Fentanyl Transdermal Patches (Page 3)

I've been using the 100mcg/hr of Fentanyl Patches and I've been using them for a long time. They stick well and they last almost 3 days and I'm prescribed every 2 days, so I get extra relief by putting the new one on @48 hrs with the first one stil on; and I take 100mg of roxicodone, but the pain still is killing me and I've looked on the internet at the Patch by Par drugs, has anyone used this brand and would you give me a critique on them; how long do they last? do they stay on well?? I get my script of 9 boxes Monday and I need to make a decision.

thanks,
lakebum

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Hop, that's ridiculous on your insurance company's part. It's been proven many times over that the Par patches can be dangerous. Ruptures, leaks, the abuse rates, the size being unmanageable, the list goes on and on. Once while sleeping during a hot summer evening, a Par patch came off if my chest and ended up on my husband's arm! Considering the threat to his health (being on 100mcg, that's a huge risk for him) and the doctor's bills to make sure he would come to harm, I was irate! Luckily, my state has nearly phased these Par patches out, you can only get the matrix patches. There's such a huge drug addiction rate where I live that it became nessesary. I hope soon every state will phase them out. I was actually surprised to see people on here still even used them.
You know, you might consider talking to your doctor about how you can get in touch with your choice pharmacutical company. I know when I had to stop working, and couldn't even qualify for Medicaid, the makers of Duragesic brand patches sent me vouchers so I wouldn't have to stop using the medication. They qualified me for 6 months worth. This was several years ago, but it's worth looking into. My current insurance makes me get my patches pre approved every 6 months, as their "preferred" drug is OxyContin. After explaining to my doctor how I felt about them, she just told my insurance that I had adverse reactions to it. Gaining such a tolerance for it so quick -with absolutely no overuse or abuse- WAS an adverse reaction, so she wasn't lying or compromising her ethics. Guess I got lucky. Anyway, best of luck to you!

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Hello. I started the discussion on the Mallinkrodt brand patches and still use them and am happy with them, however each winter where I live the temperature ususally will drop to zero some nights (not often) the point being that it gets cold and I hurt much worse. My physician has been upping me to 100mcg each year beginning in November to compensate and then I work down to 50 mcg in April for the warmer months. Someone suggested there was a brand of matrix patch that worked better than Mallinkrodt. If there is I would like to have the name again please but, more importantly, how do you feel when using it? Does it make you nauseated, groggy, sleepy, euphoric? I would like to try something that worked to the point that I wouldn't have to go all the way to 100 mikes in November. If by switching brands for a few months I can maintain relief on a lesser dose due to better efficacy I would sure be willing to try! Thanks.

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Kattladie, you brought up some excellent points about the reservoir style patches. I usually put them on my sides or "flank". I hate that term, makes me sound like a slab of meat. You mentioned the patch coming off in bed and sticking to your husband's arm. I have a 2 1/2 year old grandson. Of course there would be no reason for him to see that part of my body but he is playful and can get rough. The patch which doesn't stick well could come off and slip out the bottom of my shirt. I would never forgive myself if he was exposed to the medication and my daughter-in-law would probably never let me see him again. I hate these patches. I liked the Mylan patches best and my doctor prescribed them by name until the insurance refused to pay. Par pharmaceuticals make the patches I currently use and interestingly the company is located in the same county in which I live. I wonder if that could have something to do with forcing people in this area to use this brand. The patch is huge, much larger than the Sandoz brand which I hated years ago. As the gel is absorbed the patch starts to make a "crackling" sound. The word FENTANYL is printed in huge black letters on the patch so I must be careful not to wear sheer or light colored tops. It's like a "Scarlet Letter" telling the world I am using opiate pain meds. As if people are not judgemental enough. I realize that it's important in emergency situations for first responders to be aware of medications but I do feel branded like a cow on a ranch. I pay a portion of my healthcare cost, my employer pays the rest, and of course there are co-pays. I don't understand why I can't choose the best brand of medication for myself. My doctor did try to get the insurance company to allow me to have Mylan. He explained the irritation, they didn't stick as well, and that my normal body temperature is lower than most (96.8 or so) which definitely can slow absorption. Nothing helped. Hopefully a change will come. I have breakthrough pain around 60 hours after application or sometimes sooner but I have never experienced euphoria or being "high" from Fentanyl. I have never abused the medication. It's rare that a patch lasts 60 hours especially in warm weather.

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Edward, I understand your problem, I'm just not sure that any patch will give you what you're looking for except a higher dose through the winter. It all depends on your surface body tepurature. It's not the same as your internal body temperature, and fluctuates based on the temp of your working/living environment. I know I have more pain in the wintertime too, and my doctor has offered different muscle relaxers, break through medications, etc. Its hard because she worries that since your breathing is suppressed on higher mcg.'s of fentanyl, anything more could cause a worsening of that effect. It could be that you need an altogether different opioid medication that can be taken orally during the winter, then go back to fentanyl in the spring/summer. Sorry I couldn't be more help.

Kevin, in my opinion, the Par patches are larger, and more difficult to keep on for the full amount of time. You just end up having to tape them down for the duration of its use. I personally prefer Mallincrodt, but I'd rather have any matrix patch than use the liquid filler Par patches. Also, unless your doctor told you to, I wouldn't have more than one patch on at a time. You'll be getting an uneven amount of medication, cause yourself to have a higher tolerance, and possibly get too much medication and overdose.

Hop, you definitely should try to get ahold of either the pharmacutical company of your preferred patch, or Duragesic maker Janssen about their rebate programs or programs to help you cover the cost of your patches. I don't know what your copy's are like, but I know Jansson offers a $50 rebate if you pay cash for them. They also had a program that helped me pay full cost of the patches when I was without insurance. It just might be the answer you're looking for.
Take care all.

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I suffer with CRPS for the past 4 years, from a work injury that Workers Comp will not acknowledge....besides that, I have been on Percocet 10/325mg 4 times a day, but during the winter I suffer. My PM just added a 25mcg Fentanyl patch to my regimen, they are PAR manufacture, I have spent so much money in Tegrederms, the sticky isn't sticky, my first day was okay, I showered the next day and it was lifting, not very good for me....glad to find this blog, I'm going to ask my pharmacist if they can order a specific brand for me.

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Jennifer. Ask your pharmacist for the matrix type patches. I prefer Mallinkrodt brand, they stick SO much better that other brands I've used. Also, the matrix type patches are smaller, therefore easier to keep in place. Good luck!

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Being a long time chronic pain sufferer I tried the par manufacturer Fentanyl patch. The results were unbelievable for just about 3 days. I felt like a normal human being and had no need for other rx mesds Par is difficult to obtain in VA. Any leads on VA pharmacies that dispense par patches will be appreciated.

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I hope I can help some of the pain suffered souls using par brand. I have used just about every brand known to man as I have had 13 back sugerys over the past 15 years. I have had the patches fall off and I was buying techaderm patches UNTILL I called the 1-800 number on the back of the par box and talked with them. The company itself will send to your door enough patches and then some for your script. You need to call them each month and give them the lot and control numbers from your box's but its better than having to pay for them. I looked into it a bit more and a few of the name brand manufactures will do the same thing. So if your buying techaderm patches do yourself a favor and at least try the company your using, it can't hurt.

As far as the last post looking for patches in VA, I suggest for you to ask the pharmast at the pharmacy where you got your last RX filled. I know that if a drug store can get it once they can get it again. I usually pre order par brand the month before with our local drug store. I know CVS has Par brand or can order them as I have vacationed in several states and have had to order them out of town (with a RX from my home DR) but it takes time if your out of town (about 2 weeks to get the RX filled) I hope you get what you need. If you can't find them call par directly and they will tell you who sells them by you.

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I too use Fentanyl patches and this is interesting, well as least to me!

Duragesic Brand has 17mcg of Fentanyl

Sandoz (generic for Duragesic) has
17 mcg

These are for the 100 mcg patches

On the other hand, for the same patch,

Mylan has 10 mcg and so does Malinkraft and most other generic brands!!!

happy sailor

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That was interesting to find out, and prompted me to look at my patches. I use Mallinckrodt brand. My patch says it contains "11.0 mg of fentanyl for in vivid delivery of 100 mcg/hr for 72 hours".
I'm not a pharmacist, just a long time patient like many of you here. However, I'm thinking that the main differences between Mylar/Mallinckrodt and Sandoz/Duragesic would be the method of transference. If I am correct, the Sandoz/Duragesic still use the older form of patch, whereas the Mylar/Mallinckrodt versions that are smaller, thinner, and no longer use the "pouch" liquid gel that we used to get. Perhaps with the newer versions, they found they don't need to use as much of the medication, since it "soaks" (for lack of a better word) into the skin with less between the medicine and the layer of skin itself.
This is just a theory, but I'd love to hear other explanations as to why there is more fentanyl per patch in San/Dur. Than Myl/Mall., and yet still say you receive 100 mcg an hour.
Take care guys.

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I use PAR brand and they are exactly like Duragesic. I don't particularly like them (I prefer Mylar). Be careful, they are very hard to peel. I called PAR and they sent me 100 tagaderm covers for them for FREE!!

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Parr brand is the way to go theay have the big fat patches with silacone gel in them works a lil to good caint keep my eyes open after about 30 min of putting it on i tape around the edges ot works awsome nice long lasting pain relife and buzz thats my exspereance i love en the best u can get but without ins theay r 640 a box of five i get 10 a month theay last even in this florida heat

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I started on the fentanyl patches during the winter months and found a solution. Regulate your body temperature! I purchased many different thicknesses of WOOL long johns from both "Minus 33" and "Smart Wool" brands. If you keep your layers right, your skin temp stays constant. I recommend merino wool because it regulates your temperature through a broad range of external temperatures and my patches work from -20 degrees to +60 degrees by manipulating the thickness and number of wool layers. Minus 33 brand is the most economically priced and they use thicker wool, Sierra Trading Post has great deals! Silk long johns are good for EXTREME cold. I had more of a problems staying cool enough in the July heat so my patches didn't release too much when I wasn't in the A/C. Wool, poly, and silk are the only materials you should wear during the wintertime because they retain heat and evaporate moisture. Cotton kills! Any cotton you wear in the wintertime will retain the moisture your body lets off and ultimately get colder, and colder, and colder along with making too moist of an environment for adhesives. Wool against your skin (base layer), poly fleece over that, nylon or gore-tex outer layer so long as it is a DWR which essentially means that it is both waterproof AND breathable. If you dress like this, you can be comfortable in 90 mph winds with a blizzard and -20 temps and you can strip down to just the wool base layer and DWR bottoms and be comfy at 50 degrees and sunny. Your skin temp will be the same and your medication will work all the same, you can sit still in the worst weather and be comfy.

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Unfortunately, the VA does what they want, when they want. This agency is totally out of control, and they truly don't know what they are doing. They send my meds late, and once didn't at all. They overbill me occasionally, and then if I overpay, they send me a check from the Treasury. Once they sent my bill to COLLECTIONS, after only being a month late. No kidding. The Drs. Working there, pretend that they are the cream of the crop, when in fact, they are rejects from real hospitals. I will say this again, the VA KILLED MY BROTHER. Because I have put them on notice, that I'm aware that this happened, they are discriminating against me , regularly! Just TODAY, a Dr from STRATTON VA, in Albany NY, told me, he "CANT HELP ME". Does this sound like an agency sworn to help the Veterans of this great Country? I think NOT.

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I can't get them to stay on and tagaderm is getting so expensive

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I have been prescribed 50mcg of fentanyl every 72 hours by my primary care doctor. My concern is, is this Mallinckrodt fentanyl 50mcg the same stuff they mix with heroin on the street? Could someone please help me with this question? I only use the patches I get at the pharmacy and was asked the questioned by a concerned relative. I was taking 25 mcg fentanyl transdermally with no problems, except they were no longer helping me. All this news in the media has got me thinking. It helped me greatly. I also take 5 mg oxycodone 3 times a day along with xanax, trazodone and blood pressure meds and have not had any problems.

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Re: j (# 56)

I'm not exactly sure of your question but I think you are asking are you in any danger using Mallinckrodt fentanyl patches. My answer is absolutely NO PROBLEM. Drug addicts use ANY fentanyl product they can get their hands on to mix with heroin! Hope that helps you. God Speed...

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Re: Tanya (# 55)

Order the tagaderm from Amazon. Much cheaper than getting them from your local pharmacy.

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I have a script for duragesic 100 MCG or mg and my Pharmacy only carries par or Melon melon Croc sucks and does anybody know about the par he told me a lot of people like them

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I have done my share of Fentanyl as well , along with other things that I have used for my severe chronic pain such as liquid Morphine & others . The 2 medications that have worked for me are the pain pump & Liquid Morphine & Fentanyl from PAR But regarding the Fentanyl patches I prefer the PAR that is a gel in it as the dry patches in my opinion does not work all that well or at all really . PAR is by far my favorite & patch of choice . They seem to make a product that works good for those in need of relief . By the way I am nearly crippled & I am disabled myself suffering severe chronic pain 24-7 . Anyway thank you and have a lovely day .

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