Fentanyl Sweating
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I am a 33 yr old woman being treated by Pain Mgmt Dr. for chronic pain as a result of 3 failed elbow surgeries and nerve damage. My current dosage is 50mcg/hr every 48 hrs with up to 4 oxycodone per day for break through pain. I know the patch is suppose to be a good medication for pain control, but I am really considering asking to change to a different medication because of the sweating problems I have on the Fentanyl and I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem. I am constantly drenched sinced I have been on the patch. Dr tried hytrin to control sweating, but all that did was cause me to bloat. I tried HRT for a year to see if that would help...no luck, still sweating. I sleep with only a sheet over me and window open at night and still wake up soaked from sweat. If I do any physical activity at all I am drenched. The patch does seem to control the pain well, but I can't deal with beads of sweat rolling down my head all the time and my family is always freezing because I get so warm. Am I doing something wrong? I wear the patch on my upper chest, I use a tegaderm patch over it. I've tried the Mylan brand and now use the SanDoz brand. Has anyone else experienced this issue? I don't want to live my life in pain, but I can't take the sweating issue anymore!!! Is there a different medication that is time released like the Fentanyl Patch? My DR is a nice man, but doesn't always explain things too well and I don't have anyone to talk to about this. Thanks for listening.

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Re: Karelai (# 67)

Wait till you try to come off of this stuff it a living hell..u sweat so bad and hurt so bad you cant take it..please get off of it if you can. Its not worth it..

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I was on 200 mg patch for a year. I have been "weaning" off. (Under Docs supervision) After many months, I'm down to 25ml. I wake up soaking wet! But only my back, buttocks and head. I mean soaking, the sheets are like I poured a pitcher of water on them. Reduction of Fentenol? Past menopause. Actually, menopause was easier! Lol help!?

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Re: cyndibl (# 1)

I take fentanyl 100 mcg every 3 days. I feel no pain relief and I have hot and cold sweats many times a day and I sweat terribly at night. I'm going to ask my doctor for a different med as I can't stand the side effects and it doesn't work anyway. Fentanyl may be strong but not the patch.

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Re: Tammy (# 14)

Take pictures. That's when the doctors started to see how severe the sweating is bc I wasn't sweating in their office. But I had pictures, my head looked like I was standing in a shower. Was a big help for me.

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The brand called Mylan Fentanyl patch will also provide free covers to help keep on the patch.

Just wanted to alert others as well that this helps control cost and something that helps keep patches on.

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2 years ago I was introduced to accupuncture at the pain association's office. It was offered by a local school, part of the training for students with an instuctor's supervision. This alternative stopped the persperation for longer and longer periods after a few treatments. Also, in some cases complete and partial pain relief. They do have alternatives to needle treatments. It's amazing what problems a good accupunturist can solve. I still need the patches and Percocet for breakthrough, but I now have no side effects. I've been able to tolerate the reduction in mcgs and quantity that the pain MD has decided to initiate on his patients. (That's a separate topic though)

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Its been 7 years since you wrote this and stated that you want to stop your pain patch and im just wondering if you stopped and if you're taking something else. I am on patch and can't take the sweating and intolerance to heat but i don't know what to do. Just wondering if you got your solution. Thanks, God Bless

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Hi everyone. I'm so relieved to find I'm not the only one suffering! I live in Ireland and I've been on Fentanyl patches for relief of endo/adhesion pain from all the surgery for 12 years. 5 days out of 7 honestly it feels like I'm standing under a shower-the sweat is just rolling off my face & body but the face is the worst-you can't cover it up, and because of the sweating my skin is now just horrible and spotty, it's really getting me down. I rarely go out because my self confidence (with the sweating plus now dreadful skin) has hit rock bottom. I asked the doctor to test me for the menopause because I heard that causes severe sweating too, but it wasn't the menopause. As I write this I literally feel beads of sweat on my head, making my hair greasy, but if I keep going for showers the patches will come off. You can buy the patch covers but they're expensive, so not an option. Would Botox help? Does anyone know? That's supposed to help against sweat I believe. Has anybody had Botox to help combat sweating, and if so, did it work? When I do go out I have to make sure I'm loaded up with tissues and I always keep my head down. It's really getting me down. Any advice would be enormously appreciated.

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Being on morphine is like adding double trouble when using Fentanyl. No one truly tells you how these drugs truly work together. I took morphine and went through horrible withdrawal when the physicians told me to stop taking the morphine. They told me to take two tablets for 2 days then drop to 1 tablet for 2 days and then stop the morphine. Worst medical advice I ever received. I went through major withdrawal on a small dose of morphine. I have learned to pay close attention to what goes into generic drugs as this can truly alter the effects of the Fentanyl. I realize that much of the sweating is replated to the anxiety. The waiting g for the perspiration to begin. This is why when I shower I run the cool water for awhile to cool down, thrn dry extremely well, a fan helps as well, thrn laying down until I'm relaxed before I get dressed. Like everyone who has responded these sweat periods can come on with activities from walking to driving on a hot day. I too take hydrocodone. Rather then increase any other of these drugs my doctor put me on Nortriptyline which helps the pain but causes another issue of dry mouth. This increases dental problems but does help decrease pain. I was wondering if anyone has tried a lower dose of Fentanyl with Nortriptyline? I will ask my specialist but wanted to ask others if they had experienced pain control with the Nortriptyline and less to no Fentanyl? Like all the sweating is a horrible side effect. I'm a MRSA survivor as well as history of spinsl tumor removed forty years ago. I was able to control the pain with anxiety medication as anxiety is a huge problem for me based on the tumor being imbedded in the middle of the spinal cord wrapped around they nerve endings. So I truly need the pain management afs my doctors implanted a Nero-stimulator. This implant worked but was the area where I came in contact with the MRSA. I almost died from that implant of that Nero-stimulator. If u r a candidate for this implant It works but make sure the environment is totally free of the MRSA toxin which is almost impossible since MRSA is everywhere. I think my doctor left my trial stimulator in too long which caused the infection to spread quickly.
I would love to hear of other havevused the neru- Stinulator with success as if they could do this it does work and you do go through a trial but do not let a doctor do the trial for more then four days. Lovevyovgear from others.

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Why on earth would you lick the inside of a Fentanyl patch? That is abusing and taking the medication in a non prescribed manner. Thank God your doctor walked in and saved your life. I'm just shaking my head in disbelief at the fact you licked the patch. The only people I have heard of doing this is addicts trying to feel high.

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I use Fentanyl patches by Mylan as well and have excessive sweating. There are times when I go out before I have even gotten to the door I have changed 3 times. I'm stuck with Mylan brand as I have problems with any other patch. I have discovered wayd to help combat the perspiration. After I shower I rinse with cool water. Then afterdeting I find if I lay down for 30 minutes then things get better. The perspiration is worse if I have to take a shower and run out the door for an appointment. If you are under pain management then you are always seeing some doctor for something. I realized this was a pattern and when I can I shower at night do I do t have to take.a shower in the morning. I find this is all related to stress as well. Hope this helps.

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My sweating did decrease when I was detoxing (dr care), it is so very difficult, took me almost a whole year before I started to feel better, hang in there, it is so worth it. Im now one year off the fentanyl, and definitely feeling better. I'm told it takes 2 years to feel your best. 5 months I was still feeling bad.

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I started to detox from fentyal 100mcg 5 months ago and the sweating is so horrible that i cant take it anymore..is this the drug coming out of me?

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I have been on fentyal patch 750cc since the last ofJuly2016 I developed spinal meningitis after my 3rd morphine pump was put in I'very weak losing wt. I don't have any interest in thing because of the profuse sweating. I take a bath and I can't get dressed cause I 'm already soaked again.Thanks for listening I thought I was the lonely one..

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I am also on fentaynal patches of 50mcg for fibromyalgia and arthritis and had double knees replaced. I also suffer with excessive sweating. I have to take showers 3 to 5 times a day and constantly changing clothes. I can't go outside because the heat will set me off. I have air conditioning on at 73 and still can break out just sitting watching tv. I am so flustratted I don't know where to go. I also have thought about going off patch. I think being in pain would be easier.

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I have the same problem and I really feel for you. I am on the 75mg/Fent Patch and
15mg Oxycodone HCL 4xday for breakthru pain. I need more but make due with what I have. I used to take 10mg morphine 4xday as base relief in addition to 10mg Lortab 4xday for breakthru. The morphine was helping a lot until I developed severe bile vomiting. Thats when we began to try other meds. The Fentaynal patch works for the pain good enough but the sweating makes my life almost unlivable. What a choice? Its bad enough we have problems that require us to need to meds. On top of that we have to deal with the side effects. Im not sure if its the fact that I'm just getting older or that my body is just refusing to cooperate with my attempts to obtain relief. If you find an alternative please share. This overheating is miserable. I live in south central Texas and its hotter than hades here. That being said it could be mid winter and I would still have the problem. My electric bill is ridiculous!!!!!

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I've been on fentanyl 125mcg every 48 hrs for almost a year for RA, Fibro, CFS, Lupus and Addison's. The sweating is very annoying.lts extremely embarrassing in public and a major chore to have to adjust your life constantly due to your environment and how your body will react to it. After my hormones were tested and finding out I was in the middle of menopause, I was put on the proper hormones. The sweating lessened a bit but I still run hot constantly, sweating everywhere, even when I'm cold. And having skin urticaria does not make it any easier being that it carries with it gives when your skin gets cold regardless if your burning up inside. And summers in Califirnia can be relentless at times. But, I can tell you this, if it's a toss up of being sweaty 24/7 but pain free opposed to no sweat and in constant pain to the point of not wanting to live anymore, I choose to carry with me at all times the proper tools to address my sweat and larger outbreaks of being drenched in public. It is nothing comparable to the debilitating life of chronic pain from the minute you open your eyes in the morning till you close them again at night. It's not living, it's surviving and I choose to live the shorter life I have left pain free. Being only 40 it's very sad at times to come to terms with the fact that this is how I am going to be for the remaining years of my life. But I have a family and I have missed way too much to allow sweaty O become a major factor in my daily life and to come between whether I am a burden to my family or an asset. To me it is merely another O sticks in life, a very annoying one yes, but it carries no pain with it. I can deal with that.

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Kassy, thank you for saying exactly what I was thinking! I'm in pain, looking for answers so I don't appreciate people wasting my time with phony posts and misinformation.

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No one should ever lick the patch, I have never heard of anyone licking a entire new patch unless your trying to kill yourself. The fentanyl patch is a timed release lasting between two and five days depending on your body, everyone is different. When you licked the patch, it negated the time release and you got a massive amount of the drug in your system and you over dosed, if you were not in the hospital chances are that you would be dead right now.

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That's what so difficult with this drug. I also changed my 75 patch every 48 hrs. For 15 years.
My sweating was horrible. It was dibilitating. I had to stop.
I too was worried about my pain, since I have had JRA since a very young child.
I have found the dilaudid is enough for now 4 mg, 2-3 times a day.
It's definitely difficult but so worth it to stop the Fentanyl. Good luck!

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