Re: Lidocaine Patches
 

I, myself, nor has Alan, had any negative side effects using the Lidoderm Lidocaine patches.

The people next door use them, the people downstairs use them. Everybody in my neighborhood uses them for various stuff, back aches, bad knees, etc.

That's why the other day I was so shocked to hear what happened to the guy around the corner.

Now he is 75, (looks 60), has had bladder cancer for over 10 years and has sciatica. He has had several back surgeries and the only thing he uses is lots of advil.

We were talking one day and he was in pain and I said "how come your doctor never prescribed the Lidoderm pain Patch? He said "what is that". So I explained.

Two days ago, he was in church and a friend saw him in pain and gave him a a patch, explaining you use it for only 12 hours then you take it off.

He gave it a try. My husband and I were walking around the corner when he walks up to me and says "Melody, I'm so excited, I am wearing the patch for a few hours now and there is no pain". I said "see, what did I tell you?" Good for you.

Well, it was a whole other ball game the next day (after the 12 hours were over. I ran into him and he was sitting outside of his house all tired and not himself. I said "what on earth happened to you?" and he goes "I'm dizzy, I can't think straight, I am not myself". I said 'really?? why??" and he goes, "this all happened after I took the patch off". I just stood there. I said 'I know many many people and you are the only one to have this reaction. He said "well I called the pharmacist and he told me "don't put another patch on". I said 'that's good advice, but I don't understand why this happened to you". He was so upset because he found something that finally worked for his pain. He has had epidurals and nothing worked.

I told him "you must have a very sensitive nervous system that gave you this side effect". I explained "everything has side effects, but this is topical so it has much lower incidents of side effects", "but you are just not lucky in this case'.

Anybody ever hear of someone having a negative side effect to the Lidoderm Patch?

Thanks,
Melody

I have those lidocaine patchs and used them a few times but I may try again. The thing is I put it on the are which is my ankle and I felt it swell.They didn't help at the time but my issues go up and down so much. Could that be a side effect? I'm waiting to see about the fentnyl patch after I get started on another new med to see what my reactions are since I'm sensitive.
Mark I know my insurance won't cover it but I think some people's do the tens. I know the patches for me are 160 I think for 30.

Don't know if swelling is a side effect. Do a google on Lidoderm patch and read up on what side effects are.

I know that when my sciatica is at its worse, the lidoderm patch saves my sanity.

mel

It going to be quite difficult asking the doctor for lidocaine patches because when I asked whether there was anything for the sore patches I was told there wasn't anything that could be given to me.I don't want to appear to be correcting a doctor so im not sure what I am going to do. I don't think the british NHS system will pay for a TENS unit :-( I am still toying with the idea of taking the amitriptyline I was prescribed, not really sure if I want to go down that road just yet though or to wait and see if the symptoms get worse before I go that med...

Mark, i found amitriptyline to be very helpfull for the burning, i was on 25 mg morning and 150 mg at night, there has been many that can't take it cause of it's sedating affect, but it didn't worry me at all, if i had to use it again i wouldn't hesitate getting some more, but of course we all react differently to meds.

Mark could you just say that you were researching and heard about the patch and what the doc thought about something like that. Still giving them the authority. I know things out of the us are so different. I feel for you. I have friends with eating disorders that have a hard time with care. The doc shouldn't take offense its just a ? and maybe its not an option for you but at least you know. I'm not sure on the tens but is there a place maybe you could go for it. I don't know if that would work.I had to check the name of that med and I think its elavil correct? I was on that at night but for me I have problems with meds and how they don't work for what they should. I didn't have any side effects though so maybe that would be an option for you. It suppose to help with sleep too.

Daniella
 

That would be a good way to broach the subject with my doctor Daniella,thanks. As for the meds I also have problems with a lot of meds in that they don't do what they should a lot of the time + I also tend to get some of the negative side effects :-( im not sure I want to give elavil a try,I may leave it until the neuropathy gets really intolerable,the prescription I got has a use by date of 10/2009 on the box which is good...

Did you not find the elavil helped at all?

Hi Brian did you find that the amitriptyline lifted your spirits?Were there any side effects besides being sedating?

Britain...
 

I don't think Lidoderm is available in Britain/UK, yet, unless it was approved very recently.

As far as the other gentleman...I wonder if he was really using Lidoderm, or a fentanyl ... People often get patches mixed up.:confused:

I had fast heartbeats once in the beginning with Lidoderm. But that went away.
I usually can get by with 1/2 patch...this extends them if cost is a factor.
If you place them carefully, 1/2 will sometimes do for me (esp behind the knee when my knee acts up).

There are warnings about allergy...since all --caines are sensitizing, but it is not very common.

Mark, Yes they did lift my mood a bit, the side affects i noticed were mainly a dry mouth and give me a sweet tooth, but chewing some gum helps that, they probably won't taking the burning away completely but defiantly helped take the severity of it down, well i did for me anyway.
all the best,
Brian :)