Doc kept me on 100 mcg Fentanyl patch and added another 30 mg Roxicodone to the daily bt mix.
Big news is that I tried the Mylan patch for the first time and I felt a major difference. Yes, I know that many were upset when they saw the size of the patch, but size doesn't matter with the fentanyl patch!
Actually, I think it got into some people'sd head that because the Mylam patch was smaller, it couldn't hold as much fentanyl and couldn't work as well as the others. But there is a major difference in delivery of the med and I think that is why it works better for me.
The brand name and Sandoz patch use a reservoir system where the fentanyl builds up under the skin and the blood picks up the med as it travels around the body.
As I undertsand it, the Mylan patch is more like a noctine patch where the med is just coming off the patch and goes straight into your system without having to build up a pocket of fentanyl in you.
Anyway, if any of you know the exact difference between the Duragesic, sandoz and Mylan patches, let me know. Meanwhile, if you never got any releif from the fentanyl patch, I definitely suggest trying the Mylan patch. I really feel a major difference.
Hey Alan, I'm glad the new patch seems to be working better, I remeber when it was being developed and if I'm not mistaken the delievery sytem is completely different as you described, Mylan teamed up with a manufacturer that specializes in TRansdermal delivery of birth control, hormones and other meds and decided to use this technology rather than the easily abusable resevoir system. Yes there are follks dumb enough to cut open the resovoir and squeeze 3 days worth of fentanyl, directly into their mouth.
I'm still running across the same info that say 100ugh patch is equal to 300-400 mgs of oral morphine. It's a shame your doc won't give an equal dose of morphine a chance and prefers to keep you dosing every 4 hours when you have a 3 day patch on. One of the goals of PM is to stop the inherent clockwatching and living a life in 4 hour incremenets.
Hey Alan, would you consider the Roxi part of your normal routine? I think you've said it was the only thing that provided you relief and you took the maximum dose each day- so it's more just part of the daily regimen, correct? It's horrible you have to rely on them as part of your daily regimen - hope the new patch works out.
Last edited by bulletinboard25; 08-08-2006 at 11:24 AM.
My Granny has cancer & when she went to a nursing home they changed her to a patch and I couldn’t find it but I was looking for the Duragesic … what I found after much searching was a small clear band-aid size patch … I could only read the fentanyl 25mcg & it had no visible medicine reservoir so I do not know what brand it is and was curious as to the manufacturer.
Yes ... I needed a magnifying glass & had none.
The picture of the brand name in an old PDR is of a large flesh colored patch.
I have been on the mylan 50 mcg patch going on two weeks. Never tried duragesic, as I am a cash paying patient and mylan is more cost effective for me. I was so disappointed when I first started researching the difference between the two because so many people said to basically not even bother with the mylan.
Well I have no complaints whatsoever. It is working great for me. In fact, it was so intense the first time I put one on that I couldn't have driven a car if I had wanted to. It got into my system very quickly and the pain relief is amazing. Thankfully I adjusted to the medicine quickly and now feel normal.
For myself, I found that 48 hrs was the magic time when I felt my back creep back up on me and I felt like I wasn't getting anything from the patch so my doctor put me on a 48 hr schedule. I do tend to run warmer than average as far as my skin temp goes. I am the type who is always bundled because I am cold and have tons of blankets on me at night. My doc thinks that might be why I am absorbing the patch quicker. It's still loads cheaper- even at 15 patches per month.
Like I said, I have no experience with the duragesic, so I no nothing of this gel that I hear so much about. This one is like having a piece of small clear flexible plastic on you. So far so good.
my husband started off with the Sandoz, and then changed to the Duragesic - he doesn't notice any difference in them except the Sandoz stuck to his skin better than the Duragesic
i just started the fenatnyl patch for the first time today, the sandoz (?) type, how long does it take for the meds to start working? i put the patch on at 1:00 pm, its 6:30 and so far i havent felt it really working. ive had to take a lortab or two while waiting for the patch to work
the first time my husband used it (the 25 mcg), he said he felt high after the first 30 mins and felt numb, but an hour after that it stopped
i dont think the blood concentration level is high enough until after 20 hours, or so ive read, but if he felt relief in 30 mins then it could be shorter
I use the Mylan 100 mcg patch and I believe that the first time you use it, it takes 17 hours to start working. The first few months I used the patch, I had either the brand Duragesic or Sandoz. I found that it did not work for me. I tried the Mylan because of the different delivery and the first patch worked great, but now I feel like I'm back to no relief again.
My PM Doc raised me to 4 30 mg Roxis a day from 3 and removed the "as needed" from the label.
Quick question.......since I may have to be paying cash on my next patch RX, could you give me a ballpark figure as what you have to pay for the Mylan brand patches?
Good for you, and Good for me. Just the other day, I was bumped up to 100mcg every 48 hours. I have a pharmacy that acually lets you choose which brand you want, and I ALWAYS go with Mylan. Many people swear by Sandoz, but now you have educated me to the differences between the systems of the two. I also take 2 30 mg Roxicodone a day as a Maintenance Medication. My B/T pain meds are Roxicodone 15 upp to twice a day and hydro 7.5/325 twice a day. Anyways, good luck, and go Mylan!
