and mixing them can increase respiratory problems, including respiratory failure. Dosages of these meds is what matters the most, not the combo of the meds. Please, share your experience but also include, " this is what happened to me and I just want people to be aware and be careful." Otherwise many people who need those meds that can really change their lives for the better may become so scared that they would not try the meds. I'm not coming down on you.....just adding some facts. Thank you for sharing!

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I am a 32 yr. old female who had a failed lumbar fusion 5 yrs. ago aside from 2 nasal surgeries, gallbladder and appendix removal. I am opiate tolerant. I was taking 3 Lortab 10/325 every 4 hrs. Tramadol 4 x a day Ambien 10mg every night and 1 xanex 0.5 and cymbalta 60 mg every night as well aside from my Lidoderm patches. I have such severe pain that I fall asleep with my heating pad and my fisted hand beneath my back to create some sort of pressure and eleviate my pain but nothing was working. And I have a 2 yr. old daughter that by the grace of god I carried to 34 wks. into pregnancy. My pain was so severe that I was still on my meds while pregnant. Fortunatley she was born @ 4lbs via c-section but healthy. I felt so much comfort when I read these posts. To know that there are people out there that know exactly how I feel and what I'm going through. I feel so deseperate to just live a painfree life and raise my daughter. Be able to pick her up, run after her, be a mother she is proud of. My Dr. prescribed Fentanyl 25 mcg every 72 hours for the first two months and my pain was still intolerable so he just gave me a script for 50 mcg. I put it on around 8p.m and feel no relief as of yet but I hope it will help.God bless you all because I know what it feels like to have to live with so much pain. Does anyone have any suggesstions on what I can use for breakthrough pain? My Lortab doesnt seem to be working the way it used to.I've been taking it for over 6 yrs. Thank you.

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I have als I got the 25 mg patch and it did not work, swithced me to the 50 mg patch still in a little pain but i will deal with it...also I takke 3 antidepressants one being zanax and I am fine..Good luck to all.

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