Lanny42, I have tried the patches...I wouldn't recommend them for several reasons. They are very expensive. They don't last the 3 days they're supposed to, barely 2. They are a hassle to keep track of. You will build up a tolerance to them very quickly and have to increase constantly.

I have tried just about everything. What worked the best for me, and still is 6 mos. later is, believe it or not, methadone. It works very well for nerve pain. It has very little to no side effects. It is easy on the body(few metabolites).
Tolerance is very slow to develop. It is unbelievably inexpensive. It was approved last June. for pain treatments. It has helped me more that anything.
I know it has a bad rap as a heroin withdrawal drug, but for pain relief, it has no equal. My pain specialist recommended it and I'm glad he did. Hope this helps. Nacho.