Hi all.

I use a 25ug/hr patch for IC bladder pain and IBS.
Recently My drugstore filled my prescription with the
Sandoz product instead of the Mylan product which I
specifically request.
I prefer the Mylan product becaise I find the pain
relief to be more uniform over the 72 hours and, if my
symptoms are not bad, I can cut the patch into parts
and put on less. I find that I can put these parts on
later as needed.
I understand that modifying one's prescribed dose is
usually not recommended, but, my pain is not at all
predictable.
I am completely disgusted with this Sandoz product. I
have been finding that it delivers MORE pain relief
than I need for the first 12 hours, and an ABSOLUTELY
insufficient dose during the final 12 hours. The Mylan
patch tended to do this as well, but to a much smaller
degree.
I put my patch on my chest as I am sometimes quite
active and have had patches detach and stick to
clothing when on my arm.
I was wondering if the increased temperature level on
my chest is the reason.

If you look at their little graph in their paperwork
that comes with the box, they don't show peaks and
dips in Fentanyl blood serum level that I clearly
experience. I am planning to place a small section of
the clear plastic backing from my next patch between
the blister part and my skin to slow the absorbtion
rate. I would prefer not to have to tape it to my arm.
I am pissed at my pharmacist for not stocking the
Mylan product (he assures me he will have it next
month, but I am usually so miserable when the patch
runs out that I am not into going through the trouble
of finding a pharmacy that does have the Mylan
product), and I am wondering whether their statistcal
method for evaluation of average (time versus dosage)
is a valid way of of representing this product to
Doctors and patients. My life has become a chaotic
battle against debillitating pain arising
unpredictably, and I find myself losing at least 1 in
three days because I have not slept and/or ache so
badly that I cannot concentrate on what I need to do.
I am sceptical that the data presented accratelly
repesents the experience of users.
I used the duragesic patch for a few months when I
was first on the pain patch and didn't know any better
until it was replaced by the mylan patch by my old
pharmicist because it was cheaper. I was immediately
struck by how much more uniform the pain relief was. I
concluded at that time that the Mylan delivery system
was more linear.
I plan to make this complaint again to my doctor. In
the mean time I am curious as to opinions of other
users of this dosage (25ug/hr) if they have had
similar experience with these two types of delivery
systems.
Also any suggestions on how best to use these blister
patches, would be welcomed.

=8-]