Could this be from the fentanyl?

lifeaftr40

It could be light WD's from the patch if it is happening on the 3rd day. The patch really only lasts 2 good days I have found. I too get the sweats although the nasuea has subsided. Your body may adjust to the increase but I am thinking it is really from the drug leaving your system after the 2nd good day

Executor

Yes, you are experiencing WDs on Day 3....More and more people are experiencing this....Especially this time of year when it's hot. The heat causes the patch to release more med than normal, thus, it ends even sooner.

I would talk to your Doc about a 48 hr dosing schedule. This is specifically talked about in the patient prescribing info contained in the box. In fact, when I was on the patch (changed late Spring due to heat), I was on a patch a day routine....So, that tells you how fast they can cause some people's BPL (blood plasma level) to fall.

Good luck,

Ex

octorus

thank you!!
Such God awful symptoms.I felt like I was dying. It's very scary thinking that if I am able to get off pain drugs I will have to go through that.

ms_west

I would call your doctor right away so that you can be seen. Take care and please keep us posted. We care.

mabent

Hi Mommas,
I don't know whether or not you read my post about my friend's experience with Fentanyl, so I will repeat it here. He was having periods of cold sweats and nausea (dry heaves), and the fentanyl wasn't totally getting rid of his leg and back pains. Finally, he decided on his own to taper off the patches (after going up to 50 then down to 25). Surprisingly, he had no symptoms of withdrawal at all. His nausea and dry heaves and sweating disappeared, and the pains did not get worse. He is now taking only Tylenol. He still has pain but has gotten used to it and is tolerating. He couldn't believe that all that time his doctor didn't recognize that the patch was causing so many terrible side effects!
Hope this helps some in case you decide to go off this potent drug!
Good luck! Mabent

AnnD

Get yourself a calendar and write down each time you change that patch. It is amazing how quickly we forget when the patch is changed last. You are having withdrawals and there is no sense in that. In addition to the withdrawal symptoms you describe your pain should also return?...if it isn't then maybe you don't need the patch? What your body doesn't need is to to go through withdrawals every week and you spending 1 to 3 days in bed. Some people can go 72hrs and some barely make it 48hrs...keep track and find out what is the best hour to change yours and let your doctor know so he can order the patch accordingly...but also why do you have the patch?

octorus

I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia last year after waking up one day with a flu like muscle ache and joint pain. After researching the internet, my bloodwork and arguing with a lot of doctors I found out I had Addison's disease.
I recently (1 week ago) started taking hydrocortisone and had considered going off the patch to see how I feel.
I bumped up to the 50 mcg from 25 mcg about 1 1/2 months ago and have been on the patch for a total of 4 1/2 months.
These new symptoms developed shortly after bumping up to the 50 mcg.
Now I am terrified of this drug and want off of it immediately. Is it dangerous for me to simply stop taking it and go through the withdrawals one final time?
I had no idea my body was so addicted. I don't feel doped up as one would expect to feel when becoming an addict. I took vicodin for much longer and was able to take it when needed and stop completely with little to no side effects.
If I am able to just stop are there any things I need to know before doing this? Anything to help me detox? How long can I expect to feel sick?
I'm going to talk to my dr but I'd like to hear from people who have seen and done this firsthand.
Thank you so much everyone for all of your help. I thought I was experiencing new Addison's symptoms but none of the symptoms made any sense.
I also wanted to ask if I do need to taper off (or, God forbid, stay on for pain relief) should I change from the Mylan to the other generic brand? My friend who has fibro is on that brand and seems to have no problems.

mabent

Mommas - my friend had the same experience as you did when his doctor raised the patch to 50mcg. All along he had been having dry heaves and continued to have pain. Finally, he got disgusted and decided to taper his patches and try to stop using them all together. It didn't take him long at all to stop using the patches. I talk to him every day, and as the days went by, he felt better and better. He decided that the patches were making him sick! He was also taking Tylenol with codeine and has since stopped taking that because it affected his kidneys. Of course, he still has pain and can't walk without a walker; but his pain is no different from when he was on the Fentanyl patches.
Of course, you shouldn't quit 'cold turkey', but you could tell your doctor that you want to stop using this drug and find out a way to taper off it gradually.
I think I told you that my friend is 91-years-old. He has very severe arthritis, has had both knees replaced, has frozen shoulder, back problems, etc.
I saw him frequently when he was using the Fentanyl, and both of us thought it must be withdrawal symptoms when he had dry heaves. He refused to use a stronger patch, although his doctor at the time would gladly have prescribed one! The best thing he ever did was to stop using Fentanyl. It could be that the patches give off uneven amounts of the drug and cause those terrible side effects. Please keep researching this drug and try to stop taking it, with your doctor's help. Mabent

gregar

I had the same problem at first when I was started on the patch. My doctor changed my usage from one 50mcg patch every three days to one 50mcg every two days and that fixed that problem for me.

brianpain33

I think that one of your big problems is not changing the patch properly. On the back of the boxes are numbers and you can write down the date that you change them on. There are #'s on the back from 1-5 corresponding to the number of patches in the box.

I write down the date that I change them on. I have problems sometimes remembering what day I change them on but I only have to look at the box and then I know for sure when I changed it last. This has helped out alot.

I think that you should probably change to the 48hr schedule because it sounds like you are experiencing withdrawal symptoms by wearing it 3 days and it is wearing out after 2 days. You may also be on too strong of a dose. You might want to go down to 37mcg dose. You would have to wear 2 patches (25mcg & 12mcg) but it would not be as strong. Hope these suggestions help.

brian

p.s. what is your pain level on the patch currently on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being no pain and 10 being the most severe pain possible

Confused089

I think it can really have a lot to do with the heat. I worked out, took several hot baths earlier in the week and feel horrible today. Suspect that a lot more med than usual was released during baths and workout. Also, the reason the symptoms might begin after the bump up the 50 mcg would be because you're losing more medication now than you were when you were on the 25 mcg patch - the effect is greater [I'm guessing here]. Finally, w/ the heat, the patches are more likely to come off a little [even with a covering like the bioclusive to help them stay on]. If they aren't *completely* attached, you won't get all the medication. I have all the symptoms you mentioned, and stomach doesn't feel too wonderful either. No need to go to the bathroom more frequently though. Not exactly feeling like I am a huge fan of the patches right now. Which brand are you using?

Executor

Yes, when your body heat is raised by any means (fever, bath, work out), the patch will dispense more of the med than specified.

Yes, this also effects the performance.

Sounds like you are experiencing the same problems I did. I found Duragesic brand to be best (and stick the best), Watson second, then Sandoz. My Doc forbid me to use Mylan.

Ex

hessie28

I actually set the calendar on my cell phone as a reminder. Without that I would never remember.