Has anyone heard of or tried this:
Purdue Pharma’s Butrans™ Transdermal System CIII for the management of moderate to severe chronic pain?
See: http://www.genengnews.com/gen-news-high ... /81243614/

Try: http://www.genengnews.com/gen-news-h...pain/81243614/

or

http://www.genengnews.com/gen-news-h...pain/81243614/

This patch has been available in other countries, I believe.

It will be a delay before reaching patients here. Up to 6mos is average after approval.

A peek at CafePharma's Purdue board suggests possible launch in US in Jan '11. That is an estimate.


Other buprenorphine drugs here are addiction supports, and require special doctor's enrollment with ID number. Subutex and Suboxone (with naloxone added) are sublingual. This drug is not usually given for chronic pain, but for support in opiate withdrawal.

It is used for cats for pain control commonly in some vet clinics.

Buprenorphine has shown some promise in treating drug refractory depression, and our Bipolar forum has some posts about it.

I don't think it is as potent as fentanyl. But it may have fewer side effects. Only time will tell.

Greetings; I'm new to the forum; have have PN in the legs since chemo in 2007; just got a new Pain Mgmt Doctor who put me on Butrans patch. Just wondering if there is a better thread, newer thread, etc. on this patch -- or just a better thread re: various pain medications -- and approaches to pain relief. Thanks in advance.

There is another new product...being discussed at RSD forum here:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread152732.html

Nuedexta was designed for inappropriate emotional outbursts due to neurological brain damage, but appears to be moving into chronic pain management too. The DM (dextromethorphan content is potentiated by quinidine so that the DM levels rise and help with pain relief). DM has been used on the Parkinson's forum here too, and seems to suppress symptoms for them, but only in very LOW dose there. DM seems to work differently for different central brain targets.

Nuedexta has some worrisome potential for interactions and for prolonging QT interval (especially when used with other drugs like methadone which prolong QT). Would have to be carefully monitored while on it. But it appears to be targeting supplemental pain relief, when other agents are being used for pain. It is not a stand alone thing IMO.

I did a lot of searching on it so might as well link to that thread for its informational content, here.

Chronic pain management for nerve pain, is often not very effective. People who come to the PN board here, have various responses to all the agents available out there. Some respond to antidepressants some don't. Same with Lyrica/neurontin. It is all very patient specific and hard to generalize to everyone.

May I ask what was the chemo agent you were given? I do not have the severe pain that most PN people have here, but I am losing my ability to walk. I received 12 cycles of taxotere in 2005 as well as other agents.

People with chemo damage, should consider acetyl carnitine to help the damaged mitochondria function. It is best used prior and during the chemo but I would try it anyway after because it can really not be harmful, and may help (no studies about late date trials tho).

I've posted this in many places... here is a link
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/post653568-5.html

First, I do know everyone responds differently to meds. I seem to be particularly sensitive. I'm just fishing for opinions and experiences; everything, obviously, is taken w/a grain of salt.

==

I do have pretty severe pain thanks to my little parting gift from chemo.

I received R-CHOP -- Rituxan, Cyclophosphamide, Hydroxydaunorubicin (also called doxorubicin or Adriamycin), Oncovin (vincristine), and Prednisone or prednisolone, which are corticosteroids.

Also received intrathecals of Methotrexate;

Methotrexate and especially vincristine are notorious for causing P.N. -- and I've got it in both legs from hip to toes.

ay-ay-ay...


==

My Pain doc has discussed cymbalta and lyrica, but I'm a bit leery of those; I do see them recommended a lot with PN, so I guess we'll see..

Just for the record: my Pain Doc's initial approach has been:
5 mcg Butrans patch + hydrocodone 10/325 -- [1 or 1/2 tab every 8 hrs.] + Baclofen [a muscle relaxant] for my severe leg cramps.

Been working okay so far, but it's only been a week.

I think I'll probably try to stay off the Baclofen due to the drowsiness, etc.

==

Thanks for the responses.