HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Trouble with Mylan-brand Fentanyl patches? Just some questions and concerns

Support Forums
>
Chronic Pain
✚ New Topic locked
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 8/24/2012 9:41 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, new here. Been browsing around and figured this is a great place to talk to others who are in chronic pain like myself. It is hard to find people like me, especially online, since there are a lot of people out there who abuse pain meds and do not know why someone like me (or you) need pain medication to function on a daily basis.

Anyway, I have been on Fentanyl patches since this past June. I had to go on them because I was hospitalized with renal failure, after my PM doctor was prescribing me 10mg percocet 4-6x daily as well as morphine ER 2x daily and my liver began to fail because of the overuse of tylenol in them. After a few days in ICU my liver got better but my kidneys began to slowly fail. My kreatine (sp?) level was going up daily, well over the "limit" (normal limit level is about 125, mine went as high as 1500). Because of this, I was unable to take any oral medications for my lower back pain. Initially, the doctors wanted my liver to get better before they gave me meds for pain, but after 4 days they ended up giving me a 25 mcg patch and a shot of Fent every 8 hours into my IV. After 3 days of being on the patch, my pain wasn't much better, so they bumped it to a 50 mcg patch then a 75 mcg patch after another 3 days on each patch. Once I got the 75 patch, my pain was managed well enough that I didn't have to take my old medications anymore.

Once I was discharged from the hospital, the doctors there gave me a take-home script for the 75 mcg patches, a 30-day supply (10 patches), and told me to follow up with my PM doctor the next Monday. However, once I did this and told my PM doctor that the doctor at the hospital gave me a script for the Fent patches and told me not to take any oral meds, my PM doctor told me that I had broken the narcotics contract and they discharged me that day. I immediately had my records from that PM clinic transferred to the hospital's internal medicine area and got a new PCP there who took over my pain management and continued to prescribe the 75 mcg patches for my pain.

However, I am having problems with them staying on my skin. I was initially on the gel patches in the hospital and for my first script. When I picked up my 2nd and 3rd script, I had received the Mylan brand patches, and am having problems. They seem to stay on my skin at first, but usually after I wake up the next day, they begin to bubble in the middle and sometimes around the sides. I had to get an early script just a few days ago because of this problem and I went through 3 extra patches from my last script early, so I ran out early. My doctor said this would be my only early refill and that I had to make the patches last the full 3 days. She recommended Tagaderm to cover them or first-aid tape around the edges. I tried some water-resistant tape with my first patch that I applied yesterday, and I just checked on it (it is on my upper chest) and it is already bubbling up in the middle. I called my doctor and she said to remove it and to put a new patch on and use different tape along with Tagaderm. I have plenty of different types of first aid tape but I can't find Tagaderm around here. Should I just go ahead and tape it up as well as I can to keep it on? Should I put it in a different location on my body? I need to make the rest of my patches last 3 full days (and maybe this patch 4 days just so I don't run out early before my next refill) and can't afford to waste any more, since I just went through 1 patch already on my 2nd day of a new script.

Help? Oh and sorry for typing so much, but since this is my first time posting, I figured I should give you guys and gals a brief history on how I got on the Fent patches in the first place. smilewinkgrin
Posted 8/24/2012 10:27 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Outammo
I wanted to pop in and welcome you aboard. You will find the members here very caring and understanding and also as a whole, there is much knowledge you can obtain. I am glad you found us but sorry you are suffering so much.
Myself, I have tried the fentanyl patch, although it did not help my pain, i did not have a problem keeping it on. Several members here are on the patch so they should be by to give you some ideas on what you could try. As far as the tegaderm, if you are not finding it at your pharmacy, I would ask them about it and they should be able to order it in for you.
I sure hope you kidneys are functioning better now that your off the meds that were doing the damage. Sorry to hear all the troubles you have had with the meds you were preciously taking.
Keep in mind that weekends here are a bit slow so you may not see too many posts right away, but rest assured you will get some help.

Keep posting with us and let us know how you are doing.

Suzane
Posted 8/24/2012 10:59 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you for the welcome. I appreciate it!

Also, I just put my new patch on the under-side of my forearm, beneath my wrist. I figure this area doesn't flex too much and will never bend (hopefully..........).
Posted 8/24/2012 11:51 PM (GMT 0)
Hello and welcome, my friend, to HW Chronic Pain. Sorry you have the need to be here, but you will be among friends and those that can understand what you are going through.

I too, use the Fentanyl patches, have been for 9 plus months now. I started at 25, moved it to 50, and now for the past 3 (?) months been on the 75 mgm version. I had to go look at the box, they are the Mylan brand like yours, which is a common generic version. The only difference, is my oncologist has me change them out every 48 hours, vs the standard 72 hours. So I get 15 patches every 30 days. Mine are for cancer pain, as I have advanced prostate cancer. Curious, I pay $41 out of pocket every month for mine, what about you?

I don't have any problems getting them to stay put or stick. Some people have naturally oily or sweaty skin (no offense intended). I don't. I think a lot of it has to do with where you place them. I have done what my doctor said from the start, and have never had a problem.

I put them on the front side of my upper arm, about 2 to 3" below my shoulder. When I say front, I don't mean on the part of the arm leading to my underarms, I mean more on the top of the arm facing away from me.
It took me awhile to figure out to get all the layers of clear plastic off correctly. Once I put it in place, I hold my other hand flat on the patch and count to 100, to give it a chance to seal properly and evenly.

Since I rotate every 2 days, I switch arms each time. The other rule I do, is I never put on a new one without first taking off the old one. There are a lot of safety concerns if you use these patches long-term, because people have accidently overdosed and died from them.

When I shower, it doesn't hurt for them to get wet a little bit, but I never direct the shower right on the patch. When I dry off, I never rub that area with the towel, I just pat it dry.

This is how it works for me, and as I said, never had a problem with it coming loose. If you have to tape one on to make it stay put, you need to be careful, because the patch needs to breathe so to speak.

Hope this helps.

David in SC
Posted 8/25/2012 12:52 AM (GMT 0)
I purchase my tegaderm on Ebay. I just bought a box of 100 films for $35.95 with free shipping. If you email me I can send you a couple till you can find some. Or I can give you a link to the auction if you are interested. I recieved mine two days after I purchased them.

When using the tegaderm I have no problems at all with my patches sticking. Without them I am lucky if I can keep them on for a full day. You can also call the number on the box of patches and most will send free covers. Those caused my skin to blister so I dont do that.

In my opinion the patches are worth the extra expense and hassle of doing everything possible to make them work. Not for everyone but great for me.

Hugs,
Shell

Post Edited (Shell74) : 8/24/2012 7:00:40 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 8/25/2012 1:19 AM (GMT 0)
Good evening Ottammo!…and welcome to our chronic pain forum!

I recently was on the Fentanyl patches, and used the TegaDerm product, and it worked great! However the delivery of the med was dumping way too early, and I could not even get it to last 48hrs…..and most of it was dumping in about 32hrs or so, so I had to discontinue them.

There are two types of patches….the gel pack, and the matrix type…which is like a tape. I found that the matrix type stuck much better than the gel type. The bubbling that you are talking about, is what I believe a void left over as the gel pack med is used up. Many patients are unable to make the 72hr requirement that many Dr's seem to script it for. You may need to have the script changed to 48hrs by your Dr if this is the case. Anything less than this, than I'm afraid that the patch may not be for you.

Walgreens carries a product similar to that of the TegaDerm product. I found that placing it on my shoulder worked best, and when placing it on, I would raise my arm, and place the patch and the TegaDerm on, and then when relaxing the arm down, it would provide a good fit to the bottom surface of the patch to the skin.

This is a very dangerous med, so please follow all directions and please, please do keep it locked up away from children. Also when you remove it…flush it down the toilet, as there have been cases of children finding them in the trash and playing with them resulting in death.

Of all the med's I have used, this was one of the most dangerous in my opinion, and can easily be abused as well. As you know, Fentanyl is one of the most powerful med's out there being used for pain control. Again safety is of the upmost priority.

Good luck in your search for the TegaDerm product! Also!…one other thing to consider is the fact that the larger the mcg of the patch, the larger the patch will be, and you will need a very large Tegaderm cover. One thing you can do is to contact the maker of the med, and ask for the free covers. They should ship them to you on a monthly basis.

One other product you might consider is Wig Glue!….I hear that this works well, and that some of the Fentanyl companies will also send you a bottle similar to it.

Again, Welcome!….Enjoy the forum and it's members.

SE
Posted 8/25/2012 3:41 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you all for the warm welcome.

Purgatory, I pay $3 a month for my script each month. It doesn't matter what the script is for or how much (unless it is more than 1 month supply), it is always $3 w/ insurance. However, according to my receipt, the 10 patches would cost me $352 or around there if I had to pay for them 100% cash out of pocket.

And I just placed some first-aid tape around the edges of the patch, and so far it is sticking well. I will be sure to inform as to how fast the patch dumps, hopefully it is at least 72 hours give or take. I have the non-gel matrix patches, just fyi.
Posted 8/25/2012 4:05 AM (GMT 0)
my priced is based on my medicare based drug plan, and yeah, list price for me would be well over $400, so i am not complaining

good luck to you
Posted 8/25/2012 4:16 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you, and best of luck to you as well. I feel a bit too young to be in this much pain, and from what my doctors have told me, it won't get any better. However, I have found a new job since my old one was the reason behind all of my back problems. I hope you beat your cancer, I pray you do. My only experience with cancer was with my best friend's father about four years ago. He had testicular cancer, was on very high doses of oxycontin and was basically a zombie all day at home. I remember seeing him go from being a very active father to being very sick and tired all the time. He fought as long as he could, but he died two years ago. Watching my friend and his family go through all of that was painful enough for me, I really couldn't bring myself to that point, it was so hard for them. Really, best of luck to you. You will be in my prayers.
Posted 8/25/2012 6:28 AM (GMT 0)
Hi outtammo, I've never been on the fentynol patch, but was on the Butrans patch for a bit. I had similar issues, even though the Butrans patch is the adhesive matrix like SE talked about, which apparently is supposed to stick better. If you go down to the hospital, and talk to the nurses that run IVs, they may give you some tagaderm to get you by until you can find it, it's the same clear film they put on an IV. I.found it at Walmart, but they kept it behind the counter, it was $8 for a box of 4 which was all I needed since the Butrans is a seven day patch. I also found it on Amazon, a large quantity for like $35. I always had my brother put the tagaderm on, since it works much better if theres no air bubbles.

Now the thing that really helped me. I bought a small elastic single piece knee brace, you know, the kind that would work like an ace bandage, and I kept that over the patch at all times, which I always put on my upper arm just outside the top of the bicep, kind of like David does his. I also made sure to put on anti-persperant deodorant all around it, so that I wouldn't sweet immediately by it, and the brace around it helped keep other sweet from getting near it. The knee brace was a little uncomfortable, but after doubling it over, it wasnt too bad, and definitely not as uncomfortable as.the raw pain. I kept that on there round the clock, and only pulled it off when I showered. The last thing I did, at the advice of my PM, which made it near impossible to pull off the patches after 7 days, the night before changing patches, I hit the area that I was going to put the new patch with benzyl peroxide acne cream. Apparently, this really helps if you have really oily skin like me, really dries things out lol. Well I hope you have better luck with them, and I hope your kidneys are doing better. Best of luck to you.
Posted 8/25/2012 6:39 AM (GMT 0)
Outammo, you mentioned in another post that your back problems are from work, I'm just curious, is this work cwomp, and if so, why did you have to pay for the patches? I ask because work comp pays 100% of my prescriptions, the only ones that I had to pay out of pocket, I was reimbursed. Did you put your injuries on your own insurance?

The only reason I ask, is if you out this on your own insurance, and in some ways I wish I had, you should never ever let your doctors, or your insurance company even think that this was caused by work, in every state, they have the right to, and would, I belong to a work comp forum where I see this at least twice a week, drop coverage based on it being a work related injury, and them not having any liability to cover the claim. Just a warning for the future. But they can also drop coverage of the claim if they find out that it was work related and you did a compromise and release. So be very careful about mentioning that this was caused by your work.

Post Edited (2y4t) : 8/25/2012 12:51:40 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 8/26/2012 2:06 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Outammo! I was on Fentanyl in the spring. The only brand my pharmacy can get in generic is Mylan. No matter what I did, how I put them on or where I put them on they would not stay on my skin.

I tried all kinds of tape and had some Tegaderm film in 2 different sizes that I had left over from sacro-iliac joint fusion and fixation the year before. When I put the Tegaderm film on over that brand of patch, I broke out in hives. I could not stand the constant itch and tried not to scratch it. For this reason, I had to take the patch off early. I am not sure which adhesive was the allergic problem either. I just know once the patch was covered with Tegaderm, I was miserable and had oozing weeping hives.

I used 7 out of my 10 patches and will flush the remaining 3. I was ready to jump off a bridge on those patches. It was so frustrating farting around with the patches constantly. Fentanyl IV does not make me depressed the way that those gel patches did.

I took pictures of the goo that was left on my skin and the hives after removing a patch. I also took pictures of the removed patch. The first 2 patches fell off by the second day too. With all the tape and Tegaderm I could see an outline on my skin where the patch had been. I had to roll it off with some hydrocortisone lotion.

A friend was on the patch for years. He said that other brands work a lot better and this brand of generic is problematic. Is it possible for you to either get brand name or call some other pharmacies to see if they can get another brand of generic patch?

I finally got an intrathecal pain pump in May. I love it. Normally, I don't log on to this board much but that same friend who'd been on the patch told me some horror story about the catheter tip so I'm on here researching how often this happens.

Good luck! I hope you can resolve the problem by getting a different brand. I felt like the Fentanyl patch was my last resort before getting the pump. I could not imagine putting up with that brand of patch for much longer and I was on my first box. The frustrating situation kind of forced me into getting the pump since oral narcotics were not working anymore.

I've had a long history of endometriosis from age 11. It sucks to feel abnormal and not be able to enjoy things that other friends are doing. During my late 20s and early 30s I had 6 surgeries for it. I think having so many medical problems at a young age made me view things differently for others especially seniors. But I do have a long list of what NOT to say to a chronically ill person. This is a rough road to ride.
Posted 8/26/2012 4:59 AM (GMT 0)
My original back injury was from work and yes, w comp paid for everything. Then it seemed to get better after some injections (this back in 2008), so I returned to work on light duty then regular duty. One year later, I reinjured it in the same place and a few new places. Again, work comp paid for everything.

I left the job last year after dealing with this injury, and had to end up just leaving and seeing a new doctor, since the work comp doctor was an idiot, all he wanted to do was keep me on percocet high doses and muscle relaxers the entire time during work comp (and physical therapy), and didn't do anything else. All he said was "it is probably just a strain".

Now I know better, since I have had many MRIs and X-Rays, as well as more injections to help treat the problem. It was only after about 3 years of having this intense pain did I finally find out exactly what was wrong with my back, and I can attribute this to doctors who actually gave a darn.

Oh, and I do think that I may be able to get a different brand of generics. My last pharmacy asked me if I cared which brand they were, and I just said no, since I didn't know better. Now I am pissed off at myself for not trying a new brand, since today is only my 2nd day on my 2nd patch, and about 1/4 or so has already came off to the point where I had to cut off the part that was off the skin, since it wasn't even sticking to my skin anyway. I am very afraid that I will go through this script early again, and I can't do that, since my doc said that I had to find a way to make my 10 patches last the whole month. :(
Posted 8/26/2012 5:14 AM (GMT 0)
Oh, and honestly, I really don't mind the patches that much, just that this brand of generic dont seem to stay on my skin as well as the gel-type ones that I had originally. I only wish I could have some sort of medication that I could take for b/t pain or to take just in case I run out of patches early again because of this problem. However, since it has only been a few months since I got out of the hospital for renal failure, my doctor wants to wait a few more months on prescribing an IR medication for me in conjunction with the patches. She knows that I need something for b/t pain but is not willing to give it to me quite yet.

I have my next appt this Tuesday. I will bring this up with her then and see if I can get on something low-dose for b/t pain or see if she still wants to wait. I would just really like something for "insurance" just in case I run out early.
Posted 8/26/2012 4:06 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Outtammo
Just wanted to welcome you to the site. I have used the patch many yeas ago and remember having a problem with it lasting more than 2 days. If I understood this right, it's awful that your pm doc gave you the boot for breaking a contract that he seems to be the reason you needed to break it. Overloading you with Tylenol and causing kidney and liver damage is inexcusable and just plain incompetent. I would think he would be worried about being sued and do his best to help you. I'm really glad you didn't seem to have any problems finding another doc to take over your med care. Anyway just wanted to welcome you aboard. I don't believe there is a better site out there with more caring and supportive people than here. I wish you all the best. Take care
Stingray
Posted 8/27/2012 1:17 AM (GMT 0)
Hi stingray, I just wanted to comment on what you wrote, in my vast research and schooling( I never finished my degree but had more than my share of classes in legal research, and time in the court room, so this isn't the most informed opinion lol) I would assume that fear of a lawsuit is probably the very reason why the doctor dropped the poster. By stating that he broke contract, it would discredit the poster to a lot of jury panels and judges, it would only take a really sick attorney to finish the job, and that's their expertise when you're dealing with that kind of defense attorney.

It's very sad, but unless the poster had died, or was able to prove gross neglect, with documented warning from another physician, the poster would have a very hard time obtaining any form of legal recourse against the physician. It's turned into such a mess these days, that most of the time, when someone is granted an award by court, they generally are lucky to see more than $20-30k in the end, which really won't make up for years of lost wages, pain and suffering, loss of house, or whatever else.
Posted 8/27/2012 1:30 AM (GMT 0)
Outtammo, I just read your second to last post about work comp, switching jobs does not end your claim. You could be setting youself up for a huuuuuuuge lawsuit from your insurance company if you didn't transfer liability of the claim properly with an MSA. If you don't know what an MSA is, you need to be making an appointment with a bared work comp specialist on Monday. I don't know all the details of your case, but if you did not transfer it to your new insurance company properly, you may be in big trouble when they find out.
Posted 8/27/2012 10:47 AM (GMT 0)
Welcome to the group.

I have been on the Fentanyl patches for 5 months, both the gel and matrix type.  What I do before applying the patch, is to clean the area where the patch is going to go with rubbing alcohol, and let dry.  I leave my patches on for 3 days, and I have never had one fall off.

I hope this helps.

Good luck to you!

Posted 1/16/2017 4:40 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, I am also on the fentanyl patch for severe chronic back pain, spinal stenosis, severe hip and leg pain, arthritis, kidney disease stage 3, SLE, etc,etc. I find the clear, thin tagaderm type bandages work best for sticking. You can even find the generic in the dollar stores for two dollars for eight clear bandages as long as your on the smaller patches. If you are a woman you may find that sticking your patch then your clear bandage on your breast then putting on a bra over that keeps your patch "stuck" on. Its works for me. I find the gel patches don't stick, no matter what. I have had a few times where I've run out of bandages and my patch has come off. I've stuck it back on and it still worked. Whether or not this will work for you I don't know. But it saved me from running out of patches. Also if you are thin or at your normal weight you may find your patches only work for two days and not three. This happened to me. Apparently the drug goes into your fat cells. The thinner you are the shorter your patches life span. This is how it was explained to me. I was going the major issues with my stomach closing down and could not eat, so I lost a lot of weight over a short period of time. My doctor changed my patch to every 48 hours. Since then I've had no issues with my patches. Be careful with your patches, I keep mine in a locked box along with my other pain med. The box is screwed to the floor so it can't be stolen. Keep your patches used and not used away from people of all ages (don't trust anyone) and your pets. I flush mine and make sure they don't float back up in the bowl. And especially dont give your patches to anyone. My mother gave one of hers to my sister for a headache. Thankfully she didn't know what it was so she gave it back. There was a grandmother not long ago that had a young grandchild with a fever. She put a 50 MCG patch on his forehead. He died within the hour. Sounds like common sense, but it isn't for some. Good luck with your patches. Hope they help.
Posted 1/16/2017 4:54 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Dustmite, thank you for your post. However, you have brought up a very old thread that has not had any activity in a long time.

I will lock this thread as we like to keep the old ones off of the main page.
✚ New Topic locked