The more i research the more i dont want to change meds...
why is this still on the market, why r docs still perscribing it?

I think when the Fentanyl Patch came out it was intented for pain assoicated with cancer and the likes. Unfortunately doctors have percribed it incorrectly or for patients that will eventually have to get rid of the patch and that is when the problem comes in. I have known people to have a terrible time coming off this stuff, don't ever just take it off without a doctor knowing and being under his care. From what I have seen it's very hard.

I agree with you I don't know why they percribe so freely when it's so dangerous. These days I really watch what I take. Some of the medications have such weird side effects and some that can be harmful.

Thanks for the warning.

Gabbycakes

Doc says this one can be cut?
Im scared while making myself aware. All the literature is scary which makes ME personally scared to change opiods (Opana 4 yrs now) with the med reactions endured the last 12 years in the ER.

Dilauded, Meth and others too strong for me per doc.

Encouragement, being informed; awareness, others thoughts and experiences. Getting feedback from others here in a group a good thing
good or bad i would love to hear your thoughts

Dear Cyndy,
DO NOT CUT THE FENTANYL PATCHES AS IT CAN RESULT IN OVERDOSE!!!! I cannot believe a doctor told you to cut the patch. Idiot for sure. If you cut it you can cause to much or to little to be released in a certain area and if it is too much it can release a large amount directly onto your skin and it can cause you to overdose. I have used the patch for over five years and am now happy to report I am off it and all opiods as of Feb 2011. I would NEVER want to go through the withdrawls again and would rather die than do so. It was the worst experience and was under the doctor's care and he let me do it cold turkey. Almost killed me. I have heard of other people having surgery and the doctors prescribe Fentanyl patches and these people are not opiod tolerant at all. They do it so they won't have to keep coming back to their rooms to give them more pain meds but they don't realize it takes about 17 hours for full strength. Also, if you use the patch read the directions and never take a bath or use electric blanket or do anything where the sun or a heat source will increase your body temp or you could overdose.

Personally, after five years of using the patch I would not have gone on it. I would rather take oral opiods or another meds. That stuff is bad news. Not to mention it (along with the rsd) has destroyed my teeth too. But people have to do what they need to but please be careful and NEVER cut the patch. Please let your doctor know so he does not tell other patients to do so. Good luck
kathy d

Instead of cutting the patch, pinch it so that a portion of it is stuck together and not touching your skin. That's what I used to do when I was tapering down off the patches and it was a pretty effective way of reducing the dose without cutting the patches, which you're not supposed to do.

I was on Fentanyl for about 9-10 months. It made me extremely depressed, I cried all the time, and that was when I wasn't sleeping. I also lost a lot of weight. It was awful... When I started the 10 day ketamine treatments I had already tapered myself down to at least half or less of my original dose, and then I went on Suboxone to get off of the stuff completely. In spite of that, I was still sick from withdrawal for a really long time - I think at least a month. Maybe more. It was the pits!! NEVER AGAIN!! Unless I am dying....!! I swear that stuff is like poison, I would highly recommend you consider other meds before settling on Fentanyl. I am not even certain that it was all that effective on my nerve pain.

Good luck, Sandy

I wore the Fentanyl patch, in different strengths, for about 2 years. I had no problems, but I was told Lyrica was "THE RSD DRUG" to be on. I changed & Lyrica was HORRIBLE (FOR ME)!

I have found a great combination - MS CONTIN ( for Long Term Pain) and Klonopin twice daily. This appears to be working. I GAINED 70 POUNDS while on Lyrica. I have NEVER HAD A WEIGHT PROBLEM UNTIL NOW ---- and I can't lose the weight. The excessive weight has caused all types of secondary medical problems. I would NEVER TAKE LYRICA - even though it does help control the pain, there are too many BAD SIDE EFFECTS.
TAKE CARE.
yiisd

I agree, Lyrica is another med I tried that was horrific. That and Neurontin. ewwww... I have been on Topamax for a few years now, which is better for me because I suffer from RSD in my neck and my head (as well as other areas). Topamax is often written for migraines. It has the least amount of side effects for me so far out of all the seizure meds I've tried. I have a terrible time remembering things sometimes but I don't know if its the RSD or the meds. Topamax doesn't cause weight gain but it does make a lot of food taste funny and I've lost my taste for alcohol and soda. I used to enjoy an Amstel Lite after work but it just doesn't taste right any more...

I only made it for a week or so on Lyrica - I was walking into walls and doing other crazy stuff. When I took Neurontin I went up 2 dress sizes in less than a month. It was nuts. And I just felt awful.

So sorry about your weight gain. bummer. I hope that you can find a way to lose it since it has impacted your health. the best of luck to you....

XOXOX Sandy

Hi, everybody:

I have RSD in my left knee/leg. This syndrome is responsible for severe chronic pain, which is controlled very well by Duragesic (fentanyl patches). I use Duragesic at the dosage of 125 mcg (one 100 mcg patch and one 25 mcg patch every 72 hours). I am sooo glad that my primary care physician is knowledgeable and caring enough to prescribe this medication for me. The fentanyl patches have proven to be lifesavers for me because they have allowed me to live a life worth being called "life".

I do not have cancer pain and I never had cancer pain. Duragesic is not just indicated for people with cancer pain. Here is what you can find on the paper that comes in every box of fentanyl patches.

.................................................. .................................................. ....
DURAGESIC® (fentanyl transdermal) is indicated for management of persistent, moderate to severe chronic pain that:
•requires continuous, around-the-clock opioid administration for an extended period of time, and
•cannot be managed by other means such as non-steroidal analgesics, opioid combination products, or immediate-release opioids.

DURAGESIC® (fentanyl transdermal) should ONLY be used in patients who are already receiving opioid therapy, who have demonstrated opioid tolerance, and who require a total daily dose at least equivalent to DURAGESIC® (fentanyl transdermal) 25 mcg/h. Patients who are considered opioid-tolerant are those who have been taking, for a week or longer, at least 60 mg of morphine daily, or at least 30 mg of oral oxycodone daily, or at least 8 mg of oral hydromorphone daily or an equianalgesic dose of another opioid.

Because serious or life-threatening hypoventilation could occur, DURAGESIC® (fentanyl transdermal system) is contraindicated:
•in patients who are not opioid-tolerant
•in the management of acute pain or in patients who require opioid analgesia for a short period of time
•in the management of post-operative pain, including use after out-patient or day surgeries (e.g., tonsillectomies)
•in the management of mild pain
•in the management of intermittent pain (e.g., use on an as needed basis [prn]).
.................................................. .................................................. ....

Of course, I can understand that some people do not tolerate Duragesic and its possible side effects. First, this medication used to give me very severe nausea and vomiting, which I had to live with for months so my pain could be effectively controlled. Now the nausea and vomiting seem to be gone; I have not had problems with these side effects for years (I have been using this medication for about 8 years and a half).

If someone cannot tolerate Duragesic, that person should just tell their doctor to stop prescribing it for them. It does not mean that ALL doctors should not prescribe this medication for ANYBODY that does not have cancer pain. What would the people with severe chronic non-cancer pain do without this medication, especially in cases when this medication is the only one that works?

Yes, Duragesic can be dangerous for some people. So can many other pain medications be. In my case, NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatories drugs) can be dangerous for me. They can even kill me. It is not a reason for me to tell doctors to stop prescribing it for anybody, right? What would a person needing an NSAID say if he/she could not get access to his/her medication anymore?

One more thing: it is not pain patients' fault if some people abuse Duragesic to get high on it. Personally, I have never gotten a high from this medication.

Priscilla

Dear Priscilla,

It's wonderful that the batches work so well and glad it gives great pain relieve. But sorry this is a dangerouse drug. I have watched more than 1 person have a horrible time getting off them, I mean just awful. So, honestly if your going to take it for the rest of you life then your fine but if you have a expectation that you are just going to just come off that stuff, especially at 100 than a 25 mg every 3 days, I assuming that's the dosage, it's not going to happen.
Please I say this with care and just to warn you not to be a rude or disrepectful. I know some others will chime in.

With all respect,

Gabbycakes

Hi, Gabbycakes:

What is good with this forum is that we can all share our experiences and opinions, however different they might be. Everyone feels free to share what they have on their heart.

Like I said, it is true Duragesic can be a dangerous medication. Almost every medication can be dangerous if its indications are not respected, whether by the doctor or the patient. In my case, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), which is considered not dangerous for most people, almost killed me and made my two-year-old baby an orphan. How? By giving me such a severe asthma attack that my asthma medications were unable to control. I passed out and became all blue, according to the paramedics my beloved baby was able to call. I taught him to call 911 with doggy and kitty stickers. In case of a medical emergency (like Mommy not responding to him), he just had to dial doggy kitty kitty for 911 (a doggy sticker was stuck on the number 9 of my phone while a kitty sticker was stuck on the number 1 of my phone). When the 911 dispatcher replied, he just had to say "Mommy, booboo, sleeping" and put the phone receiver down so the 911 dispatcher could trace the call. Without my treasured son, I might be dead at this time, just because I took an NSAID seen as safe. So what is a dangerous medication and what is a safe one? I think it all depends on the person and the medical conditions he/she has. A medication seen as safe for a person might be dangerous for another one.

One anesthesiologist forced me to wean off of Duragesic without my full and informed consent if I wanted to receive a sympathetic nerve block for the RSD in my left knee. After I was weaned off of Duragesic without any big withdrawal problems, this anesthesiologist refused to give me the block he had promised me. Result: I was in so much pain (well over a 10, I would say, even if it might seem exxagerated to some people) that I wanted to jump off of any high enough balcony. My son was hanging on hard to one of my legs, screaming "No, Mommy! No!" Because of this lying anesthesiologist, my baby could have been an orphan. Fortunately for me, my primary care physician was intelligent, knowledgeable, and caring enough to see I badly needed Duragesic to control my severe chronic RSD pain and, little by little, he increased my dosage to 125 mcg (one 100 mcg patch and one 25 mcg patch every 72 hours). Result: my doctor was victim of harassment from the insurance company's doctors. I went to see an attorney, who told me the insurance company had no right of doing this. I then went to the insurance company to see their doctors and threaten to sue them if they continued harassing my doctor. Guess why they harassed my doctor? Because Duragesic is a very expensive medication for the insurance company to reimburse, even if it is only a 70% reimbursement (I have to pay the rest, that is, the 30%). For now, the insurance company's doctors stopped harassing my doctor. It is funny for me to see the insurance company's chief doctor run away when he sees me arriving. Thanks to these stupid doctors, I have to live in fear of losing my wonderful and effective fentanyl patches.

Gabbycakes, I know you are caring. I never thought you were being rude or disrespectful. I thank you for sharing your opinion and I encourage others to do the same, whatever their opinion might be.

Priscilla