Hello, I am new to this site and trying to help my sister, She has fibro along with SI joint pain and many other issues that cause cronic pain. I moved here in FL with her app 1 month ago and have seen how dibilitating all this pain is for her. Her life has become an existance of doctors offfices and pharmacies, she cannot do things as she once did due to her pain. She goes to a pain doctor here and has been on fentanal patches for app 4 yrs, she has been tried on alot of other pain meds but didn't help at all. She is on 100 micrograms of fentanal and takes other drugs for break through pain which doesn't cover the pain. she can be ok for awhile but still can't do much or she will be in more apin. The problem is her pain doc will only percribe that amount for her on the patch and will not increase it for her, which means her life is so limited, she cannot walk a long time, sit to even go to a show etc without being in pain, her patch does not even last the legnth it should so she has to change it more frequently than percribed and then have to dael with the doctor and insurance company to supply her with more. It is absolutley crazy that she has to suffer like this and i hate to see her like this.I am trying to see if anyone out there has the same problems with pain doctors in Florida not wanting to increase fentanl patrches to actually cover the pain for their patients? He put her on them and nothing else works for her, but now her pain has increased and he will not increase it. makes no sense to me..any ideas or names of any pain docs in Florida that actually are thinking of thier patients and what they are going through, please let me know.. sorry this was long..thanks for any ideas etc.. M

I know a very good doctor that i myself have gone to as well as have referred friends to. If your sister truly is the way you say she is... This doctor is as good as you can get. She is in Broward County.

I was on Fentynyl patches for about two years and honestly, I don't think that they helped all that much. At one point, I was up to 100 mg and my family and friends noticed that I was slurring my words at times but I still had pain.

I switched to Methadone and found it to be more effective and have less side effects.

I don't used either any more. I take Humira which helps my SI pain (I have spondylarthropathy among other things), Lortab and occasional Percocet. I also take other meds which add to the compliment.

Everyone is different in what works. Perhaps she would be more comfortable with another pain med?