Jacam1961 Says:
I have been on the Duragesic Transdermal Patch for years. I've never used the generic form, so I can't compare the two. I've been on Narcotics for many years, due to a chronic back, hip, and knee condition. The Duragesic Patch has been more effective than anything else. I've had it all...Percocet, Hydrocodone, Oxycotin, methadone...Unlike a pill, the medication doesn't wear off in 3 to 4 hours. Unlike pills, I don't suffer from nausea. I think the benefts of the patch outweigh any negative results from other narcotics. I only have one complaint about the Duragesic Patch...It won't stay stuck on me. It always falls off. However, the maker of patch, does offer overlay dressings, free of charge. The overlay dressing is a clear, thin sheet, that is applied over top of patch, adherring to the skin around the patch. Sometimes in the summer it causes a minor skin irriation. I would highly recomend the Duragesic Patch to anyone that takes narcotics for chronic pain.
1
Verwon Says:
[Moderator]
Friday, 8/4/2006 11:36:49 AM
I am glad you have such good results from it, I totally understand, due to my own condition, how hard it is to find something that really works and how miserable it is to be in pain all the time and nothing helps.
However, I would just like to add a warning here, for people who are not used to taking narcotics, it is not safe, nor smart, to just jump to these patches. Especially if you have had adverse reactions to some narcotics.
I found out the hard way, when my doctor tried to jump me from Darvocet, a very mild naroctic pain reliever, to the 25mcg patches, that if you are not already tolerant to narcotics or are sensitive to them, these patches can cause serious problems.
Their half-life is 17 hours, so once you have worn it for that long, so 50% off the med is in your system, it will take over 30 hours to be completely expelled from your body, meaning the misery of a bad reaction is very prolonged. I put on one patch when she prescribed them for me, and one it hit my system I couldn't even hold down water, even after my doc gave me a scrip for a very strong anti-nausea med that is normally used for cancer patients. All I did was sleep and puke. Even after removing the patch, I was still sick for quite awhile, because of their long half-life.
So you really have to have a tolerance to narcotics built up to use these patches, they are 80 times stronger than morphine, which is why they are dosed in Micrograms, rather than mgs.
Recently I started using the generic 75 along with the Brand 100 and I can't sleep! It's a cycle one night I sleep great but the day I change the patch that night I'm up all night long! I mean all night! It's been going on like this for 3 weeks now and I need answers! I've tried all the sleep meds that are avalible and now I don't no what to do??? Do you have any answers?
In response to the patient who was having difficulty sleeping on the second and third day of their Fentanyl patch use, it may be of some benefit to discuss the possibility of switching to one patch every 48 hours with your physician. I had similar problems while using the patch for 72 hours at a time, and they stopped when I switched to one patch every 48 hours. Regarding the stickiness of the larger patches, Mylan offers a generic patch which is about 1/4 as large as duragesic patches, and does not contain a large bulky reservoir. It blends into the skin and is much easier to apply and maintain than the bulkier Duragesic and Watson patches. Hope that helps. Note: This advice is not meant to take the place of the advice of your physician or pharmacist. Do not change dose, dosing schedule, or stop using the Fentanyl patch without your doctor's permission and a suitable opiod tapering program to avoid withdrawal symptoms. Always read the enclosed patient leaflet.
does anyone know of a pain management doctor in the west palm beach or surrounding area? i just moved here and can't seem to find a doctor willing to prescribe my duragesic, i guess cause i'm using it for arthritis and not for cancer pain. i've been using the patch for five years and it really helps with my pain. it's very frustrating cause i only have three patches left. thank you.
I have tried both and I prefer the generic. It's smaller, not as big skin reaction. I actually request the generic so I don't get as big of a skin rash or itching.
I have used the overlays for my durgesic patches (not the generic though because they are smaller and you get too much medicine which is what I was told). Anyway, For this month I need to use the larger patches which don't stick good on me and I lost the phone number to call because it has been so long that I have used the big ones. Can anyone tell me where I can find the number or give it to me now...thanks!
I ve been wearing patches for years do to many pain issues.today is 30 from my back operation that took dr.s 5 years to just give me a mri.They just kept handing me pills patches.I told 1 dr. i was havin troble with them stay on an she wrote me a script for the lolipops.yeah.but sadly to report mylan is no longer making them.I have used 3 kinds and have the best luck with any that don t have the gel inside them.most rx carry them at least here in PA any more I can help with just e-mail me.If i don t reply asap it's cause there a 97% the dr.missed something.yeah so more pain.I even have to take pain pills in the am an pm an every 4 to6 hr.s.If I want to be able to take care of my children.I have no family and have found out way too many times the friends I had cared about useing me and weren't there to help me when my meds didn t make it the 30 days.I guess I didn t have nething for them.Sad 36 with a 79 years bones.
I have the same problem. Go to a good drugstore and get some paper tape. It must be PAPER only tape it to your body. Many women as well as men use their upper chests the tape breaths so it works awesome. I have done it for 13 years.
First of all I want to start by saying this is not for someone that is going to abuse prescription drugs but for someone that needs help managing there pain when the Duragesic patches help but just isn't enough. I am lucky enough to have a doctor that really wants to help me manage my pain so I can get on with a normal life. My doctor started me out on the duragesic patches and oxycodone. It finally felt like I had a breakthrough on something that helped. But anyone that has been on the patches knows they only work for a little over a day in stead of the 72 hours that they suppose to work. The second day I always had to have something extra to help with the pain. My doctor found the perfect system for me that worked for me and never had to change my prescription in the last two and half years. My doctor now prescribes me 15 100mcg/h duragesic patches and 120 80mg oxycotton a month. This sounds like alot but if you take them the way you suppose to they are safe and after you are used to wearing the patches for a while. It sounds like a high mg for the oxycotton but after wearing the patches it takes alot to help. The doctor said he was using the oxycotton for a breakthrough pain medication to go with the patches. I used to be scared to take the oxycotton after all the stories I heard about them. But after I found out all the bad stories I heard was because of people abusing them and I tried them I found out for them to be safe if you take them the way they are suppose to be taken. The way my doctor has me taking them is I take 1 oxycotton 80mg every 6 hours and I wear a patch for 24 hours and I leave the patch off for 24 hours. The doctor explained this to me that I would have a pain releif 24 hours a day without building my tolerence level up. Leaving the patch off for 24 hours keeps my tolerence down. My doctor has had me on this type of system for the last 2 and 1/2 years and it has worked. Now I am able to live a normal life and able to work every day without being in so much pain. I hoped this has really helped someone that wants to manage there pain. I just want to say these prescriptions can be really dangerous if abused so please don't take them if you don't need them and I would really like to hear about it if it has helped someone besides myself. Thanks
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