Fentanyl Patches Killing People! (Page 3)
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I would like to know WHY the FDA has not taken the Fentanyl Patch off the market? This drug is being handed out like candy. Anyone who is not terminal or under Hospice care or in a hospital invironment should not be using this drug. Why would a person be prescribed a medication that is 80 times stronger than morphine for a backache. I do not believe patients know how powerful this medication is. The warning should be labled in RED. When are you FDA going to realize This medication is killing while relieving pain! I know because it killed my son.

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I am sorry you lost your son but please know most of us dont just have a backache. My pain is far beyond that.

My time has come however because they have cut my medicaion back bymore than a third and ai can no longer take are of myself muchless find any enjoyment in lofe any longer! I pray I have enough fentanyl to fo the job!

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Re: Verwon (# 1)

Because chronic pain patients use them as prescribed and don't feel high. Oral opioids spike the drug in your system and cognitively impair; whereas Fentanyl patches deliver such slow doses that you're not aware. For pain patients like me, it's lifegiving. I have a spinal cord compression. Imagine having a bone spur poking into your spinal cord all day, every day, forever. Then tell me if you would want a patch?

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sorry for your loss but hoe many more you want oww ou ss ....... yes newest users have not leaned yet just like car drirvers so when you are ready to outlaw all motorvehccle then its a thhought .... had patbatshe 15yr

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If used properly the Fentanyl patch is not going to kill anyone. I have been on it for 10 years and it has helped my pain more than any other drug. The people that are dying are either trying to feel high or die. They are not using it as directed. I am on the strongest patch 100 MCG/hr and 15 patches a month because they are ineffective on day number 3. If it were not for the patch I would already have committed suicide because I can not tolerate the extremest pain of the Levator spasms and Proctalgia Fugax.

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I'm so sorry about your son.. sir if you could look at it another way. I've had secondary progressive MS for 27 years now and the pain it has caused me I wouldn't put you in my shoes for 30 seconds or maybe I should. If I didn't have access to fentanyl I literally wouldn't be able to move from my bed to my chair to the shower and back to my chair.

In March of this year, I underwent brain surgery to have a deep brain stimulator installed. I'm sure you've seen the op on tv. They take the top of your head off and touch the brain while you're awake to find where the pain is generated. Then an electric probe is installed in that area that connects to a junction box mounted on my skull where all the probes connect then the cable comes around my neck into my chest into a battery/computer that runs the whole show and I can turn it up or down etc.

The reason I went through that was so I can hopefully stop all the drugs. While i was having all the mri's done they found the last three vertebrae in the lumbar area have basically eroded from being in a wheelchair. If I wasn't on fentanyl I'd be going out of my mind in pain you can't imagine. My medical history is complicated as everyone is different.

Here in Canada, we have to return the used patches to the pharmacy before they will give you your next script which I totally agree with. We are also talking about snap U/A inspections to see two things. One is the patient taking the meds as prescribed and the second is the metabolization of the drug(s) prescribed. If the person is slowly metabolizing the med we can look at reduction or titration and it shouldn't affect the patient with withdrawal and might actually help the pain better.

We know we have a problem, my question is why? Why are so many people that are unhappy with their lives turn away from it with drugs? I understand that but what do we do with the sadness? I hope for everyone's sake this will be a short-lived epidemic.

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Re: Nana (# 82)

Honey....this was his fault for abusing and stealing your meds which are both illegal. It's not your fault for needing it.

I am so sorry for your lost but he went and found meds 2 separate ways. He was going to get it with or without you honey. Please PLEASE PLEASE do not blame you for his choice. He chose and he shouldn't have. I hate to say that. I don't mean to speak I'll of him. But this certainly wasn't your fault. My heart goes out to you. *huge hugs* tell your doc you're depressed as it makes your pain worse.

I wish I could help more.

But don't think it needs to be taken off the market. Because too many of us can't get out of bed. I'm on 37.5 and 10mg Percocet and still can't get out of bed most of the time. I have a ton of health issues causing pain and other problems and this helps. It's needed. Or I get very sick and can actually die bc the pain signals send my epilepsy into overload and it's not just joints deteriorating but a severe all over muscle spasms. And muscle relaxers don't work on me. Figures. So it's my only option. We tried everything else even non opiates. And I had no help from that. That's no bueno.

Your need is a need. Don't assume it's not. *major hugs for Nana*. I hope you find peace. Run after God. Callnout. He is near to the brokenhearted. Bless you.

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well motor vehicles are killing thousands of people even people that are not using the motor vehicle why hasnt dot stopped the use of motor vehicles ..... that is your argument ......... just because some abuse there meds does not mean those that dont should suffer ...... so until you are ready to never use anything associated with motor vehicles stop trying to take away pain patiants chances to have a lil bit of a life

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Re: estoericlady (# 16)

Sorry but people who have "little pain" are not taking these medications. Don't make it seem like someone who takes opioids to have a quality of life are addicts. Dependency and addiction are two very different things.

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Dear Child of Mine, I don't know if you will get this message but know I FEEL your pain.. I had been prescribed several different drugs through VA pain management and found out my son was taking 1 or 2 here and there.., I called the police...He was also using them recreationally with his friends.. He was in a year long treatment program and everything looked bright. He got sick ..we thought it was the altitude change because he had visited FL the summer of 08. He was diagnosed with severe sinus infection.. He told how bad his head hurt but then downplayed it. He started feeling sick Friday, felt horrible on Saturday and Sunday he said it was better. We went out he wanted to stay home and sleep... During that time someone brought him Morphine of some type.. We found him the next morning gone in his chair. He had viral encephalitis, viral pneumonia, and morphine toxicity that all contributed to his death.. I have felt quilty, suicidal, deranged and depressed ..you name it.. If I had not have needed the drugs would he have taken them????? I don't have that answer.. Do I blame the friend ..yes but Even though Zach was not thinking straight he made that choice.... I miss him so much he was truly the love of my life.

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Comment on your post. This is an excellent post and States clearly what it means to be in critical pain. You don't have to have cancer to be in paralysis from pain. I too have trouble getting my medications that are so regulted by my physicians to assure I maintain the safest way possible to have a small form of life. I also have a son with disabilities it's hard enough caring for his daily needs and I sure wouldn't be able to do this without my pain management.

Please note that I have tried every form of pain management from burning nerve endings to the implant of a Nero stiullator. I was in the trial stage of the Nero stimulator. I'm four days of having this device inserted in my back I developed an infection and when they placed me in the hospital this infection turned into MRSA a life threatening disease. It managed to begin shutting each organ in my body down. After being in the hospital for 5 & 1/2 weeks after having my gall bladder removed,to the point of needing dialysis, had to have a liver procedure so maintain my liver function, my stomach became paralyzed ( gastroparysis), and going into congestive heart failure. All this without pain medication. It has taken me 8 years to recover from non medication pain management!!! Efforts need to be put in place to assure opioids are used correctly and maintain preventative drugs to help with an accidental overdose as no medication is risk free. Without my medication I would still be in bed and there are still days I cannot get out of bed. I obey my physicians orders and make sure all my many specialist are on the same page. No medication is given to me without all my physicians knowing it. As well as my medical history is maintained in my pharmacy as well. I never have regained the use of my stomach. As if my pain isn't enough I now deal with the fact that my stomach doesn't work me basically love on a type of formula and supplements to keep me going. All of these problems occurred when I rejected using my pain medications and if O had it to do over I would stay away from any device that is placed on the spinal cord where there was once a tumor imbedded in my spine. Can we is not the only condition or disease that creates imcreable pain that prevents any type of life. Can I have complications? Sure bit O feel strangely that I keep in close contact t with all my physicians. I have to applaud your post as you said it so well. I too wish to send my deepest sympathy with you loss as any loss of life is horrible but don't make my life intolerable because that is what you are doing by lumping us all in the same category. I have spent the last 8 years regaining my strength back and this is due to me being able to maintain my pain under close supervision of pain management. I have my emergency medication with me at all times, I follow through with all my physicians especially my pain managements doctor. I keep all my medications in my phone as an emergency app, and assure all my family are educated on signs of trouble as the more informed we all are the healthier I will be. I cannot stress this enough please don't make those who truly need this medication. We all walk a fine line and must take extra steps to assure our safety. To the person who lost their son please accept my deepest sympathy for the loss of your son as indeed that is a pain that no one can take away of any type of medication. I do urge you to join grief counseling groups as I have learned from having a son with disabilities that many others who are walking in my shoes helps get me through difficult issues and in my groups we deal with death of our children simply from things like our children eating the wrong things. I'm sure you have reached out to groups much like the one I am connected with and if not please contact one as it does help as unfortunately their are others who have walked in your shoes. May God bless you but please don't condemn us.

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I'm just curious, you said your Son consumed a 100mcg patch so did he suck on a patch because that would cause immediate death. Do not blame yourself. He took the patch without your knowledge. It doesn't make your loss any less but it wasn't your fault. 100cg is far from the top dosage, you just have to wear 2 patches. I was on a Duragesic 100 mcg patch for 3years with Dilaudid every 4 hrs as needed for breakthrough pain. I always had many Dilaudid pills left each month. I am now with a pain specialist and he decreased my Duragesic to 75mcg and changed me to Percocet every 6 hours for breakthrough pain. I keep my narcotics in a lock box where only I know the combination.

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Wow!!! I have lupus, I can hardly move. My pain is so great my old life of walking, working, enjoying life has been taken from me. It has taken mine brain to. The federal government is taking most pain meds off the market. I guess now if they take fentanyl off the market I'll have to resort to other means.

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And seriously no it's not given out like candy and it's not a simple backache that it's being Rx'd for.

It's being given for pain at the levels of blacking out and far beyond that of labor. But all the time. That's like calling labor a paper cut.

For the record, there are health problems that arise when we do not treat pain at that level. And if you've never been in pain on that level that makes labor look like a joke - your brain literally cannot understand.

But if it were you, you'd never ever want anyone to make your pain seem like a simple backache. We're talking pain that makes people suicidal. Not kidding.

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I'm sorry for your loss but given that I've had 50+ spine procedures for a rare disease that causes extreme agony (at 26, mind you) and a total of about 15 pain conditions -- and I've had literally everything else -- fentanyl patches are something that have saved my life.

I am not addicted, I get it from my doc. However, this is a drug that cannot be taken unless you have tolerance or you will die. They literally won't dispense it without tracked history of being on pain meds a long time. I am sorry for your loss, however, when the number of deaths are compared to the numbers in pain --- it's an extraordinary level.

Pain management sounds optional but isn't. When we do not manage pain -- the patient gets very sick. Their immune system craps out and they get like every infection around and if they're epileptic they can die. I know because I nearly died from LACK of pain management driving my pain to levels that had my back arched and me screaming in pain. For months. And then I had seizures so bad that I couldn't move to go to the ER when I needed to. I ended up suicidal.

So. I guess what I'm saying is that I would have died without it. Many might. It gives people all of their quality of life back sometimes. It keeps some people alive. I know that your loss was excruciating but does that mean that you need to take away the quality of life for those in extraordinary agony? Just bc this stuff exists doesn't mean that it's being irresponsibly taken all the time (it isn't, people are overblowind the problem these days because if you compare the number of deaths with the 100 MILLION chronic pain sufferers in America -- the numbers seem small.)

Additionally, it would never be fair for addiction patients to ruin the lives of 100 million chronic pain patients who can and do end up suicidal because their pain never ends. That is why this drug exists. It's a mercy of the highest order for those who desperately need it.

And in this case -- while I have extreme compassion for everyone who has lost someone to abusing opiates -- I have even more for those who have been unable to get their medications since this has become a political issue...patients are going to be killing themselves. I know for a fact many have already become suicidal bc they cannot get their meds. Do we really want this on our hands?

It's needed bc tolerance and bc sometimes chronic pain is extreme and far beyond that of labor pain.

The reason it's not given only in the hospital is because, frankly, you cannot keep people in the hospital *just* because they are in agony. Insurance would never allow it and it's just not safe.


People need to know what they're taking -- even when they get it illegally -- and unfortunately this is one of those meds you will die from if you have not built a tolerance to opiates before taking it now.

That doesn't mean we need to take it off the market. It has that warning ON the box. Along with several others.

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I am so sorry you lost your son as this is a horrible price to pay for pain relief.

Yet there are many, like myself who don't have "simple back pain". I am a MRSA servivor. If you don't know what this is it's a severe infection that antibiotics don't treat. You either service or die.

I got MRSA from not using severe pain management as I tried all pain type injections after a tumor was removed from my spinal cord( not simple back pain). They tried the new Nero Stimulator which is supposed to counter the severe pain of nerve endings. First they insert a trial stimulator in your spinal cord. When you feel a severe back pain caused by spasms or other type of issues you use the stimulator. It worked but during the trial period they left this in my back longer then the 4 days recommended. The end result MRSA.

The side effect of MRSA shut down every organ in my body beginning with the liver, heart, kidneys, gallbladder, stomach, and bowel. The heart they treated immediately! Then slowly worked on each area taking out the fallblader next. I just was getting ready to go on dialysis when my kidneys began to recover slowly, and I just had my last liver surgery last year after dealing with this over 8 years. My stomach never recovered but you can survive on protein shakes and certain food supplements. I am still here only due to God.

This all because of not wanting to go on stronger pain management.

If you follow clear directions and very carefully handle these severe drugs and follow up with you doctors, not just pain management, you should be ok.

The sweating is the worst side effect that you have. I try to identify when the sweating is at its worst. It's usually after showering and then trying to go out. I find it helps to shower the night before and then get a good nights sleep. I then can dress in the morning to go to an appointment later that day. It doesn't always stop tbesweating but helps.

I am so sorry you lost your son as no person should ever have to pay such a high price. Please accept my condolences to you and your family. I think this is why it's important that all of us use more then just a pain management provider.

I think you shared why having a good team behind a person works to prevent negative outcomes.. I have a good primary care, a good nephrologist, and any other specialist that I mentioned above as a result of not taking Fentanyl. I also have regular blood drawls to monitor my systems frequently. Sometimes it's our last alternative and it isn't just back pain.

May god bless you and ease your pain as well.

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It has killed 2 people that I know. It's very dangerous and irresponsible.

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I am a 56 year old woman with TBI, severe and dis abeling back pain. It offends me when you say (Back ache). I am monitored by my doctor very closely, and am not an abuser. Prior to the 25 mcg patch (over three days) I was able to stop taking three 30 mg morphine daily, which was causing me additional problems. ALL patients should research ALL drugs before taking them and ONLY take them as prescribed by their doctor. As a patient YOU have a responsibility to know your body and what you put in it. We need less Government and mor personal responsibility.

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What a terrible tragedy to lose your son that way. Prescription patches are very rarely the causes of death, unless they are misused or unknowingly used with other substances. Doctors are pressed to monitor their patients very closely, since the CDC news releases. I have been prescribed fentanyl patches for three years since back surgery, along with hydrocodone. I have gradually reduced the amount of both medicines I need to walk, sit, and sleep, as I could.

I have to visit the doctor each month to get those prescriptions for 30 days worth. They have an instant U/A jar that shows all important drug levels, before issuing the Rx. Not exactly handing the drugs out like candy.

The doctor recommended the patch because it dispense a controlled amount of the medicine over 72 hours. This even dosing manages the pain without "break through" or sudden unexpected pain, and with much less chance of over or under dosing. I am taking less pain medication combined than with an all oral dosage.

What most people are confused about is that the vast majority of fentanyl used is not RX; it is a synthetic opioid that is made in China and Mexico and sold illegally, usually mixed with other drugs, such as ketamine, to increase potency. The buyer is never told the contents or strength they are buying, because the dealer does not know either.

Unfortunately, the media hysterically mentions the name of the drug without mentioning the background on sources and users. I hope that gives you some understanding and tolerance of the legal, managed use of opioid Rxs.

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I sympathize with your loss but I currently use this medication and it is the only way that I can function and not be in constant pain

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Goody212- Who do you use for Pain Management now that you're here in SC?

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