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 $$$$$

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

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