Anyone use Flector patches?
 

Since I'm in the process of waiting to get in to see my 2nd pain mgmt. dr. on 1/19 as my current one says he's done all he can do with implanting my two SCS's, he's given me flector patches to help me get through the waiting time. They seem to help by taking the edge off, but I find my husband has to put about a ton of medical tape on them to keep them in place, esp. for through the night.

What experience has anyone had with these? One day I started feeling very bad, lethargic and respiration went down to 6...felt I couldn't get enough breath. I'd been using them for about 3 weeks by then and thought that maybe I'd built up too much medicine in my system (I think they allow one to absorb a NSAID???), so took them off. Seemed to help. About 5 hrs. later started to feel bit better but pain came back, so had to put them back on.

Any advice/suggestions/tips?

By the way, haven't heard a peep from the compounding pharmacy who is supposed to be making up some pain cream for me. Was hoping I could get
away from the flector patches by switching to it, but not sure if they have even gotten the rx. and when I leave messages at the dr.'s office, no one returns my call:mad:

Awwww Fiona!!!
 

This is terrible!!! How can a conscientious caregiver [and from your blog I know you and I are on the same wavelength here] spin you loose with meds until an appt still over 20 days away and receive calls from you regarding the possibile interference with respiration WITHOUT A RETURN CALL? In my profession, the Supreme Court gets all over someone for failing to return calls..... I kid you not as it definitely has to do with ethics.

In your case, your situation has much ado about mortality with potential side effects. So, if your Dr. will not return a call... I mean, every office has an "on call" someone.... even the gastroenterologist who lived across from our previous home! So, failing in that, can you go to your GP or perhaps an ER? I am thinking on the side of practical common sense here. Did the literature with the patch speak to side effects such as you may be indicating?

Answers...... you need answers for safety, and also pain management from that fresh mind which will regard your case on the 19th coming up!!!

Here is hope and prayer you attain both, and soon. As for the topically applied cream, it is more an acute treatment than a chronic approach as my doc explained the cream I have for the sore spots which occur from time to time. May it arrive SOON.

Prayin,
Mark56:grouphug:

I have (and sometimes still do) used flector patches. The NSAID in them is diclofenac, and with much trial and error was really the only NSAID that ever really worked for me. I find the patches really only useful at night, as during the day they seem to slide, move, fall off etc. I rely more on my compounded cream - which has diclofenac (and other drugs) in it....it is much easier to apply, and seems to work well. Regardless - I hope you are able to get some feedback from your doc, and some relief from pain soon.

I read the flector literature and it did say respiration issues could be a side effect. So since backing off on using them it has gotten back to normal.

I called my dr. office AGAIN and they gave me the name of the pharmacy they had fax'd my compounded pain cream rx. to TWO WEEKS AGO. I called the pharmacy (in Alabama, no less:eek:) and they said they had never received the rx!!! So called dr. office back and they'll re-send it today. What a goof-up.

I think I'm like CoralToe in that I may need to go back and forth between the Flector patches and the compounded cream (whenever I do eventually get it.)

Will let you know how it goes on the 19th with the new pain mgmt. dr.

Fiona

Hi Fiona!
 

I'm sorry you're having such a time of it with these pharmacies communicating with one another.
I went over to the "Medications" forum and did a forum search for "Flector Patch". Here's a good thread that popped up

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...=flector+patch

It's dated 2008, but maybe it'll have some tips that might be of help.

I hope this works out for you SOON!

Rae
:hug:

I did try flector patches for a short time and I wish I could remember better but I believe that I stopped them because they didn't work for me. I don't remember any side effects being an issue. I also had the problem of keeping them from falling off- any kind of patch on the knees does not want to stay once you start walking.

I hope you get your compounded cream too. I tried a compounded ketamine cream- is that what this is or is it something else? It did take quite a bit of time for me to get mine too. But I think that's good advice that once you get it, you can alternate it with the flector patches.

Diclofenac is 1 of 6 drugs in my compounded cream. It also contains ketamine, gabapentin, and 3 other things I cannot remember off the top of my head...It works great for getting rid of some of the hypersensitivity I get on top of my foot - and takes a few days of use to get the full effect. If I use it too often however, my skin doesn't like it so much - which is why I usually use that during the day and the flector patches at night.

If I remember right, I was told the compound cream would include medications that would help with nerve pain, have muscle relaxation properties, have anti-inflammatory properties and also have a mild narcotic, pain relieving effect.

IF if ever gets here, I'll let you know how it works and see if I can find out the names of the different medications that are in the mix. I'm in talks with my local compounding pharmacist to see if he can get in whatever ingredients is necessary as I'd rather work with a local pharmacy than one wayyyy down South.

I doubt my ins. will cover it as it doesn't cover my other compounded medications, and then add in the cost to ship it to me...can you say $$$$$:eek:

Thats too bad your insurance won't cover it....when I had mine compounded locally I had to pay upforont, and was something along the lines of $75 for 2 weeks worth. Now I get it compounded out of state and shipped, and they bill insurance directly so I only pay a $25 copay for 3 months worth. Hope you get it all straightened out and it works for you...

Wow - I am counting my blessings! I have six medications that need to be compounded (including ibuprofen) due to an allergy commonly found in inactive ingredients and my insurance has paid for each of them - even the ibuprofen and stool softener which are over the counter. Any way you could get your doctor to write a letter of medical necessity to your prescription company? I know those words "medically necessary" are crucial to my getting things paid for.

I would probably have done that if I still was getting it compounded locally, but I'm actually much, much happier with the product made out of state, and can't really complain about a $25 copay for 3 months worth :)

Just talked to the pharmacy in Alabama and they have my compound pain cream rx. all ready to ship out via UPS. For some reason my copay for almost a month's worth is only $10. I'm shocked...I wonder why my ins. will pay for it from that place out of state, but won't pay for my other compounded meds. that I have done locally??? Depends upon the med.?

I talked to the pharmacist and she said my compounded pain cream will be a combination of 5 meds: ketamine (pain relief), flexeril (muscle relaxant), diclofenac (anti-inflamm.), orphenadrine (muscle relax.) and tetracaine (anethetic).

Hope to get it in the mail this week. Supposed to apply between 1 - 4 times daily depending upon how much it helps, so it will last anywhere from 20-30 days.

Anything has to be better than those Flector patches :D

A hale and hearty
 

Thumbs up to that! I have a cream, oh such a cream, it helped me e'er I knew it..... [ok, that was a reworded OLD tune, please don't throw tomatoes]........ and you know, when there is an ache I cannot abide such as that nag in my right arm, I apply cream, and it seems to abate. An ahhhhh comes after the application. If you listen carefully from the Western horizon you may hear it.........

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh,
Mark56

Oh gee... surely not looking forward to getting this script filled tomorrow! My dr gave me a few samples of the flector patch. Originally all of my problems started with a fall down some stairs where I shattered a lumbar vertebrae and fractured two others. I had lumbar fusion done, unfortunately 4 days after surgery my now ex-husband shoved me backwards into the corner of a dryer. That caused the fusion to slip out of place and caused major infection not only in the fusion area, but also the pelvic bone graft area. So here I am 5 yrs later with the slipped fusion having caused compound fractures up my spine to C2! Surgery to fix the fusion has too high of a chance3 of paralysis so I won't go for it! Pain mgmt is my only option at this point! Unfortunately I'm also diabetic and have heart disease. I just put on my first Flector Patch an hour ago and have noticed a little relief, but more so I've noticed that my heart is racing and I'm really hot. Anyone else have this happen?

Emerald: Sorry to hear you've been through so much...yikes! As far as the flector patches, I think they're just an NSAID medication so whatever side effects go along with NSAID's I presume can be found in these patches. Is it possible that you're not getting enough pain relief and that's what's causing your increased heart rate and flushing?

I know when I'm really in pain I can get all kinds of wierd stuff going on because my body is trying to cope with the pain. You probably want to check with your dr. or pharmacist to see if your symptoms tend to go along with flector patches.

I hope that you find pain relief as it sounds like you've had enough other stuff to deal with:hug::hug:

I'm sorry too, Emerald! I hope that you find something that controls your pain without the worrysome side-effects.

Hey fiona, did you get the cream yet? If you did, is it helping?