I can tell you this my mom was on it and it made her go out of her mind we almost lost her. Its a very high pain killer just be careful.

I'm on the Lidocaine patches for the nerve damage pain and they have been the only things that have given me any sort of relief in years. I put on a quarter to half a one a night (have to ration because of the cost) and although i only get relief at the spot its on, that's still better than nothing.

Good luck with them, i really hope they give you some relief too.

alot of it depends on what your used to taking and in what forms/dosages. I've taken Fent. for years at a time at high dosages and never noticed it particularly. If your not used to high potency long acting pain meds it may take a while to get use to it. Lot's of deciding factors.

kat

Just an FYI..
Fentanyl and Lidocaine patches are two very different meds.

..fentanyl patches release a ( quite strong) opiate semi-consistently into your system.

Lidocaine patches are a local anesthetic that almost all stays right where the patch is applied.

( I know this, because I've used both. )

jc

I've been on the fentanyl patch for almost 10 years and it's been a life saver. I too was started at 25mcg, but it was not enough so after a few weeks he upped me to 50mcg. This worked much better but I was having a lot of pain on the third day, so he had me change it every 48 hours. That did the trick. I was on the same dose for years then went up to the 75mcg and I have been on that strength for over 6 years.

Some pointers I have learned. If you are having trouble with the patch staying on, buy either tegrederm covers or bioclusive covers. They are clear thin plastic covers that go over the patch and will make them stick. They are similar to the ones that go over IV's, just bigger.

Some people have trouble with the adhesive of the patch. They break out and get little red sores and redness with itching. If this happens, ask your doc for Flonase or a generic equivalent. It's an allergy spray. Spray the skin area where you are going to put on the patch, let it dry and put on the patch.

Some people say if the patch comes off you have to throw it away and put on a new one. This could make you go through them faster. I had plenty fall off and I never threw them away. I just put them back on with the bioclusive cover. What you want to make sure of is that the whole patch is in contact with your skin. Make sure there are no gaps or bubbles where the patch is sticking up. I never had less pain control from doing this.

Please be careful of heat. No very hot baths, hot tubs, electric blankets, hot pads, etc. If you want to bathe or go in a hot tub, either wait until it's time to change your patch and just hold off till you've come out of the tub and cooled off a bit and then put the patch on. Normally your body does not go into withdrawl until after 17 hours without the patch. This may vary by a few hours.

I've also removed the patch early to get into a hot tub and then like I said above put it back on with a cover. You don't want to make a habit of doing this, the patch works best with continued contact with the skin, but once in a while it's OK.

I am sure others will have some pointers I missed but those are the basics. I hope it helps your pain. Fentanyl is a very good pain management med.

Thank you all for your advice. I have been on Percocet 10s for about a year so I'm pretty sure the Dr will have to up the dose of Fentanyl when I see her next week.

how many percocets were you on each day...25mcg might be too much...he could start you off at 12mcg instead....that is the lowest dose. It is better to start low and then increase as needed...and he still can keep you on Percocet for breakthrough pain if needed.

I was on it for awhile, I had no side effects, but it didn't help my nerve pain, we are all different, so don't be scared give it a go it could help you, Susie x

When I was in my late 50's I was put on them. Even at that age I still had very oily skin, which has the side benefit of the fact that I still don't have wrinkles on my face! Anyway, mine often came off at night and stuck to the sheets. The adhesive ruins sheets as it's impossible to wash out. I didn't like the fluctuations in pain control they gave me.at all and was put on Oxycontin next. So far for me, most effective pain med has been methadone. It takes a very long time before you develop a tolerance to the dose. I'm tapering off it now at the rate of 20% every two weeks to get ready for a 19th major surgery to try and alleviate the source of the pain. Any time I've gone into surgery while still on high doses of pain meds my surgeon orders such a huge dosage of post op meds I lay in bed and hallucinate. I remember once being forcibly layed down on the bed when I thought I was riding a horse and swinging my arms over my head. Would rather endure higher pain for awhile to prevent a repeat of something like that.

I was on fentanyl for 6months after major surgery. I found that it did not cover all the pain and they had to pump it up with other meds.this is a very hard drug to come off of so take it easy and follow doctors orders if they want you to go off of it.take care speak to pharmacist also.isabee

I know i commented on this before but just be real careful on it. I worry for u only because my mom had bad time on it just stay in contact with dr alot and follow directions to a tee.

Yes, I think it's harder on older people, especially if they have not been on any pain meds long term.

i was on th patch several times at different strengths . it did nothing for my pain . i have a history of being immune to pain meds especially narcotics . the 1st time i tried the patch it made me feel very drugged similar to being drunk . i couldnt think straight and my balance was very compromised . i have , however been told by many cp patients that its a life saver . we all react so differently to each med . today i m on a combination of the prescribed allowable limit ot tramadol and high doses of neurontin . my pain is primarily neurological in nature . altho in the long run my pain is more tolerable i m now experiencing ortho . type symptoms . i can't sleep for more then 3-4 hours at a time without waking up nearly unable to move and have always had insomnia which compounds all of the pain issues since i m never truly rested .. i pray u have a wonderful experience with the patch . i know 4 the right person it can b a life saver . god bless .. much warmth , starsunshine