Angelina
I can't make any comment around brands - they are different to the brands available in my country.

You can cut the matrix patches but never the reservoir type. However, you are not going to get any approval to do so from any manufacturer or pharmacist because they are not licensed on that basis so no manufacturer or pharmacist will be prepared to take on any potential legal liability by suggesting that it's OK.

I don't understand what you say when you say you will cut them in half and change them every 48 hours at the same dose. Half a patch = half the dose. If you stick half a patch on, you will be receiving half the dose of the original patch. Sorry if I'm misunderstanding.

I'm not clear why you won't go to a pain specialist because of your lupus playing up. These patches can be prescribed on a 48 hour change cycle and it's not a terribly unusual thing for people to be prescribed on a 24 hour cycle. If it gives you the pain management you need, why is the lupus flare up preventing you going to see the pain specialist? I'm just confused.