ACTIQ Reviews (FENTANYL CITRATE)Average Rating: 3.4 (104 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare ACTIQ with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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Results are sorted by Date from oldest to newest. Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) |
More on ACTIQ: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR ACTIQ | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 4 | Breakthrough pain 1200mcg 3Xdaily | No side effects to speak of. Initially a mild sensation of dizziness and dry mouth. Side effects didn't last long and the medication worked great as a backup for the Methadone 40mg 4Xdaily. I have chronic pain resulting from multiple fractures of the cervical spine and subsequent surgeries (5). I would recommend it for breakthrough type pain. | M | 46 | 7 months | 6/13/2003 | 3 | central pain syndrome | Not many side effects, the most bothersome is very bad constipation. i also have had a colostomy about 3 years ago and due to the constipation it pushes the wafer off or comes off | another issue with this med is i am having trouble with my pharmacy getting it. i am currently getting it at Walgreens pharmacy in middletown, rhode island. it is prescribed by my doc at saint anne's pain management center in fall river, mass. before this med i was on oxyContin and oxycodone and before that on morphine sulfate. out of them all, i think the actiq is the most effective. i am currently on 8 a day of the 800mcg pops | F | 52 | 3 months | 12/5/2003 | 3 | Cronic pain | Constipation,DENTAL CARRIES!!!!! | THE MEDICINE WORKED WELL FOR BREAKTHROUGH PAIN AND DID NOT INTERFERE WITH SLEEP PATTERNS, BUT BEWARE OF CAVATIES, BRUSH AFTER EACH USE | F | 43 | 1 years | 2/5/2004 | 5 | migraines | dizzy, lightheaded. a little sleepy | worked great on migraine when traditional triptans failed and other narcotics couldn't keep down because of vomitting. It has saved me several trips to the emergency room. | F | 38 | 3 months | 10/11/2004 | 5 | Surgery on hand. | None. < don't remember. It was one of the narcotics the surgens/doctors used on me with several other drugs along with ketamine and nitrous oxide to put me under. | Worked, but when I came to my hand was in pain so I needed a shot of a ligher narcotic (demerol) and then when I was out of the P.O. room and was ready to walk out and leave I was in pain again so i was given a 10mg dose of vicoden before i left. She said something about me having a high tolerance, but thats just how my body workes I guess because she said most people are at least slightly naseaus after surgery and don't need extra pain killers right away. anyway, I got a ride home from my mother and I had the munchies so we went to get coffee at dunken donuts and I ate a dozzen soft tacos toco bell after because I remeber the nurse saying before I left surgery that eating greasy food would keep the drugs in my system longer. anyway, after that I took four vicodens watched some T.V. then went to sleep early. All in all what ever did what worked the day I had surgery. | M | 23 | 1 days | 11/5/2004 | 1 | chronic pain-traumatic brain injury | Actiq was a terrible drug choice- AVOID AT ALL COSTS... DESTROYS your teeth... QUICKLY! | F | 39 | 3 years | 11/11/2004 | 4 | central pain (off label) | My wife's insurance plan now refuses to cover this drug for off label uses - it's very expensive. | M | 57 | 3 years | 1/17/2005 | 4 | back pain (BT med) | Tolerance build-up comes fast. Dizziness/lightheadedness upon using it the 1st time. After that no problem. Lower doses ineffective after 6 months or so. New formulation can cause raw feeling inside cheek. | This is the best BT (break-thru) med that I have used to date. It will nearly stop the pain within 10 min or at least make it more tolerable. EXTREMELY expensive. Mfg needs to make a sugar-free version to reduce tooth problems and/or increased glucose levels. Short acting, but better than any oral med available that can work this fast. Wished the relief would last longer though. But that is better than nothing. | F | 40 | 2 years | 1/23/2005 | 4 | severe joint pain | dry mouth, itchiness | This has allowed me to have a near normal life again when breakthrough pain occurs with my duragesic. It shuts down pain faster even thatn some injected medications. | F | 44 | 4.5 years | 2/16/2005 | 3 | failed back surgery | WARNING : THIS MED WILL DESTROY YOUR TEETH !, if taken long enough! | please i beg of you, if you need a long term med choose something else , i have been on actiq for about 3-4 yrs, IT HAS DESTROYED ALMOST ALL OF MY TEETH and I Brush and USE listerine after ea pop,- DO NOT use this MED , it should only be used by people about to DIE! where the issue of tooth decay is not a factor, Cephalon's sales people are selling a BS story about this crap to the Dr's. | M | 43 | 4 years | 5/2/2005 | 5 | Myofascia Chronic Pain | None. | I LOVE this drug for breakthorugh severe pain. I am on a durgesic patch, currently getting trigger point injections, I just lowered the patch dosage to 50 mg from 75 mg. I use a 400mg lollipop and it usually lasts for hours. I am spending a small fortune because Blue Cross Blue Shield will not touch it, even though it is the same drug that is in the stupid patch. Jansen has assitance in fighting/pursuing coverage w insurance. I save this drug for the emergency | F | 43 | 13 weeks | 6/14/2005 | 5 | Myofascia Chronic Pain | None. | I LOVE this drug for breakthorugh severe pain. I am on a durgesic patch, currently getting trigger point injections, I just lowered the patch dosage to 50 mg from 75 mg. I use a 400mg lollipop and it usually lasts for hours. I am spending a small fortune because Blue Cross Blue Shield will not touch it, even though it is the same drug that is in the stupid patch. Jansen has assitance in fighting/pursuing coverage w insurance. I save this drug for the emergency | F | 43 | 13 weeks | 6/14/2005 | 1 | migraines | the medication was short lived in my body and tolerance builds very quickly by the time i stopped using this i was up (8) 1600 MCG POPS A DAY | IF I CAN JUST STOP ONE PERSON FROM TAKING THIS MEDICINE I'LL FEEL BETTER ABOUT MY SUFFERING I'M44 YEARS OLD AND I'VE HAD 6 TEETH PULLED THIS YEAR MY DENTIST TELLS ME THERE IS NO WAY TO SAVE MY TEETH AND I NEED TO HAVE THEM ALL PULLED AND GET DENTURES I BRUSHED AFTER EVERY POP AND USED LISTERINE. ALSO I FEEL I HAVE TO MENTION THE CONSTIPATION AND HAVING TO BE PUT IN THE HOSPITAL IT WAS SO BAD. I ALSO HAD TO GO THROUGH REHAB TO GET OFF THIS AWFUL MEDICINE MY MIGRAINES HAVE MADE MY LIFE HELL BUT NOTHING COMPARES TO HOW ACTIQ SCREWED ME | F | 44 | 3 days | 7/8/2005 | 4 | FBSS & RSD (nerve damage spine) | No real side effects other than begin problem w/teeth but noticed a high dosage antibiotic reduces syptoms... | I live with the worst imaginable pain the body and mind can endure. This is the only medicine that gives me real releif without making me loopy or tired. Problem is the body seems to become use to it quickly. I'm maxed out at 1600 mcg x 10 per day. Not sure where to go from here. Other drawbacks are the teeth issue but like I said I found if I took a HIGH dose antibiotic they got better but sensitivity came back after I stopped,I believe we are getting a gum diease which can be treated (try the antibiotic w/oral rinse Gly-oxide)and you have to COMPLETELY get rid of the diease or it comes back and/or gets worse. This concerns me greatly, I was mortified to read people getting dentures because of it. I talk to manufactor and they lead me to believe they never heard of the teeth problem before?? Because I have no dental insurance I wanted them to pay for dental bills, we should think about case action to get them to pay for bills, or simply back them in a corner to force them to hire the best dentist to figure out exactly what is doing this and how to prevent and repair damage done. I don't believe its just the sugar. I'll be damned if I'm loosing my teeth without a fight. Also, although I am struggling with the public asspect (even with those close to me) of being a chronic pain sufferer therefore needing a narcotic on a regular basis and the judgement of those who don't understand leaving me ashamed and guility with comments like | F | 39 | 2 years | 7/16/2005 | 5 | Chronic LBP | Hot flashes. Could be from Norco, but onset of flashes noticed after starting Actiq. | I have been using Norco 325/10 x 3 daily for years to manage chronic lower back pain. Even at that level this amounts to too much Tylenol, as I am HCV positive. My blood levels are fine, and have been since contracting Hepatitus C in the early 80s. I developed stasis dermititus as a side effect of all this hydrocodone in my system. It's not serious, but I wanted to remove the Tylenol component. With pain meds all of my pain is break through, my pain is only chronic in the sense that it happens about three times a day, every day, especially if I am active. W/o pain meds I am in chronic pain 24 hours a day. So, I started up with Actiq 200, and now I only need one Norco a day and two Actiq to live pain free. As far as I'm concerned, this drug is a miracle, because there is no | M | 51 | | 8/25/2005 | 5 | 7 Sinus and facial bone surgeries | BAD tooth decay. Sleepless nights. Bad night sweats. very quick pain relief. | I will sue if and when I find a way. I feel as the others, I WILL NOT give up my teeth without a fight. I had perfect teeth 4 years ago and I DID brush 3 times a day. It makes your mouth look like a crack users mouth. I was told today by my dentist I will lose 10 teeth. They are in such bad shape, they will not even take a filling. Is it me or are these teeth 90 - 95% on the upper and lower SIDES??? That is where the instructions say place the pop. Please email me if you want to try for class action. Remember it takes a small few to start, then everyone else joins up. But the few to start have a larger share for causing and starting the suit. Stadol lost several million dollar law suit and it is still selling like hot cakes. | M | 44 | 3.5 years | 10/26/2005 | 1 | Chronic Pain | The drug was very helpful for pian, BUT IT RUINED ALL MY TEETH AT THAT TIMR THERE WERE NO DENTAL WARNINGS AND I HAVE LOAT MORE THAN HALF MY TEETH. THE TOTAL BILL IS GOING TO APPROACCH 6 FIGURES. | AVOIDI ACTIQ, YOUR TEETH AREN'T WORTH IT. ANYONE KNOW OF A GPPD LAWYER [email protected] | F | 45 | 12 days | 12/7/2005 | 1 | For Sickle Cell Disease | Damages your teeth | M | 31 | 2 years | 12/17/2005 | 5 | Severe abdominal pain | Absolutely none | I have been using 5 1200 mcg a day for two years and my pain has been well controlled. Had to use it as my main pain med because all of the others I tried (methadone, oxycontin, etc) gave me severe side effects due to the amount of other medications I was taking for other problems. Now my pain doctor is getting out of the business because he can't take the political pressure and no other doctor in southwest Michigan will prescribe it. They won't give their real reason for not prescribing; they are trying to say they're afraid someone will break into your house and steal it or a child may get it but can't they get the other drugs prescribed too? Totally assinine coming from medical professionals. Let's just be honest. So now I have to use drugs that are not as effective and will probably end up back on my couch with a heating pad and of no use to anyone, not my husband, daughter or anyone else, most of all to myself. I'm sorry about other people and their teeth, but I would trad | F | 49 | 2 years | 1/2/2006 | 3 | breakthru pain from spinal cord inj | quickly renders all other pain killers useless, ie Duragesic patch, Neurontin, Cymbalta, Percoset yada, yada, yada. It's the 'atom bomb' and everything else becomes the equivalent to a metaphorical 'firecracker'. Very constipating (creates blockages), tightens muscles or nerves (not sure but too much hurts) MOST OF ALL: --It becomes your only relief from neurogenic pain. --It is addictive --It is expensive --There is no substitute. --I read that CalMed has recently excluded it from prescription coverage. --It eliminates need for any other pain killer (breakthru becomes only pain you pay attention to) --It's real bad for your teeth. IT WAS A DESIGNER DRUG FOR TERMINALLY ILL CANCER PATIENTS. FOR THOSE UNFORTUNATE PATIENTS, THE NEGATIVE SIDE EFFECTS BECOME MOOT RELATIVE TO THEIR MAIN STRUGGLES. IF ACTIQ CAN GIVE THEM SOME PAIN RELIEF IN THEIR FINAL DAYS, THEN IT SERVED ITS INTENT. | IF YOU ARE SCI AND TRYING TO SURVIVE, ACTIQ BECOMES YOUR CRUTCH. I HOLD MY PHYSIATRIST RESPONSIBLE FOR MY ADDICTION. ANYTHING FOR BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE. | M | 46 | 3.5 years | 2/18/2006 |
ACTIQ (FENTANYL CITRATE): This medication is used to help relieve sudden (breakthrough) cancer pain in people who are regularly taking moderate to large amounts of opioid pain medication. Fentanyl belongs to a class of drugs known as opioid (narcotic) analgesics. It works in the brain to change how your body feels and responds to pain. This medication should not be used to relieve mild or short-term pain (such as due to headache/migraine, dental procedures, surgery). FDA Approval Date: 1998-11-04 (Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare Services, FDA)