Originally Posted by Ragtop

Thank you for your post Liz,

I do use the Bioclusive covers sometimes, especially when its hot, or
for some reason I have to do some yardwork or anything that makes me sweat, since the patches like to start peeling off in hot weather.
Can't say that I have noticed any difference, but I will try using them all the time, and see if it helps at all.
I've got the feeling that I will just go back to the brand name product, since it is far superior in my opinion.
I have tried to get my doctor to let me try oxycontin, but he refuses to prescribe them, saying that they are too expensive. In reality I think he just wants to stay away from that drug, because of all the bad press it has been getting. He stated that he refuses to buy into the whole deal, the drug companies making far too much money on it, and all the problems it causes with drug addicts. He is a really great doctor, and he will generally give me what I want, with the exception of oxycontin, so I don't push the issue with him. Perhaps he may change his mind now that the generic oxy is out. Besides, have you noticed the price of the patch? My 15 patches show on the pharmacy slip as costing anywhere from $650-750 a month, I can't imagine that the brand name oxy costs that much!
I may ask him to let me try methadone, I've heard it's a really good pain killer, and cheap as well. It's just that after 5 years on the patch, they just don't seem to work as well as they used to, and I have had to have my dosage increased 2 times. I realize that this is probably normal, so that's why I want to change to something else, at least for awhile.
He tried me on ER morphine last year, but he started me at such a low dose, (15mg BID), that I was sick as a dog for a whole week, probably from withdrawal from the patch. I ended up putting a patch on when I just couldn't stand the pain anymore, and I was ok again within 4-6 hours.
I can't imaine putting me on 30mgs of morphine, when I was on a 75ugram patch, with percocets for BT pain. Beside I didn't like the way the morphine made me feel at all, if I took enough to get any relief, then I felt like a hospital patient, very, foggy, sleepy, and groggy. So if that was a preview of the morphine, he can keep it....LOL
I would think a reasonable dose of morphine would have been something like
80-120mgs per day, not the 30 he started me on! I know they always start low on a new drug, but give me a break, 30mg wasn't even woking at all.
I would have asked him for an increase, but just didn't like the drug compared to the fentanyl.

I appreciate you taking the time to answer my post.
I hope you are having a low pain day, I was glad to see the sun today, that means my levels will be down a little bit anyway.

Peace
Rags

Originally Posted by kittycapucine1974

What do you think?

Originally Posted by Ragtop

Greetings to all the familair names here, well.... all the unfamiliar ones too!
I was happy to see this site come up during the dragged out downtime on BT.
A big thanks to the Doc for helping us all out, way to go!!
Also thanks to Bobbi, for letting me know about this site.

Now to the topic.

I would like to hear any comments, or your experiences with the generic
fentanyl patch. I have always used the brand name patch, but recently
they increased my copay to $45 for the brand name, so I find the need to
try the other brands. I first tried the Mylan version, and it didn't seem to work as well as the real deal, so I went back on the brand name, and got better pain control right away. This month I tried the Sandoz brand.
I thought I would get better results, since this brand looked the same as the Janssen, and I have also heard that they were supposedly made by the same manufacturer. On close inspection, it does not appear to have the same amount of gell as the original, and the glue is different, a lot stickier.
The first day I used it, my pain levels went right up, and I had to take more BT meds to compensate. I normally change the patch every 2 days, but find with the generic, there is still a lot of gell left inside, when I change it. With the brand name, there isn't very much left at all after 2 days, that makes me wonder if the absorbtion rate is different with the two. I am taking into consideration that more will be absorbed on a hot day, or if I am exerting myself doing some task.
Has anyone had a similiar experience with the generics?
If this is what they are like, I will gladly pay the extra $40 for the real deal.
I'm sure the generic/brand name thing has been beaten to death in many posts, but I would like some input as far as the fentanyl patch goes.
I am nuts or what? To me there is a real difference with these products.
People may say that since I don't expect them to work as well, then they don't, but I really don't buy that, since the pain I feel is very real, and is very much affected by these different brands.
I realize by law, they must use the correct amount of the med, in my case7.5mgs of fentanyl, or a 75ugram/hr patch. I think the differance might be with the transfer layer in the gelpack, or possible the glue itself, which also has the medecine in it, but may not be transfering as well with the generic.
I have had similar experience with other generic drugs, the biggest one was
Darvocette, I was on them for years, and the generics were total junk.
So, is it me? am I just to sensitive to the changes, or am I not really getting what I pad for at my pharmacy. I wonder how how much testing is done with these products (generic) before they are allowed on the market? Or is more like, since the manufacturer already makes the brand name, its easier to get the generic on the market then, since the testing was already done on the brand name? Making it easier for drug company to slip an inferior product to the marketplace. I'm just saying.....they are NOT the same.

Peace
Rags

One added note, I love the speed of this site!!
Thanks to the Doc for the extra bandwidth!
BT-BT2 is like the tortise and the hare...

Originally Posted by Cemoore33

Yes I have had the exact same experience with the duragesic patch. It is the only one that works for me like it is supposed to. I had five compression fractures and surgery to straighten the ninety degree curvature if my spine. The Mylan works better than the Sandoz which does not work at all but the Mylan fall off sometimes. Thank goodness I have a smart doctor who gives me 325mg hydrocodone for Bt pain. That is the only thing that works for me. My surgeon actually told me that the genetics are just not the same. I have also had the same experience with many pharmacists and pain doctor telling me that they have never heard that the generics are not as good. Watson is a little better than Sandiz or Mylan if you have to take generic. I am trying to tell the doctors and pharmacists this so as many people as possible can get Duragesic. I am probably going to have to find some other solution since I only have a perscription discount card and my copayment for Duragesic is $450.00 a month(the full price is $650.00).