Newbie Here. Need Help W/3 Questions.

Hi, I am brand new to the patch. I was so scared to try it that I had my 'script for a week before I put the first one on. I'm on Mylan 25/72 hrs. Today is 72 hrs. and I will be putting a new one on. I've seen other forums where people say that they leave the old patch on so the medicine stays constant in their system, They take it off the second day. I've seen so many posts where people do this. It sounds like it makes sense. Comments? The patch is working somewhat. No where near as well as I expected. It's been 72 hours. will the pain relief get any better, or is this it? Also, why does the manufacturer say if a patch falls off to replace it with a new one? That would leave me short and my doc would not give an extra to make it 'til the end of the month. Why can't I put the patch that fell off back on? After my first patch, this past Monday, I was waiting to feel effects...pain relief. I didn't really noticed anything. Then Tues, after 32 hrs. I brought in quite a bit of firewood. When I sat down all of a sudden. boom! It hit me like a sledgehammer and last about an hour. Now I assume that was because my circulation was running faster? I wasn't sweating and I didn't feel hot and it hasn't happened again. So, after all this rambling - Question 1 - can I keep the old patch on another day (or a certain number of hours?) after putting the new patch on, to keep the med level constant. Question 2 - Why throw away a patch that has fallen off? Why can't I just put it back on again? Question 3 - It's been 72 hrs. Is this the most relief I'll get, or does it get better? Sorry for rambling. This is my brain on (other) drugs. Thanks for any comments/opinions. :)

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Also, I see different answers for where to put the patch. Some say over a fatty area, some say over a bony area. I put it on my triceps. This second one I would like to try somewhere else, 'cause I've read where putting it a different place has made a big difference in helping the pain. Thanks. :)

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Hi. Ive been on the patch for 9 yrs. It is difficult to transition over from one med to another. I'm assuming that your dr is trying the lowest dose first to see how you do. Keep record of your pain relief.
I personally have found the best place to put the patch is where the skin moves the least. I place mine on my back/ribcage area. If the patch feels lose or doesn't stick well u can put medical tape around the edges to help keep it in place. I've done it both ways-left on the old patch & removed it. Doesn't seem to be a difference either way. I would recommend removing it as the skin gets irritated.
Get only a certain number of patches per month so you need to make each one last the specified period of time. Ive had very few ever "fall off" bit sometimes the edges lift. .. And then I just secure it with tape.
Also- being on fentanyl will affect your teeth in the long run. So speak to your dentist about getting extra fluoride toothpaste and keep up on your dental care. I'm looking at $30, 000 worth of dental work because the information isn't readily shared!
Good luck.

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Thanks for your answer. I'll be putting on my 11th patch tomorrow, ahhhhhhh...I HATE IT. To be fair, it did get rid of my debilitating headaches caused by my cervical stenosis, but all the other pain is sooo bad and untouched by this patch. I saw my doc for the first time after him prescribing this for me. I had been wearing the patch for 3 weeks then. I showed him some type of sores on my shoulder that started about 6 days after the first patch. There were a couple on my upper back too. He looked at this and said he didn't think they had anything to do w/the patch!?! Eleven days since then, they've spread all across the top of my back, few on middle back, moving down lower back, both shoulders, upper arms, and a few on chest now. And possibly there's one on my thigh, and waist area. I actually brought the drug info sheet, from the box, w/me showing where "to contact your doc" if this happened, and told him I looked on-line and saw pics that were very similar to what I have. He looked at them, looked at where I was wearing the patch, on upper arm, and said since it wasn't irritated under the patch, they had nothing to do w/the patch. He totally blew it off. Didn't even mention it in his dictation at the end of appt. However, when the nurse came in before him, asking if any changes from new meds since last visit, she freaked about the sores and said he'd probably be taking me off the patch, and to be sure to show him my sores and said she was sorry my headaches may come back 'cause he'll probably get me back on a pill. K, a nurse so worried, but my doc blowing me off?? Grrr....I'm very grateful I'm not in bed 24/7 w/headache anymore, but the rest of my spine, hip, shoulder, etc. pain is worse than ever. The patch doesn't touch it. So now I'm thinking my Vicodin, I'd been on approx. 13-15 yrs., was working more than I realized. The headache pain just over shadowed it. So, my pharmacist, said doc should give me something else along w/patch. Doc said NO. Got mad I talked w/pharmacist. No two narcotics at once he said. I asked for just 14 pills. My back REALLY needs them. So he proceeded to tell me that being on the patch, a schedule II narcotic, now gave a greater chance of being addicted and wanting more and more narcotics. Come on! I'd been on the same old schedule II vicodin for over a decade and never asked for more or anything else to go with, or a replacement. He even knocked me down 30 pills/month when I moved here and started seeing him, 10 yrs ago. I didn't say a word about that. I think he's discriminating against me because I'm on psych meds.
Which hasn't changed since I've been seeing him. That by the way are NOT supposed to be given w/the patch. And he's giving me two other meds that are not supposed to be given together, that have nothing to do w/the patch,but can cause seratonin syndrome, which can be fatal. I don't think he knows what he's doing. I didn't know any of this tho until I got on this patch and did some research about contradictions w/other meds. I had no prob w/him for the past 10 years. Now just because I became tolerant to the vics and am on psych meds, I think he thinks I'm a drug seeker. That's a good one. I hate being stereotyped cause of psych problems. I have Medically Resistant Depression, amongst other mental health issues, that do not relate to the pain (have had them since puberty) and have to remind him of that every appt. Anyhow, have an appt. w/another doc this Monday. We'll she what she says. Obviously these gross things on my body are gonna leave scars big time. My sleep shirts are bloody when I get up in the morning. My room-mate wanted to document all this, so she's been taken pics every few days to show the increase of the sores, and of my bloody shirts. The sores don't itch at all, but they do hurt. Especially when I sleep on them. Used neosporine w/no results. And I know I should have seen someone sooner for my problems, also numbness in lower arms, tingling fingers, pounding weird sound in ears, NO SLEEP, even w/sleeping, that's not supposed to be taken w/patch, etc, etc., but I live in a very rural area and we have my pain doc, and a family doc 30 min. away. When called this new doc in Gainesville, associated w/UF of Shands, I had to wait for an appt. But woo-hoo maybe she'll give me a pill, besides the vicodins, take me off this damn patch, and I can go sit outside, w/o worrying about getting too hot (this is FL). Thanks for letting me vent. I feel better now. Even if nobody responds. :) Oh, and about all the pills he's giving me that may interact w/each other, or the patch, and kill me, I can't just stop. That could be worse, or the same as what this patch can do. Anybody else wake up in the middle of the night and immediately have to take a big gulp of air? K, sorry, I'll go now. Hope I at least made some sense. Feel better everyone. :)

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