Duragesic patch

[Reba in Arkansas]

Hey everyone!:hi:
I went to my GP today because I had a virus. I woke up this a.m. with blisters on my tongue. Anyway, I went to the uro last week and evidently I have protein in my urine and had to do a "lovely" 24 hour urine catch. UMMMM. I have been really concerned that all of the lorcet I have been taking is damaging my kidney's and liver. My GP honestly believes it's coincidental that I am spilling protein in my urine and that it doesn't have anything to do with my lorcet, which by the way is Lorcet 10/650. I asked him to take me off of the large dose. It really has helped my pain, but hasn't taken it completely away. He put me on Norco. Same amount of hydrocodone, but only 325 mg of acetaminophen.
He said he want to talk to my uro about putting me on a Duragesic patch. Has anyone had this and did it work for you?
thanks so much!
-Reba

[Dixiefireball]

I could not handle the Duragesic patch it made me so sick!!:( Norco on the other hand helped me alot but my doctor has me on perocet 10.325 now Norco has less tylonal in it and want hurt you liver as badly. it a good pain medicine the stength i was on was 10.325 on the Norco also same mg as my perocet but perocet is alot stonger.
hope the patch helps you.:pray: I also hope the norco helps you.
sending you hugs and prayers
Rhonda:butterfly :cat:

I just love the kitty cat icon, and the butterfly ain't they neat.

[Reba in Arkansas]

Rhonda,
When you say sick, do you mean nauseous? How long were you on it? I can handle a little sick to my stomach, but I can't handle actual throwing up. What about being able to function? :confused: I have two kids I have to get to school and stuff.
thanks,
-Reba

[Morgan Stone]

I was prescribed the Fentanyl Duragesic Patch 25 mgs on my first visit to the pain clinic. I used the patch for 5 days and then had an allergic reaction to it. I don't think it was the actual medicine but was the stuff the patch itself was made of. I had fentanyl in the hospital with no problems at all.

I had surgery on a friday (was for removal of ovaries that were left behind on blotched surgery, scar tissue, cysts and adhesions) and was told not to put the patch on till Monday. On the 4th night of using it, it got extrememly hot underneath the patch and was very sore. I took it off the morning of the 5th day and by the 6th day of first putting it on, it was out of my system and boy could I tell a difference! I hadnt had *ANY* bladder pain the last 4 days (it takes about 12-20 hours to get into your system completely), so it definetly worked for me but I was just unable to use it.

If you can wear the patch without any problems, I think it is a wonderful medication. You put it on and it works for 72 hours, delivering the same amount of medicine the whole time without any "down" time like you get between pills. You dont have to count hours between pills, worry about taking too many, etc. I was taking 6 lortab 10s per day prior to getting this patch and they barely worked for me. Im now on Oxycontin 20mg and to be honest, they dont work as well as that patch did, but I am asking my doctor for a stronger dose of the oxycontin on my next visit wednesday.

Let me know how it works out for you if you try the patch. Wishing you much luck with it :-)

[YankeeCandle224]

I am having so much trouble keeping my pain at a reasonable level and I've been on Morphine about a month now, and really felt a lot better on the Oxycontin I was taking before, but probably just needed my dose raised, not changed all together. So I went to the pain doc the other day and he increased the norco, tapering off the Morphine, and I see him again Thursday.

All I can think of besides demerol by mouth or dilaudid is the fentanyl patch. The problem, when I was in labor I had fentynal in my IV and I itched so bad ALLLLLLLLLLLL over I could barely stand it, I mean I'm scratching my boobs and pushing at the same time, I musta looked like a circus act.

I did get great pain relief from it, but I worry about the itching. I know I can take benadryl with it, and phenergan for the nausea, but I'm worried I'm running out of choices. I cant stand the thought of being in the pain I used to be in.

I was going to write my own post on this, I appreciate you beating me to it and reading everyone's answers. Anyone else have any experience with it?

Hugs, Sandy

[Morgan Stone]

Sandy,

I had this problem with morphine while in the hospital.. I itched all over etc, and had told my pain doctor this and he explained to me that the amount of meds you get through an iv/shot is usually more than something like the patch and therefore, you can experience itching that you might not have if on a smaller, more adjusted dose. Since the fentanyl patches come in small doses like 25mgs, you might be able to use it without the itching. It worked wondefully for my pain until I had the reaction to the patch material.

As for morphine, I have taken 60mg morphine and it didnt do as much for my pain as the oxycontin 20mg... strange isnt it? Maybe morphine just doesnt get rid of the IC pain as well as oxycodone.

Good luck to you hun.. keep us posted :)

[YankeeCandle224]

I also have fibromyalgia, disc disease in my spine, tons of other crud wrong with me, and I was up to 80 mg of oxycontin, but had been on that same dose for years. I really didnt want to go up on it because I want it to work for as long as possible, but I think, rather I wish, thats what the dr would do, just raise it. Its safe enough by now since I've been on such a high dose for so long. He put me on 100 mg of morphine and really its just not doing a thing, the norco helps, and was supposed to be just for breakthru pain, but he dc/d the morhpine, has me tapering off, and taking 8 norco a day.......well I'm miserable.

I have a great doc and I am pretty sure he'll give me the patch, hes given me everything else I've asked for so far. I wanted to try something else then the oxy, and I'm kicking myself for it.

That makes sense about the IV dosage vs the patch and if I'd been thinking like the nurse I usta be I'd of remembered that....maybe I can blame it on fibro fog, or IC fog lol.

Anyway, wish me luck, I'm going to ask for it on Thursday, if I make it that long.

Thanks so much for the help. Sandy

[Dixiefireball]

when i said sick i ment really sick everytime i lifted my head i threw up i was on them for a mth.
but not everyone is like me and hopefully they will work fine for you. we are all diff. I wish they was one answer for all of us.
sending you hugs and prayers
Rhonda

[Reba in Arkansas]

Hey everyone:hi:
Thanks for all of the responses. I'm going to call my dr. tomorrow and tell him let's go for it. He's going to call my uro and I should get the results from my 24 hour urine deal. I'll let you all know what happens and how I feel. Maybe I'll lose a little weight:D
I know that's not the healthiest way, but with summer coming on 10 lbs would be great!
:kiss: love you all!
-Reba

[Morgan Stone]

Reba,
Just remember, it takes the patch about 12-24 hours to get into your system good so don't be discouraged if you dont feel anything from it the first day. Im sure your doc will tell you this, but just in case, do not place the patch below the belly. Right above your breast, your upper arm or the lower sides o1f your back are good places because the movement you make wont cause the patch to come loose. And lastly, don't try to put the patch on extremely tight either, it will stay put if you just follow the directions for placing it. A friend of mine put hers on really tight and it caused her some problems. Please keep us posted and best of luck to you :)


Sandy,
Let me know what happens with your doc on thursday... Im sure you will like the patch better than morphine... I just wish I could have worn it myself because it took my bladder pain away completely. Good Luck Hun!

Wishing everyone a Pain-Free day!

[Reba in Arkansas]

Thanks for the advice. I've got to call my dr. today. I'll let everyone know what happens. I'm a little scared because I hate getting sick to my stomach.
thanks guys!:kiss:
-Reba