I take patches, Ive used them in the past also.
As of right now I take 150mcg of fentynal, which is actually a whole lot. Ive even seen people on here say they think the most you can take is 100mcg, because thats the biggest a single patch size goes to, but you can wear more then one patch, you can wear more then two, so I was wearing 2-75's but now I use 1-100mcg and 1-50mcg, because my insurance will only pay for 15 of them, they would pay for 15 of the 75's and Id have to pay 100 to 200 dollars for the otehr 5 i needed for the 28 days. So I switched to 100's and 50's now I get 10 of each, since they'll pay for 15 they end up having to pay for all 20, because their different mcg's then its like different medications in their eyes, so in reality I could get as much as 30 of them, 15 of each.
Anyway, to me it works great, really go to pain management for my crohns disease but I started getting fibromyalgia symptoms and was diagnosed. have tried numerous things and have been told my biologics will help also. but nothing did help but narcotics so when medicare and medicaid said they would only pay for a certain amount of those ALSO, (even though I had been taking them for almost a year without them saying this) I switched to patches, and my back muscles, which is what gave me most problems with fibro, stopped hurting completely, I used to hurt everyday to wear I wouldnt sleep a wink, at all all day or night. Now I sleep all through the night, feel great all day, I even enrolled in college classes again so that should show how much better it helped my muscles.
Honeslty I thought about
fibro like well how bad can it be, how much can it inhibit your life really. but truely its a horrible disease. HORRIBLE. Its just so awkward and uncomfortable and painful you cant get much done, 'chores' or anythiing house related, even not to mention bigger things like yard work, fixing things, or school or work.
Last time I used them I only used 75mcg patches, just one at a time, and now since Im taking 150mcg, thats my magic number, works excellent for me, I just could praise it forever.
Now their are tort litigation and such going on , always are going on, just like with every narcotic, about
being 'dyeing from them' but these cases are when people like put them in their mouths or cut them
open and eat the gel(if you get the gel type, I dont I use the tape looking ones, brand name Mylan is what I get). Anyways the issue with this is people using them improperly, the doctor prescribing wrongly, prescribing to much, your not supposed to use patches or fentynal if you dont have a tolerance to narcotics, and have had a tolerance for quite some time, on more then one medication, and when you need relief around the clock even when sleeping, 24 hrs a day. Some doctors have been known to prescribe after sugery, to a patient that doesnt have tolerance or anything, even though right on each patch it specifically lists not for the use after surgery, so I dont know what these doctors are thinking.
Some people say the side-effects are so much and incredibly strong for them. But in most cases the side-effects are actually less then other narcotics, such as oxycontin, morphine, dalaudid, also, its the same doctors prescribing wrongly to patients, its those patients that have a considerable amount of side effects because their not used to things like that or so strong. The way I look at it, just to be safe, even if you ARE tolerant, but havent had any controlled release medication for pain, then I'd try something else first, that way you know you wont be taking to much or on the wrong medication or atleast at the wrong time. This way you know you can handle something that is around the clock and considerably stronger.
Bt the way fentynal is 80 to 100 times stronger then morphine, just like dalaudid is 8 to 10 times stronger then morphine, the thing is fentynal is dosed in micro-grams, not milli-grams, so it equates well. I believe a 75mcg patch has 7.65milli-grams in it.
By they way , 40mgs a day of percocet isnt that much ,honeslty thats exaclty the AVERAGE amount taken by ANYONE on narcotics. The average person for pain gets written to take 5/325mg percocet up to 6 to 8 times a day, well thats 40mgs. I know before I went on fentynal patches this time, I was taking 160mgs of oxycontin, and 180 to 240mgs a day of oxycodone(which is just percocet with no tylenol, its only the narcotics, no fillers) so I can see why I moved to patches, it was logical, but I dont see MUCH logic in going to patches for you.... thats just because you can go to oxycontin which is the exact same thing your taking NOW but its controlled release instead of releasing all at once. Or any controlled release for that matter. Or what about
just letting you take more then 4 a day, like me I was taking 6 to 8 30mg oxycodone. Have you talked about
going up on your percocet? or maybe taking 2 at a time, instead of just one and only 3 or 4 times, or maybe staying at 10mg but going to like 6 times a day? Im just wondering if patches are your only option, with 25mcg being the most COMMON small dose, they DO make a 12.5mcg but most places dont carry them on a ragular bases because most people on patches are taking more then this.
Its deftinaly something worth looking into, just dont want you to get it to early and it give you tons of side effects and all and you not like it for that purpose, and not try it again, vs waiting and trying something else, getting used to quite a bit of narcotics THEN trying patches and not having as many side effects and it helping you tremendously you know?
Post Edited (CrohnsPatient) : 8/21/2009 8:19:59 AM (GMT-6)