Butrans Forums

Greetings. I am a 67 year old woman destroyed by auto immune disorders that required prednisone that destroyed me further. I had 8 surgeries in 1.5 years which left me very handicapped and I have RA and osteoporosis. Constant pain and limited abilities. Worst of all is pain in my hands, limiting the crafts that would keep me happy. Constant intense pain which I have been on Tramadol for. Now a pain management center has started me on Butrans 5. And I am afraid. Because of my auto immune conditions there’s not a side effect my body doesn’t love to grasp. I never read the inserts that come with a med, because I don’t want to know. Talk me up or down please. I need to live free of this pain. I can’t bear it another day. I had my hips, knees and one shoulder replaced...

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I've been swallowing my 8mg butrans (buprenorphine) sl tabs instead of taking sublingually because it tastes horrible. It's for pain and not addiction. What can I do to help with the gross taste? I realize I haven't gotten the full effect bc of not taking it as prescribed. ## You'll still get the full effect, it will just take a little longer than if you had dissolved them sublingually. The FDA warns that Buprenorphine carries the risk of being habit forming, and may cause side effects, such as nausea, dizziness, headache, constipation, and dry mouth. Ref: Buprenorphine Information As long as you realize that it will take a little longer to enter your system, there is no harm in swallowing them, rather than letting them dissolve in your mouth. Is there anything else I ca...

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I've been on the Butrans patches now for 2 months. I started on 5mg & now I'm on 20mg. I also have Amitriptyline 10mg per day which eventually will go up to 50mg... I also have Tramadol when needed... I was put on Gabapentin but they made me too dopey & they was not good for my Epilepsy either. I felt really ill off them. I suffer from nerve pain as well as stiffness and the Butrans helps with the stiffness; they don't take the major pain away but they do help... I just wish I could stop itching, it's driving me nuts. So if anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. TY. ## Try using a cold pack - relieves the itching (for me, at least) instantly ## What type of itching are you experiencing? As in, is it localized to the area of the patch, or is all over your...

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Butrans with suboxone to methadone for chronic pain, from pain management doctor. I feel terrible, no energy, anxiety, panic, fell like a dishrag! Help what is the proper equivalent for going from Butrans 10 patch with 3 8mg subs to methadone ## Hello, Fanny! How are you feeling? I'm sorry about the problems that you're having. It sounds like you might be experiencing some withdrawal symptoms, so you may need a higher dose of the Methadone. Why was your medication changed? Were the others not working for you? This medication carries the risk of being habit forming and may cause side effects, such as nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth and constipation. ## If iam on 16mgs of surboxon how much methadone can I have and can I take it the next day I've only been on surboxone...

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Why doesn't butrans show up in a urine test? ## You're using it and it didn't show up in your test? Are you using it as often and at the dosage prescribed? Additionally, have you had diarrhea recently? Have you increased your fluid intake? ## Butrans does not show in ua. Also urine needs to be warm. It is a different type of narcotic. Not consdered a true opiate. Your physician would order two uas for you. ## My urinalysis came back negative for butrans. Don't understand why. I apply flonase on the skin prior to use and place tagaderm over the patch. I am have hot flashes due to menopause. I really confused...I have been wearing patches for several months without any breaks. ## I have been using the Butrans 20mg patches exactly as prescribed for over a year. I was given ...

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What is the conversion for sublingual tabs to a butrans patch? I was on 20mg tabs and have now been given 20mcg patches. I'm on hour 24 and just not feeling great. I can't find much info on this switch. Please and thank you! ## Unfortunately, this issue is a known thing, most people do experience some feelings of withdrawal, and annoying side effects, when they switch, according to FDA warnings. Typical side effects of Buprenoprhine may include nausea, dizziness, headache, constipation, and dry mouth. This medication also carries the risk of being habit forming. How are you doing, now? Has there been any change?

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After my doc saw the severity of my herniated discs, spinal stenosis, spondylothesis, deg.disc disease (severe), I was given Fentanyl (Duragesic) patches 50mg. My doc told me to start it 24 hrs after removing my Butrans patch i had on for only 3 weeks. Im eager to get this one on asap for pain relief. IF i put the Fentanyl patch on, would it work since i took off the Butrans patch 16 hours ago? Also, do you think i will be likely to overdose if i have never taken it before? ## Hello, Christine! How are you? No, the Fentanyl patch will not work, if you put it on sooner than your doctor has instructed, so you'd just be wasting a patch. The Buprenorphine in the Butrans takes a much stronger grip on your opiate receptors than other narcotics, so the Fentanyl will not be able to have an ...

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I need to find a kind pain management doc in San Antonio, TX that will take medicaid Amerigroup. I'm currently seeing Dr. Kanishka Monis. He is a nice young man BUT, his staff and their way of handling patients is terrible. I was changed from Butrans 10 patches with 3 8mg suboxone a day to 20 mgs of methadone, after a week of hell I called to see if I could up the dose a little. No. I had to see him. But I couldn't get another appointment for 10 days. They have NO protocol for adjusting dosages in patients that are not at a therapeutic level of medication. I have been in agony for months, there has to be a pain management clinic or doctor that will take Amerigroup insurance in San Antonio,TX that are kind and caring, and don't leave their patients hanging out to dry! Help pl...

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I recently have been taken off Suboxone because my addiction doctor is no longer taking my insurance. I've been on it for 8yrs so for him to just cut me and other patients off like that was wrong. I know I'm definitely going to have withdrawals soon because I've been on it for a long time. I've heard of another drug called Butrans just recently and was told that any doctor can prescribe it even if they don't have that special waiver that's needed in order to prescribe Suboxone. Can anyone tell me if that's true and if it is like Suboxone? I know it has to be prescribed for pain not addiction. Do insurance companies ask for anything special to be put on it like they do for Suboxone? I used to get blood work and u/a's monthly with counseling sessions. ## Th...

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Doc just switched me from fentanyl 50 mcg every 3 days to Butrans 15mcg every 7 days and I am now getting no pain relief and am suffering from extremely bad headaches. The reason I asked to be switched in the first place was because the fentanyl was causing very bad night sweats. The butrans is doing the same along with the headaches. Is there a pill I can ask for that will give me the pain relief of the fentanyl without the terrible night sweats. Also the fentanyl was only working for 2 days instead of 3 and I had problems with them falling off. Any help would be appreciated. ## Hello, BRod! How are you? Fentanyl is the strongest opiate available, so you went from that to something weaker, which explains why the Butrans isn't helping your pain. There's really nothing else compa...

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I'm on 80 mlg of methadone and received butrans patches. Will this put me in withdrawal? Do the butrans patches have the opioid blocker? ## MDuser YES YES YES MY GOD PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS It can and WILL CAUSE SEVERE WITHDRAWL. I rarely post such a reactive emo reply but this contraindication can cause death SEEK AN ALTERNATIVE and most deff. Contact a professional competent PHYSCIAN that knows wtf he's doing !!!!! Please post back so we know that you are ok God bless. ## I went onto a 20m butran patch from methadone and felt no side ill effects at all. Butran patch is 10x better from a convenience standpoint IMO

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I have been on the butrans 20 mcg patch for 3 months and am getting ready to switch to the fentanyl 25 mcg patch. Will I get same amount of or better pain relief? Also, my Dr refuses to keep me on this patch. Is it wise to even start it then? ## Hi Roxie, To my knowledge, Fentanyl is the strongest prescribed pain reliever available. So my theory is that it should provide a greater sense of pain relief. However, because we all react/respond differently (and since no two meds are created equally), the only way to know for certain would be to try them both first-hand and make an assessment after giving your body some time to adjust to any changes. On the other hand, if your doctor is only planning on prescribing Fentanyl temporarily (i.e. giving you a band-aid and ripping it off) I don...

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I'm on the butrans 20 mg patch and had been taking cephalexin and clindamycin for an abscessed tooth for over 2 weeks. My urine screening came back showing that I had no methylphenidate or suboxone in my urine. I've been consistent on keeping my patch on for 7 days and changing when due. I take 60 mg of methylphenidate daily and I've never failed in 3 years. Could these antibiotics be the reason why?

Im having an awful time with migraines. No triptans work so I'm on narcotics for chronic pain. Currently taking hydrocodone 10/325 twice a day but its not helping much anymore. Pain mgnmt dr prescribed Butrans 5mg patch. Its not covered by my insurance so I wanted to know if its better for pain than the current hydro I'm on before spending $170 on a mths supply. Any info is appreciated. Tired of this chronic pain! ## ask your Dr if he can appeal the insurance Co's decision. He might be able to get them to OK it. I take Butrans 15 for severe neck pain. I love the fact the one patch lasts a week and there is no ups and down in the pain relief. ## Hello, Sharon! Sorry about the migraines. The only way to know if it will help you is by actually trying it. What you might want to ...

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Need Dr. in Huntsville or North Alabama. I have chronic back pain from spinal cord injury but have a history of addiction. HELP!! What can I do? Where can I find a Dr. that will work with me? ## Hello, JohhnyEarle! How are you doing? I am very sorry that you're in pain. Do you currently have a PCP that you see regularly? If so, getting them to refer you to someone for help would most likely be the easiest way to get the help you need. Does anyone else have any suggestions? ## I recently had to change insurance companies because my doctor stopped taking the insurance I had. I got sick and went to emergency dept and my pain management doctor cut me off. ## Perhaps your doctor or a pain doctor will let you try the Butrans transdermal. Helps quite a bit with my pain. I have no bad histo...

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What does butran show up as on a urine drug test, if I take Percocet 10/325 and I was out and used a butrans patch 10? ## It will show up positive for buprenorphine. If you had a patch on for more than a day or two and your drug test is within the next 48-72 hours from now you will likely test positive for buprenorphine and negative for your Percocet. Your doctor will have some questions. ## Butrans 10mcg patch puts .25mg over a 24 hour period. That's appx. .01mg per hour. If buprborphine is the test they run, it will come up negative. They tested me and were going to kick me out of pain management over this. Said would TEST ONE MORE time & that's it. Sent second urine to outside lab, and even thou I showed them I was wearing the patch it came up negative again. They have to...

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Can someone please tell me if I can take sublingual subutex while wearing a butrans 20 patch? Subutex doesnt contain naloxone so before I get any of the "Oh my god no you will have precipitated withdrawals" responses. So, if I took a subutex or even half of one will I be ok? I have just had major back surgery and I'm simply trying to control the post op pain and my sub dr is out of town and I have googled and searched for a day now. And since I'm an IT guy I would have thought that surely someone would have asked and had this answered at some point before, but if they have then perhaps I suck at google searching because I cant find it, lol. ## No, because that would be doubling up on the same medication, since they both contain the active ingredient Buprenorphine, so it ...

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I've been on butrans patch 20 mcg. For over a year. Suddenly I've been switched to the generic form of butrans. The brand Butrans is best for me because the generic is giving me an upset stomach with headaches and nausea. I feel sick on the generic butrans. I'm sure it's not a good substitute for the brand. The brand Butrans is better medicine in so many ways and more effective. The generic butrans makes me sick. I wish doctors and insurance companies would listen to the patients and stop pushing medicine on me that makes me sick and doesn't work for me and I'm sure many other people will have the same problem. It's dangerous to play with people's lives and switch medicine suddenly from butrans brand to butrans generic!!! Generic doesn't work! I'm...

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I recently began seeing a pm dr for chronic back pain. He prescribed me the butrans 5 and Norco 7.5 every 12hr as needed for breakthrough pain. Well I can't really tell that the patch is helping my pain at all but it is causing me to itch like crazy and the last patch I took off left what looked like a burn on my chest, you can still see a scaly square area there. Has anyone else had this issue? What do I do ## That could be due to an allergic reaction, according to FDA warnings, and if that is the case, they tend to get worse with repeated use, so you could start to experience hives, swelling, and trouble breathing. The best thing to do is to inform your doctor, as it might not be safe for you to continue using these patches. Has there been any change?

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I was just prescribed the Butran patches and 3 10mg ir Opana for bt pain. I was given no instruction by the Dr or pharmacist. I had been out of my dilaudid I was previously prescribed because of switching Drs. So I immediately took an opana and though I would read up on the patches before beginning them. Well a few days went by and the opanas were holding the pain away enough so I took my leisurely time getting to the reading up on the Butrans. Now I'm scared to start them! I spoke with the the manufacturers pharmacist which was no help. He basically said, "I don't know what will happen." in not willing to risk precipitated withdrawals on and idk. None of the local pharmacists know either. What do I do to safely begin these patches since I've already started the opan...

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