I am new here. I was reading some older posts about
the fentanyl patches and it seems like there are mixed feelings on the different brands. I have been wearing the patches for about
10 or more years. They are a life saver for me. I started on 50 mcg years ago and about
2 years ago when I went through some really serious and painful abdominal surgeries (4 in total), I had to increase to 75mcg - had a bowel obstruction, perforated colon, lost a large part of my colon and needed a illiostomy. This was in addition to my herniated discs, spinal stenosis, arthritis all over my body, fibromyalgia. Then in the summer of 2011 as a complication of losing part of my colon, I started getting kidney stones and really bad, so I have had 5 kidney stone surgeries in the past year and a half - so I they increased my patch to 100mcg. I used to use percocet for breakthrough pain - I cant absorb long acting meds because I had gastric bypass surgery. Now I take dilaudid for breakthrough pain but thankfully, now that the kidney stones are under control - I dont take nearly as much dilaudid.
My problem was today - I went to fill my Fentanyl patch prescription at the pharmacy - I need the Mylan brand which I change every 48 hours because where any longer I break out in a rash and the other brands which are really goey, also cause me to break out. When I am in the hospital, they only have the goey ones so I have no choice, they have to put a tegraderm just to keep them on, since they dont stick either. The mylans are nice and small, no goo and they dont cause any itching. Unfortunately, today - I went to the pharmacy and Mylan's patches were no where to be found. My pharmacy said they havent been able to get them in 2 weeks and they called 10 other pharmacies in the area and no ones else had them. I had to take the goey ones because I couldnt wait until next week to fill the script. I am not happy, I am not subject to a month of itching and lots of atarax (like benedryl) to help me not itch so much/
If so many of us like the Mylan so much, why are they so hard to find.
I have read many people say that the fentanyl doesnt last and that is why they change ay 48 hours? Couldnt it be just they are still working and you just need to take your breakthrough meds? I have been wearing these for years and have never had one stop working. Yes, I have been in pain and needed to take my dialudid or I wake up in pain, I wake up in pain every morning. I take my dilaudid and go back to bed. I change them every 48 hours and they are supposed to last 72 hours. A few months ago, I was being admitted to the hospital and by time my meds got ordered, it was late and the pharmacy was questioning why I was changing them so often - it was past 72 hours, and probably closer to 96 hours and it hadnt worn off. My pain management doctor told me that you actually have an extra 12 to 17 hours. The only time I actually felt any type of withdrawal from the patch was when I actually forgot to put one on or it got stuck on my shirt sleeve /or fell off so I was without one for 24 hours. After 10 or more years of wearing them, withdrawal is possible. People only wearing them for a few months, shouldnt be able to go through withdrawal.
People that have trouble getting them to stick, you can use various types of tape. Tegraderm is good just dont use anything that is going to cause any heat because excess heat causes you to get too much medicine at one time and that is what people are talking about as medication dumping. No heating pads, no sunbathing, no MRI's