Fentanyl 50 Mcg/hour Transdermal Patch (Page 10)

I WAS PRESCRIBED THE 50 MCG/HR FENTANYL PATCH FOR CHRONIC BACK PAIN & DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE. I WAS GIVEN THE PRESCRIPTION SEVERAL WEEKS AGO. I JUST GOT IT FILLED 2 DAYS AGO BECAUSE I'M AFRIAD TO USE IT. I HAVE READ ALL THE PATIENT INFO, RESEARCHED IT ON THE NET & TALKED TO SEVERAL PHARMACISTS AS WELL AS MY PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN. ALL OF THE PHYSICIANS & PHARMACISTS TELL ME THAT THE PATCH WILL HELP ME WITH THE DAILY PAIN. THEY SAY THAT THE PATCH SHOULD NOT CAUSE ME ANY HARM BUT THE ONE TING THAT'S STOPPING ME FROM USING IT IS THE RESPIRATORY SIDE EFFECTS & POSSIBLE OVERDOSE. I'M SEEKING SOME ADVISE FROM PEOPLE THAT HAVE USED THIS DRUG BEFORE WHETHER IT WAS A GOOD OR BAD OUTCOME.

I AM OPOID TOLERANT BECAUSE I'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS PAIN FOR THE LAST 5-6 YEARS. WHEN I HAVE A BREAKTHROUGH OF PAIN & HAVE TO SEEK EMERGENCY TREATMENT OTHER PAIN MEDS GIVEN (IV OR IM) DON'T WORK ANYMORE. ER'S HAVE GIVEN ME MORPHINE & IT DOESN'T EVEN TAKE THE EDGE OFF THE PAIN. DILAUDID DOESN'T WORK UNLESS I'M GIVEN MORE THAN 3MG'S & THAT WEARS OFF AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR IF IT LASTS THAT LONG. WHEN I'M IN SEVERE PAIN MY PRESSURE RISES. I'M AFRAID OF THE PATCH B/C I DON'T WANT TO FAINT OR PASS OUT FROM A DROP IN MY PRESSURE. I'M CURRENTLY TAKING VICODIN 7.5/500 EVERY 4 HOURS. I HAVE NOW BUILT A TOLERANCE FOR THE VICODIN AND IT HAS BEEN CHANGED TO PERCOCET 5/325 & SOMETIMES I CAN TAKE UP TO 3 OF THEM EVERY 4 HOURS.

I'M ALSO ON OTHER MEDS THAT I BELIEVE WILL INTERACT WITH THE FENTANYL. I TAKE LEXAPRO, ATIVAN, CLONIDINE DAILY. I NEED SERIOUS HELP!!!

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I was given this after surgery, when it releases for me the pain is minimized by about half and seems to help for about 30 min

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I have had that happen to me and the last time I went to the dr.I was giviten 7.50 hydrocodone and was told by the pharmacy that it wss 7.50 oxycodone I asked another nurse I know and shecsaid it sounded like it was hydrocodone and after showing the meds to her she said it was hydrocodone insteadcod oxycodone.she said they did not make 7.5. in oxycodone I called the pharmacy and they treated me so bad I told them that a nurse told me this cause you have to take your meds in if you see another dr such as a gastrologist so they can write down.every medicine you take and she got so mad at me that she wil not fill my xanaxx till thec30 th and I will be out and I havecto take them for psnic attacks and a number of reasons for my nerves since i have both lung and breast cancer they do not know how scared I feel.I do not knowI am being punished just for asking a question making sure I had the right kind of meds cause I had never seen this type of oxycodone and know now that it was hydrocodone why do pharmacist steal meds and put the wrong meds in bottles and say they are what they are not.I have had mds missung frim that pharmacy before but did not want to say anything so.I would notbget treated this way help me if you have had this problem with your pharmist I have use the same one for 5years or more.Please help.

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I have taken 100 mcg with 5 30mg oxycodone tablets daily for the last 6 years. I also take xanax 2mg X's 3 day, and clonidine. I like you am so used to my daily dosage of oxycodone that all it does is keep me from withdraws so the MD gave me the Clonidine and said it would help with withdraws. It only makes me sleepy. I personally believe Fentanyl is overhyped as it helps but nothing like I was expecting after the MD telling me how strong it was. If you have been taking pain meds you will be all right. It may take about 8 to 10 hours before it starts working. People that get in trouble with Fentanyl are the ones who cut holes in there patches and suck on them and some people say they figured out a way to abuse it in other ways as well.. If you simply slap the patch on you will be fine...HOWEVER, hopefully your MD talked to you about the tolerance that will build up and quickly..After you have been on them a few months you will not be able to just stop taking them as you will have SEVERE withdraws that is worse than your pain. These are prescribed for the long term. Only side effects I have ever noticed is DECREASED SLEEP and sometimes some cramping in the stomach about 6 hours after applying a new patch which last about 1 or 2 hours. Very safe drug if taken as prescribed and are opiate tolerant which it looks as though you are...50mcg is what I started at then the next month was moved to 75mcg then the next month 100mcg every 3 days. You will be fine.

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After 2 back operations I was put on that also. I didn't notice much pain
reduction. The insurance company raised my co-pay from $6.00 per
m onth for it to like $70.00 per month so I stopped using it. The Dr.
prescribed something to help with withdrawal. I didn't fill that prescription
either an d didn't noltikce anyh "withndrawal".

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Just went through my third surgery to fix my second surgery fusion failure. They went through my stomach , next to my belly buuton. Man 'O' Man is my stomach killing me. I think the surgeon got it right this time though. So far I don't feel any pain in my spine. As for the pill prescriptions. Always read what the doctor wrote on your prescription, and make sure it was signed by the doctor. I took a prescription in once on a weekend when it was due for refill to find out at the Pharmacy, the Surgeon didn't sign it. As for getting shorted on your prescription, I count them every time now after getting 90 pills on a 120 pill prescription. I wouldn't have noticed until I would of ran out. Thank fully Walgreens in my area is on top of all narcotics being issued, and they called me at home and asked me to count what I had. I counted them and found it was 30 pills short. That's what they were over by. So had to go back and get the rest. I'm very happy they called me, because after that 90 pills would of ran out before being able to get a refill, I would of thought my daughter was getting in them. Thank goodness they audit their narcotics every day, and every so many hours. There are sites where you can describe a pill and it tells you what it is. It asks you all the questions about what the pill looks like and whats stamped on it, and then tells you what it is. God Bless you all with severe spinal pain. I know it myself. It sucks the life out of you.

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I read every sentence you wrote three times and still have no clue as to what you are talking about.....

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You will be really happy w/the patch, I am on it and like you was TERRIFIED, also so many people on this site go on & on how hard it us to get off of but the truth is you can taper off by 12 mcg amounts w/the supervision of a doctor and I personally has no ill effects (but I am rarely affected by bad W/D's ever, I do so slowly, but still I think I'm wired differently than most). They HAVE to write every possible problem b/c it is serious medication & you must be careful (years ago legal action was taken due to patches not dispensing the medication slowly hence the precautions, I personally ask for the non-gel filmed patches as they make me nervous b/c of the potential to leak, but sometimes it's all they have and they are fine, just big & uncomfortable for ME. Pharmacist laughs at me b/c get says patients get ticked when they don't have the gel patches (abusers break them and THAT is truly lethal). Be prepared for possibly some nausea at the beginning, if it's severe, take patch off and wash only w/water or it will enter your system faster and harder before it leaves. I find that I can use so much less of my B/T meds while on the patch (I am on hospice now so it's a bit different now, need B/T most of the time but I'm praying for another remission). Be careful w/heat, although if you are opioid tolerant, I have used a heating pad for 10 min. to get the patch to release medication quicker (only when the 3 days has gotten away from me & you will see just how fast it does pass & you may forget to get your patch on in time to miss pain hence the heat). My doc tells me to set alarm or plan to place on 6 hrs. earlier that way I tend to get on in time and sometimes they can find short of 36 hr. relief (depends on the brand). Now that nurses keep the schedule & my husband when they aren't there ( I'm on home hospice), it's been hugely helpful. I have horrible bone pain, I don't really think it matters why your back hurts, it's all consuming pain & I know it can feel like my back is shattered. If you have that mind if breakthrough while on the patch, use your B/T meds b/c it's weird but it doesn't really help that acute type pain. I broke my arm and the pain was severe on this stuff & they gave me these Fentanyl lollipops which helped some but still not the Hail Mary you would think & it only lasted about an hour. Bottom line: Use as directed, as long as your doctor knows about your other meds and if you can stay w/the same pharmacy as Verwon said, should be no issue, and know they want you to be scared b/c they only want it used under the most severe pain conditions. Really this drug does not give ANY high past possibly the first time or 2 (really tired & spacy, not fun, but I don't find any part of this fun), you might have nausea (tell your doc if it doesn't resolve) and lastly you may gave some sedation w/this drug, that would be my only complaint. Before I had to go to hospice, I just felt bearable pain, I had a life & could live my life and do things and not keep track of pills all of the time. Just try to keep your dose stable, 50 mcg can easily be 100 in 6 mos. and then you'll be trapped in the never ending cycle of tolerance, then you will NEVER find relief and these meds will own you. Read the other posts, I just wrote to someone who takes 540 Opanas a month on top of a whole slew of other pain meds and doesn't seem to get the gravity of the situation. Those scripts WILL end and this person's tolerance will be forever destroyed (tooooo high) and if they develop cancer, it won't matter, doctors can't RX enough and the pressure is on in 2014 to reduce lower the doses and numbers that have been RX'd in the past, too many people are abusing these meds and all pain patients will be forced to sacrifice their relief as a result. Use these responsibly and be careful b/c the adhesives can come off, call the manufacturer & they will usually send you for free, an adhesive safe to use over there product. Good luck and start feeling relief NOW!

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It was a reply basically to what Katie wrote.

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Hi, my husband was put on Fentanyl patch 25mg every 3 days, it wasn't working and it was jumped to 75mg, within 12 hours his breath got slower and slower, so i called pharmacy and they told me to take it off that he would just stop breathing and die. He is 76 and currently on 10/325 hydrocodone 3x daily. Pain not in control and having muscle pains all over his body. He goes to pain clinic for ddd in his spine. He's had injections, nerve burning. Ortho dr wanted to fuse lower vertebrate but needed to fuse 7 which is not recomended. Sorry for your pain, just no good answers.

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Sorry to hear about the DDD pain. I know that pain.

When I first started my patch I had similar symptoms, but pretty much forced myself to stay awake so I didn't stop breathing. I was less than 40 years old when I started on 50mcgs and my dosage has never been increased. I also had school aged children then and needed to drive them to school and functions and go to work and my own school and all that. I had very bad nausea for a few months when I started fentanyl and then again the whole next year for long-term antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease. Dropped 100 pounds!

With the advanced age of your husband, however, that jump from 25 to 75 was probably too much. I wonder why the doc didn't limit the increase to 50 instead. The tollerance would probably have been much better. I'm sure my jump from the oral pain meds to the fentanyl at that time was too much also, but I was very committed to get through the kids school years so, I stuck it out.

You might want to try again with the smaller increase (at 50mcgs). It really does work very well at first when used correctly. It is a huge difference between taking the oral meds and not as much up and down with the pain.

Those shots are a killer too. My DDD is in my lowest vertabrae and I had shots too (very large sting!) because my sciatica was out of control even with the fentanyl. Once I stopped driving a low profile and manual transmission car and walking around so much, the pain has lessened. I still have very bad tightness (tendonitis, really) under my left foot where the sciatica eminated from the vertabrae, travelled under the back of my thigh, and then along my calf and under the foot all the way to the ball. I still can't stretch it out all the way.

Unfortunately, I'm not able to do all the things I used too anymore. Drawing, playing guitar, working, traveling… it all hurts so much worse when I'm active and doing repetitive motion activities.

Pain sure sucks all the fun out of life, that's for sure!

Hope your husband is able to get some relief soon. Maybe one of the implants would work well too.

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Order some Red vein Kratom or Bali Kratom powder from Bouncing Bear Botanicals. It will change your life for the better. Say bye to all the pills.

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So sorry to hear about your husbands pain but if he would give the patch a chance I believe he will see a change in his pain.I am on fentyl patch and it helps my pain to an extence I do need a breakthrough pain med because I have had 2failed back surgeries ancspinal fusion with sctews and plates holding my back together.I have had half my lung and breast taken off and my lung out in hopes ir would cure my cancer I took radiation also but the cancer just keeps attacking my body it is in the bones now and I am in constant paun they gave me 17 months to live and all I want to.do is not becin such pain sobI can enjoy my grandkids a little before I die and the patch like I.said helps with break through meds so I would give it a try if I were him.

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I am on fentynal 75mcg patch...i also am on lexapro,ativan,gabapentin 600mg/day n numerous other medications.....if ur in cronic pain like i am the patch really helps..advice....put it on now...good luck

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I am so sorry to hear about your illness, I will pray for you and just enjoy everday. I am hoping you are a Christian and if your not it isnever to late. He came so we may live eternally reconnect with him. I have a feeling you may already know the Lord. As you reach out to others even know your own life may be limited. All I hope and wish Jesus welcomes you in His kingdom.

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You did not give your age but I am 57yrs old and am on the 50 mcg and taking perocet 10 mg and xanaxx for panic attacks and trazone for sleeping at night plus I use it foe depression.I also take neurotin for nerve pain.I have had cancer taken out from my lung and have had a stenth put in my heart because of heart trouble but my problems started when I was in a car wreck and it messed my discs up in my neck which the orthopedent dr said I had whip lash which will never get better and if he did surgery he would have to go through the front of my neck which is true.He found that I had my dics buldged and ruptured in the lower part of my back which lead to 2 failed back surgeries and then had to have surgery on my back the first one was a flop and I had to have anorher back surgery where they put plates and sctews in my back to hold me together and they had to put dead peoples bones in me which I did not know about till I got my records frim the hospital.Then in 2004 I was dignosed with lung cancer and had again to have surgery to remove a big mass then they told me I was cured of cancer which I was in stage 3 at that time.I then was dignosed with breast cancer in 2013 and had surgery to take a large mass taken out in April of 2013 andthey said again I was cured of cancer which I had talked with a old dr that use to take care of me and my family when we were little and he told me the truth when you get cancer and you are in stage 3 then the cancer had run to another part of my body and I told him I thought it had ran to my bteast and bones also and he agreed with me.To get back to the fentyl patch I asked if it would kill me if I took 50 mcg,perocet10,xanaxx the.trazone,welbutroin.for depression he said if I took the medicne the way the drs said.I would be fine cause all the pain I am in and I have been taking the medicine for along time after.they realized ho much pain I was in so I think you will be fine cause I am on oxygen also and f you haven't had cancr pain you have never had pain it is the most terrible pain I have ever.I kno I have not very much long to live and I want to be able to enjoy my family as long as I can and as long as I can.But Please do not take my word for this get in touch wirh your dr and ask him or her about it.I hope you havea great dr as I have and doesn't care to be honest with you.I also have been teading about marijuana and how it helps so many patients with different diseases such as cancer,cerebal palsy,epelispy,glocomua,aids and so many different diseases I think they should alliw drs perscribe that too cause my husbands oncoligst told me to find him some for his pain,appetite and the throwing up that comes with cancer treatment.I didn't know how bad it was till I went through the same thing with the pain ,appetite,throwing up and different other things that comes with a lot of diseases my sisters dr. wanted to percribecitvto her for the pain and pressure of the glocoma I took her to the eye dr and he said it woyld help more than the pain meds he gave her that day it was called diluadual I thini I spelled it right.Bless her heart she was in so much pain and had never seen her cry like that and the whites of her eyes when she has flar up of glocoma so ppl who have this is in pain so much.I don't know whyvthe government let drs help ppl with this herb.So everyone get a hold of their congressmen and women to let drs perscibe it that the drs thini it would helo ppl.I thini it would help the kids wirh cerebal palsy instead of the botox that hurt them when they go so deep into their little muscles.I hope our federal government will honestly think and do a study on ppl who need this.

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Thanks for your consern and yes I do believe in Jesus as my Lord and died for me on the cross well really for all our sins.He has been with me in so many decisions I have had to make concerning my health.I am still praying he will heal myself and granddaughter who has cerebal palsy and if you do not mind please pray for us also you can not have enough prayers my mim use to say.The cancer sometimes take over and all I can do is pray lievin bed and cry cause of the pain and to be honest being scared but then Jesus.Pray for all who have what myself and granddaughter have cerebal palsy she is what is keeping me going I love Jesus and know if it is his will he will heal us and I know his power.

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The dr changed mine from every 72 hours to every 48 hours causshe said it dud not last every 72 hrs and I completely agree wirh her.When u hae cane of lung,breast and two failed back surgeries she wanted me to be without so much pain for 48 hours and she is tellung the truth.You can find somw drs that are compassinate and like the oath says do no harm when there are drs that that no matter what they do not care if their patients are in pain.It eas proved to me the other day say me I just have medicaid and a man comes in insured with medicare and another ins. card called the Q card which I do not know anything about and the man with medicate csme in with that and the Q card and he was treated so great.My son who took me asked me about it and I told him thats the way it is when women aren't insured as good as medicaid patients and it is a shame cause women worked side by side with their husbands but we can not get these same type of healrhcare as their husbands we worked as hard or if not harder than the men.When my husband got hurt in.the mines they eaited till my son turned 16years old so I would not be able to draw his social security or get his healthcare card which is wrong the wives are lost without both their S.S. benifits and health care card.I wish I knew a attorney to help me get what I deserve cause I worked so hard along side him don't want too much just what I deserve does anyone know ask to find a good attorney that can get what I desrve.We had two kids and I didn't get one red cent from him where the other women got the medical and money thats all I ask for.Please get in touch wirh me and if you are a good attorney and care about the women that worked besides her husband even getting black lung beside him and we do get it from the clothes we wash and breathe the dust the workers the breathe I am told you will not find an attorney that will.help me and the ppl.that told me this is probably true wish I knew how to do it myself but a judge would laugh me out of the court room.I am praying that 2014 attorneys are different.Let me know if you find an attorney Please.Thank You and God Bless you .

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Honey you are not the only one came up.short on their rxs I get mine filled at medicine shoppe and there have been times that I have came up short on my anxiety xanaxx meds and pain meds also but when you bring it to their attention they get mad.The patient knows to count them.when they get home or before they leav the pharmacy.I have had them to get mad at me and with hold my xanaxx by telling me they did not have them then I would know some that takes the same type I take and they got them so I went back and they said the dr made a mistake and called the wrong kind in and I called the drs office to make sure and they told me when and whatcthey called it in for me and then finally when I told them what the dr daid theybsaid ok andcwhen I picked it up it woyld have the date the dr told me and the same meds I had been taken so I was wondering why theyvlie to patients and they know what I have been taken for years it just botheres me cause I have trusted the same pharmacy for years and di not go to others ones and do not puck my meds up till they are due it seems like you can not trust anyone anymore.I do exactely what my dr and pharmacy days to do.and it is sad especiallt when I am dealing with lyng breast cancer and back surgeries out the ass sorry for saying it that way but when yoy deal wirh so much pain and the ppl who can helo you by filling your meds when they are due you wonder if they are taking it and then havung to cover their butts when I know thatcthey know what cancer and back surgery pain is.I wish they had a little compassion for ppl like me but they fill the rxs for ppl who have nothing wrong wirh them from just listening to them.You can not agruecwith them cause they have made it harder on me before so I just say nothing cause I do nit know who to report them to.

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Had you been taking the Fentanyl for a extended period period of over 6 months? I can testify the first 2 or 3 months on Fentanyl would have been able to quit with no problems as I did do a few times but started again at physician's advice. A person who takes this medication or in fact any Opioid medication for a extended period will develop a tolerance to the drug. It's a natural reaction from your body.

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Thank you for the Tagaderm info and for the advice about warming up the patch. I was in a motorcycle crash almost 2 years ago and started on the 12.5 Fentanyl patch about 8 months ago to help deal with the massive pain spikes. I don't like being on any type of meds but I still have 3 broken ribs near my spine that won't heal. Long story short, thank you for sharing. I have found strength in others stories and I know that I am "ok" for needing help when I just can't get through a normal day.

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