Thanks Spine
 

That's helpful, thanx!
I HOPE this is the situation with my pharmacy (it's a mom & pop). Like you said, maybe they were just out of the kind I'm used to. I'll have to call and find out. I don't want to wait until it's time for my next month refill.

These matrix patches have me somewhat disappointed :(
I thought at first everything would be fine, but no.
The patch works great the first day.....so-so the 2nd day.....by day 3 I'm withdrawling and curled up in bed with depression :eek:

I did kinda overdo at the office and put in more hours than my body can take, so maybe that's it. Put on a new patch this morning....we'll see how this round goes :o

Did you ever use the matrix/adhesive kind? If so, did they work for you?

Most pharmacies, especially small town mom and pop shops, try to project the exact amount of schedule IIs (particularly the strongest ones) they will need and order accordingly. A generous inventory is costly and makes them more vulnerable for robbery if the general public knows they have them. Some pharmacies deny they carry certain meds to the general public and one doesn't know they have them unless your doc calls in and says you will be coming in with a script for the medication.

They do their best to order accurately but one never knows when they will aquire a new customer who comes in with a script two days before you generally call in a refill. It only takes a few days for them to get the med. back in for you and that is no problem IF you have a bit of a stash. That isn't always easy to do if the medication is time released as opposed to a breakthrough. None the less, it is wise to try to keep at least a one week stash of all of your pain meds. There are all sorts of possible problems which can delay getting your refills on the exact day. Best wishes.

I could only use the matrix patches. The others broke me out something awful, regardless of manufacturer.

Remember too that I said one of the issues with an non-managed change from reservoir to matrix patches is that the dose released is typically different which is why they aren't interchangeable. Your previous patches may have been releasing you a different dose - fentanyl takes up to 6 days to reach its steady state in the body so messing around with dosage can cause problems both rapidly and over a number of days.

You might just be unable to get a full 3 days out of the patches, either on a one off or regular basis. There are so many things that could be going on that you would be best to speak to your pharmacist and prescriber for advice on the best way to proceed.

I started out with the reservoir patches and tried two different brands before switching to the endo brand matrix patch. We sure are all different. Have a great day.

Spine

[QUOTE=Spiney95;947717]I started out with the reservoir patches and tried two different brands before switching to the endo brand matrix patch. We sure are all different. Have a great day.

Spiney

It's ok to swap between different manufacturers of patches provided they are always of the same format ie reservoir or matrix. What isn't OK is to be swapping regularly in an unmanaged way between reservoir and matrix parches because their method of action is completely different and so are the dosing rates. its one thing to have a managed changeover that is planned and considered by your doctor but to just get whatever format of patches the pharmacy have that week regardless of what you had before isn't safe with fentanyl patches.

The drug has a very long half life so it stays in the body sometimes in large amounts for very long periods and any overdose with patches can be very hard to treat. Whipping the patch off isn't any help because so much of the drug is already sitting in the fatty tissue under the skin.

The matrix patches are virtually impossible to abuse unlike the reservoir ones which are prime targets for abusers who cut the patch and suck out the drug so it seems only natural that patients and pharmacies would be safer dispensing more of the matrix ones going forward. On the streets it is called synthetic heroin so that gives an idea of its abuse popularity!

Pretty much every opiate is synthetic heroin. Fentanyl is sometimes cut with crappy heroin to give it more of a kick.
But an opiate is derived from opium, some being non, partial or full synthetics. Heroin is a non synthetic. Oxy is full synthetic. Along with fentanyl.

Oh, I am putting my mrsD hat on now.... Heroin is synthetic too:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroin
Morphine is a natural opiate found in opium that is used today.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morphine
Codeine is also naturally found in opium.

Sorry folks, you are missing the joke I was trying and obviously failing to make with my comment.

I am very well aware of the synthetic nature of fentanyl and most of the other opioids we use, the point i was making was that one of the slang or street names for fentanyl amongst drug abusers is 'synthetic heroin' because they regard it as a 'fake' heroin substitute. Its also known as china white. Apparently it is quite popular because it provides a rather more mellow, pleasant high than heroin.

[QUOTE=Neurochic;947843]One can simmer or suck on the matrix patches. Granted, the sucking method with the matrix is slower but it does work. Obviously, the street value is less. Have a good night.

:D Too Cool! :cool: