Duragesic Patch (Fentanyl) - Fibromyalgia Message Board

sTaR_cHyLd · 10-30-2003, 08:45 AM

Has anyone ever tried this patch? I am in chroinic pain with my Fibromyalgia, and need something to provide me with constant relief. I have a doc appointment today, would it be wrong of me to ask about giving it to me. Does it help any of you?? and if he does give me this, do you think he would give me anything else for breaktrough pain?? Just wondering, please give advice. I need to know what to tell my doctor who seems pretty understanding.

Moosie · 11-09-2003, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sTaR_cHyLd

Has anyone ever tried this patch? I am in chroinic pain with my Fibromyalgia, and need something to provide me with constant relief. I have a doc appointment today, would it be wrong of me to ask about giving it to me. Does it help any of you?? and if he does give me this, do you think he would give me anything else for breaktrough pain?? Just wondering, please give advice. I need to know what to tell my doctor who seems pretty understanding.

I was on the patch,but it has a very serious addition related with , Once I decided to go off it too 10 weeks of the worst withdrawls I've ever had I DON'T RECOMMEND IT. I take percocet and I do get relief. but like any drug of its kind addition is certain and the dose must be raised.

BucksieBaby · 11-09-2003, 07:19 PM

[FONT=Courier New]I just went off the patch treatment. I was before on oxycontin 40mg 2x per day with br pain meds. It was working great!! but my doctor wanted me to try the patch, so I agreed. The duragesic patch, which is fentanyl, increases the patients pain tolerance and decreases the patients percetion of suffering even the the pain is still existing. The 1st day after i applied the patch, upon rising in the am (we all know how excrutiating that is) I bounced right out of bed, feeling light, and litteraly pain free. I had not woken up like that (normal) in sooooooooooooooooooooooo many years. I didn't experience any intense side effects. The ones I experienced were (this occurred the 1st week only) tiredness, major hot flashes, I definatly wasn't constipated anymore (fentanyl bypasses the bowels so constipation isn't usually an issue) and I experienced a medicine, alcohol (rubbing) like taste in my mouth the first day applied. My problem is that when they titrated me to the proper dose I was shelling out almost 900.00 per mo. for my patches. Can you believe 15 patches cost 900.00!! I changed mine every 2 to 2 1/2 days. Also, I had nothing but problems getting those darn things to stick. The biggest reason I went off of them is because my IBS attacks which I have not had for almost a year, were coming back full force, since my attacks would begin when my stools would loosen. I wasn't about to go there again. If you've had severe IBS attacks that last all day and your pain causes you to loose track or black out for 4 or more hours, than avoidence is the only thing on your mind. I wish they didn't have that effect because the money I could handle as well as the sticking part, but I can and will not hanlde throwing myself into a very scary, painful (labor at 8 dialation) familiar situation.

Good luck, its worth a try. If that doesn't work than Ask to try something else.

QOD · 11-12-2003, 03:02 PM

I wear 2 patches for 3 days, with minimal if any relief at all from chronic pain. There was a spell where I didn't wear them at all b/c I couldn't afford them... and I didn't have any sort of withdrawal symptoms or problems. I used to be part of a study for chronic pain involving a new patch, called buprenorphine, it helped some, but again, not drastically.
You could look into this, but if you are prone to addiction, think about it and discuss it with your dr.
Good luck.

j_hoffman54805 · 11-13-2003, 11:35 AM

[FONT=Comic Sans MS]I was on the Duragesic patch for about a year and a half, though I did receive pain control with the patch I can honestly say that I didn't like the side effects that I had which were predominately severe sedation once I was titrated to the dose needed to control my pain and I too was shelling out over $1500.00 a month for my pain meds. The money was no big deal as my insurance repaid me for it all but I was sleeping all of the time and so was not able to take care of my family as I would have liked, granted I can't now all of the time but at least some of the time I am able to do what is needed. I did not have any severe withdrawls as many do, with only some sweating and my blood sugar went out of whack for a while but that can be handled.