Reposting this from chronic illness forum. Has anyone ever been on the Fentanyl patch?

The doctor just gave me Fentanyl 25 mcg/h I was excited about taking something new because the Kadians, (another long acting pain medication, I take 3/day) seem like they do nothing now.

But now that I read the insert I am scared to death to put the patch on. And then maybe I went to the wrong GOOGLE page but the whole thing was about how deadly the patch can be if it breaks and whatthefuckever gets into you too much. I checked the strengths though and I am on the second lowest dose so that made me feel better.

So I just took the Kadian and will wait until tomorrow and hopefully I can find out more about it. My doctor told me that he cannot prescribe "as is" drugs like Lortab anymore and they are the ones that work the best. He kind of suggested I ask my primary care doctor and even said, (because I have had a real bad week) that the doctor can call him and he will assure him that he does not believe I am trying to abuse drugs.

I read all about pseudo addition where people in real pain look like drug addicts to the doctors but they are just looking for relief. That's me too. I am so stressed as I type this because of the pain. This doctor is treating me for problems with my neck but the real problem now is my stomach, (which I have had all my life.....dyspepsia.....it causes a lot of pain and is very poorly treated at least in this country. And I know opiate are constipating but you've got to weight the good against the bad)


PS: Here is a site that speaks to the UNDER-TREATMENT of people with pain.

due to the scaring of doctors, abuse of painkillers etc. I am an RA patient and it is difficult to treat because I also have a heart condition. The Fentanyl patch made me dizzy, and gave me a rash, but it didn't kill me. I am on a standing script for Vicodin and I am supposed to take it therapeutically every 6 hours, only I don't...because I am afraid to. I am lucky in that I have an understanding doctor. It is a difficult, at best, decision and also horrible the cycle that the insurance companies and doctors put one through. It is also why the goofy posts about "I'm loopy on Vicodin" and/or "Gee I took a Vicodin for no reason..." piss me off so badly.

Because I shouldn't be giving medical advise here but if you are going to take one of those types of pills it is really better to get one with less tylenol. Tylenol is the real danger in these drugs because too much can hurt your liver.

But truthfully, 2 Vicodins a day to me is very very low.

Through all this I have found out that our country is abusive to people with chronic pain. They too often treat you like a drug addict when you are just looking for relief.




This website has some great information.

The Old Paradigm believes:

* It is not safe or prudent to prescribe pain medication on a continual basis.
* Opioid pain medicine is addictive and can cause long-term damage to internal organs.
* Pain patients should be tough and learn to live with pain.
* When pain patients continue to ask for increased pain medication, they are exhibiting addictive behavior.
* Physicians who prescribe pain medicine are no different than illicit drug dealers and should be treated as such.

The New Paradigm knows (supported by three decades of empirical medical research):

* Opioid pain treatment is safe and effective when monitored by licensed physicians.
* Less than 1% of chronic pain patients become addicted or experience long-term physiological damage as a result of prolonged, controlled opioid pain treatment.
* When pain patients receive adequate pain treatment that relieves their chronic pain and associated depression, patients can lead relatively normal, productive lives. Their friends and families frequently give positive reports of an increased "quality of life," previously thought impossible.
* When pain patients continue to ask for increased pain medication, they are not addicted but experiencing increased pain. Once patients receive adequate doses of appropriate pain treatment, patients stop asking for increased levels of medication.
* There is a world of difference between licensed medical professionals who prescribe pharmaceutical drugs for legitimate pain patients in a medically controlled environment and illicit drug dealers who sell drugs in an uncontrolled, nonmedical environment.

as active as I can be. Therefore I attempt to flex and stretch as much as I can. Vicodin turns me into a Zombie. Also, with emotional pain, comes the ability to become more easily addicted than one would normally be. My biggest fear is taking the pill to blur the emotional pain.

He had no problems-----it came after the lortab and percocet didn't work anymore and preceded 2 oxycontin a day in addition to the percs. No fun--throat and mouth burned to a crisp, feeding tube, puking, spitting up mucus all the time.

But it helped him until it couldn't any longer---can't say for sure but I think he was on 50mgs, if that makes sense, for a month or 2. I would adhere it between his shoulder blades every 3 days.

Hope you feel better soon.

I lost the guy who lived across the hall from me in college to fentanyl abuse.

:cry:

a patch unless you put 10 of them on at a time. Do people break them up on purpose because the big thing they were screaming about under the WARNING section was the possibility of the patch creasing or cracking and the drug ending up on your skin.

I don't understand that. It goes through your skin in the first place. If it "creases" and somehow the drugs gets somewhere else................


Oh forget it. Maybe I'll understand when I cut the cover to the patch and see it.

The police reports said that he would light one of the patches on fire and inhale the smoke.

to think how a person could abuse a patch, (not that I want to abuse it trust me. I'm scared of the thing).

I just put one on after throwing one away yesterday because it freaked me out. But now that I've read more it does not seem too bad. And my roommate is studying to be a nurse so I told her to check on me and if I'm not normal to rip the thing off and call 911. :blush:

Oxycontin wasn't cutting it with her (she had a failed hip replacement and has a heart condition that prevents a re-do; she suffered for years, and has a monumental pain tolerance). The difference with the patch is astounding. She is more "present" than she's been in ages (the woman is a firecracker; we're not talking about the stereotypical feeble little old lady), her mood has improved by miles, and she appears to be back to her old self.

Give it a go. Keep in touch with your pain doc. Tell us how it goes.

Regardless of what you decide to do, I wish you all the best and keep us updated. I have osteoarthritis and the concomitant chronic pain. I know how much it sucks "it" out of you. :hug: