Cymbalta and Fentenal patch

This is my second patch of 50mcg fent patch. PM also wants me to start 30 mg 1 day for seven days then start the 60mg. Has anyone used them together? I had been using 10-325 of percocet 3x a day. It stopped helping that's why pm started me on the new meds. I have been having incredible neck and shoulder pain for the last 3 or 4 weeks. My arm is now going numb and tingling. It wakes me up at night. Its so swollen and tender yet so painful. If I turn my head toward the right I get crazy pain and my arm instantly tingles and top of shoulder feels like someone is burning and twisting my muscles. I am usually on here for my back and sciatica but this new pain is getting out of control. Dr sending me for ANOTHER MRI to check my neck and a neurosurgeon consultation for my back pain. I am so confused with what meds will work for my pain. I guess my question is if these two new meds should help with all my pain?

35yr old female

L4-5 fusion

hardware removed

l5-s1 protrusion

failed back surgery

artritis in the spine

lumbar stenosis

sciatica

 

Did you get the Cymbalta by samples from your PM or in a prescription form. The reason I ask is that if it's in a prescription, and you filled them at the same pharmacy as your Fentanyl patches...they would automatically do a interaction check with your medications.

With other nerve pain meds like Lyrica and Neurontin...many people have greater fatigue levels which could absolutely affect the fatigue levels with the Fentanyl. Especially since they started you on such a high dosage of the Fentanyl. The good thing about Cymbalta is that for many people, like myself, it had more of an energy effect to where I had to take it before bed because about 8-10 hours later I would experience a boost in energy. If I took it in the am....I wouldn't be able to fall asleep that night.

But everyone is different and depending on any other medication you are taking...it's always best to check with your Pharmacist for interactions.

From this post and your other ones....from what you write it certainly sounds like your biggest pain is from nerve pain so this is where a medication like Cymbalta (or Lyrica or Neurontin) helps a lot more than any type of opiate.

Hi,

I am on Cymbalta 30mg a day and not fentanyl but bupenorphine patches, which I'm told is an equivalent or alternative. Together they work well and I als have added gabapentin tablets. On their own none work, but combined they usually work.

How have you been finding it so far? 

What brand of patches are you using? I am also on the patches and can only get Mylan brand of generics at this time. I have had a lot of problems with them sticking and have also tried taping them as well. You should find the 800 number for the company who makes your patches and call them up, and tell them you are having problems with them sticking, and they will send you a months worth of film dressings that go over the patches. I did this for my latest script and the dressings work very well so far, and the patches stay on well and you can also get them wet without having to worry about them coming off early.

Just a heads up though, it may take up to 10-14 days for you to receive them in the mail after you order them, but they are free and they will continue to send you new patches every month if you just call them back or send in a request form. All they need is the batch code/number from the box for your current months prescription, and they send them to you free of charge. Good luck!

Hi Heather, I am not currently on the patches but have been in the past as well as I was a Neuro/ortho nurse in my previous life (before CP) and we used opsite or one of the clear like dressing used over IV sites in many hospitals or IV kits. You can get them fairly cheap at one of the chain drug stores and even Walmart.

I found they work alot better then tape of any kind barring duct tape never was brave enough to try that one but probably would have at some point been desperate enough. Lol. I hated them not staying on and was not sure what to do when I would wake in the morning and find them in the bed or stuck to the sheet, funny how they stick to everything but us huh? I was assuming I was losing some of the med if it had been on the sheet for hours and not me and getting it to stick once it had cat hair or lent stuck on it was really hard.

At that time I was having a lot of heavy night sweats and hot flashes going on from that post menopausal state after hysterctomy so it is any wonder anything ever stuck to me besides my clothes! Anyway,the opsite dressings worked and they are not thick or heavy so it was not uncomfortable to use them.

The itching I would keep an eye on and if it gets too much I would speak to the Dr about it,as posted in another thread there is a point where it can become an allergic reaction to a med versus an adverse reaction. Just keep that in mind.

I hope the combo works well for you and you find adequate relief.