DURAGESIC-100 Reviews (FENTANYL)Average Rating: 3.9 (148 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare DURAGESIC-100 with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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Results are sorted by Date added. Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) |
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR DURAGESIC-100 | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 5 | severe peripheral neuropathy | None | M | 50 | 2.5 years | 3/7/2005 | 5 | Multi Level Lumbar Discogenic Pain | Sedation, very mild constipation, dizziness, minor short term memory problems, dry mouth |
I'm 23 and have had constant lower back pain for over 2 years. When I say "constant" I do mean "constant". I don't think I can stress that enough. I don't mean "constant" as in "it hurts only sometimes, but it hurts everyday." I mean that once it started, it never stopped or let up. Not one hour, not one minute, not one second, not one instant. I was not able to stay in school or hold a job. Everyday I wanted to kill myself. I spent a little over a year going to doctors: 2 GP's, an
internist, 2 orthopedic surgeons, 2 rheumatologists(one
at the University of Alabama Medical Center at About 8 months into this long quest, I changed my family doctor due to insurance reasons. This doctor wrote me a scrip for 45 hydrocodone 10/500’s. This was the first time I was able to get ANY relief and any meaningful sleep. Almost as importantly, I felt like someone finally believed me. That Dr. moved me to 7.5’s after about 2 weeks of the 5’s
being ineffective, and he changed the quantity to 60 per month. About that time
he referred me to a pain clinic. I went there and went through numerous tests.
More X-rays of course, another CT scan, a Bone Scan, several steroid and other
injections to test for facet joint problems and such things. Throughout all
this my pain doctor was still only writing the 60 7.5/500 hydros
that my GP had. I stayed on this for probably 6 months or so. It gave me about 30-40% relief. I changed pain doctors, again for insurance reasons, and also was referred to Johns Hopkins. Based on all my records and my severe constipation, they recommended that my Dr. put me on Duragesic. I started on the 75ug/hr patches. The pain relief on the 2nd day was breathtaking. I had entered a new world, a new life. However, the side effects were terrible: severe sedation, almost passing out when I closed my eyes, not being able to focus my eyes. So the following day I had my Dr. move me down to the 50ug/hr patches. It has been 15 days since then; I went in to get my refill
today and asked to move back to the 75’s, as the pain relief with the 50’s was
not quite what I’d hoped. It’s now | M | 24 | 28 days | 3/2/2005 | 1 | back/neck pain | My side effects were severe and frightening. I had blackouts and only vaguely recall the times I had the patch on. I did strange things, said strange things. It was a nightmare | F | 32 | 1 weeks | 1/29/2005 | 4 | back pain | blistering....but this is from the Tegaderm cover itself that I need to use over the patch to keep it in place. The patch itself does not cause my blisters | Does not last a full 72 hrs. Usually will have increased pain felt around 60 hr mark. I use the 100mcg. | F | 40 | 2 years | 1/23/2005 | 5 | complete degeneration of lumbar spi | constipation | M | 51 | 2 years | 1/17/2005 | 4 | atypical facial pain | vomiting when starting or going to a higher dose.used visteral with good results.severe sweating and had 20lb weight loss after 4 mos. | Medication does seem to wear off after 2 days and I have to take Vicodin for the breakthru pain which doesn't help much. But at least I'm not damaging my liver as I was with the Vicodin/Tylenol that I was taking every 3-4 hrs. The patch does not stick well at all and it should for the price we have to pay. I put the patch on then spread tincture of benzoin around the patch with a q-tip then apply tegaderm to cover it all. Just an old nurse's trick. Works very well but the tegaderm is also very expensive. I still am very happy to have good pain relief. | F | 63 | 4 days | 1/12/2005 | 4 | Chronic back pain, herniated disc | Nausea, tiredness, loss of appitite | I have had chronic pain for the past 4 years. This is teh first thing that has helped me. If anyone knows what can overcome some of the nausea I woudl greatly appriciate your help. | F | 25 | 10 days | 1/10/2005 | 5 | numerous orthopedic injuries | constipation,easily remedied,no other effects | I had a delay in getting a refill because insurance would no longer pay,the physical withdrawals were real nasty.But I guess that is true with all narcotic meds. | M | 48 | 3 months | 1/6/2005 | 4 | FMS, CFS | None unless I FORGET to change the patch on time and start going into withdrawals. | Has worked great for me for the past 4 years. I would love to be able to go off it, but different doctors tell me it would be so hard on my body (withdrawels) it would trigger a severe relapse. | F | 49 | 4 years | 12/30/2004 | 4 | Ruptured/disc/tumors/spinal/column | Constipation; but preventable by taking stool softner with mild laxative | I have had the pain since '95 and worked until I couldn't anymore (had other issues too) I went thru the mill taking narcotics that made me a walking zombie and it was great to get releif w/o the side effects of being a zombie; at first I didn't need anything else; but after time I had to add 10mg percocet 1-2 every 6 hours; but the script was for only 60 a month. I'm in extreme pain now; the right side of my neck; right shoulder cape; and right arm; I have to hold my right arm in place across my chest; this has been going on for over 2 months; I'm to see doctor tomorrow about increase of percocet or adding something else or changing to something else. I've been sitting in my recliner with my cordless mouse and keyboard looking for what to suggest. If anyone knows what to suggest I would appreciate a email [email protected] Thanks | M | 2001 years | 12/13/2004 | 3 | Chronic back pain | Slight nausea the first week (only two days). Some constipation but not enough to worry about | I started on 25mg. every 72 hours but it just did not do much. I am now on 50mg. It seems to be a little better but I still have a lot of lower back pain. I am seeing the doctor again on Friday, so I guess I'll see what happens then. | F | 54 | 3 days | 11/30/2004 | 4 | migraines | sleepiness, constipation | Has given me my life back, only drug I can take besides needles due to extreme nausea, can't keep any pills down. The sleepiness is hard to deal with, but had no life with pain. I like that there are no ups and downs like with pills or IM meds. Am on 50ucg every 72 hours, less pain relief on the third day, supplement with 10/325 mg percocet every 4 hours on third day. | F | 25 | 3 months | 11/15/2004 | 4 | M | 48 | 10 months | 11/15/2004 | 5 | Sugery | None. | Used in sugery. | M | 23 | 1 days | 11/5/2004 | 5 | Chonic LBP from HNP x 3 x 8 years | Only N&V at high doses. A little skin irritation. | This is a very potent opiate. The fatal dose is 1.036 mg for a 150 pound person. The patches have between 2.5 and 10.0 mg - many times a fatal dose. It's wise to recognize that you're wearing enough fentanyl to kill several people. So DON'T PLAY WITH THIS DRUG. It's analogs are even more potent, some of them thousands of times more potent, so don't try to alter the gel in any way or allow the patch to get too hot or too cold. If you play around with this drug, you might alter it and turn it into something that will kill you before you even know you're in trouble. At 20ng/mL, someone could crack your chest open and you wouldn't feel it. This was originally used as a surgical anesthetic. Just don't play with it. That said, this is the most effective narcotic I've ever taken (and I've taken just about all of them). It can be very frustrating, trying to get them to stick well, getting them fouled up and ruined. They can't be reapplied once they come off unless you have Tegaderm or Bioclusive. Janssen will ship you either one if you ask. Both of these are adhesives that cover the whole patch. Ask for the Tegaderm. Bioclusive is VERY STICKY and will take off skin when you remove it. The Tegaderm is easier to work with and that makes it less likely you'll get the patch folded up and stuck to itself. Cut the Tegaderm and just cover the edges of the patch. The Duragesic seems to be less effective when it's covered. There are no reinforcing side effects with transdermal fentanyl, so it might not be obvious to you that it's doing anything. There's no euphoria at any dose and no anxiolysis or feeling of relaxation. So be patient and just focus on your pain and whether or not it's better. If it's not, tell your doctor. A higher dose if preferable to changing to something else, in my experience, because I've found nothing that works as well. And I didn't realize how effective the fentanyl was until I changed it to something else. And realizing my mistake, I went back to fentanyl, got frustrated with it again, and changed to something else again. But the pain's back and I'll be changing back to fentanyl next week, God willing. If you have any intellectual curiosity (which by itself means you're smarter than our President) about the history of Duragesic - it's development and clinical trials, read: http://www.vtd.uscourts.gov/Supporting%20Files/Cases/02cv20.pdf Facinating reading. | M | 40 | 5 months | 11/4/2004 | 5 | severe fibromyalgia/CFIDS | slight constipation (control w/Colace), itching at patch site (control w/OTC cortisone spray and changing sites for each new patch), embarrassing | This drug keeps me from killing myself. I cannot be more blatant than that. Over 2 years I slowly titrated up to the 100 patch every 2 days and I have been there for more than a year (sometime in the next few months we'll probably go to 125), and I have Vicoprofen for breakthrough pain (up to 5 a day if I need to but usually I only take 1 or 2, some days none at all!). I love that I do not get the ups and downs in pain level as I do with oral medications, nor the severe constipation, nausea/vomiting, and mood swings. I changed over to this from methadone and the difference has been astounding. I am not pain free by a long shot but instead of lying in bed crying and considering suicide to escape the pain I have 4 hours up and around on an average day and another 4-6 hours I can read or use the Internet in bed with a laptop. It allows me to have something resembling a life and that life being worth living. I have been sick for 10 years and the last 3 have been better than the previous 7 were before that all put together! I am so grateful that I have Duragesic - and live in terror of losing my insurance, because a month's supply costs nearly a thousand dollars. | F | 33 | 3.5 years | 10/28/2004 | 4 | Severe lower back pain | Nausea, but that was controlled with Compazine | Began with the 50ug/h about 11 months ago. Helped, but still had significant pain. Dr. increased doseage to 75ug/h about 6 months ago and now to 100ug/h two weeks ago. Still have pain and am taking 10/500 lortab 2 tablets 4 times per day for breakthrough pain. Duragesic is first medication that has helped with pain, and if the pain increases, then I will be able to increase patch strength. | M | 55 | 1 years | 10/25/2004 | 5 | Chromnic pain after multiple spine | The only side effect I have had is mild constipation which resolved itself once I added more fiber at breakfast. | The Duragesic Patches are truly worth their weight in gold IF the Doctor who puts you on it increases the dose until the pain is mostly resolved. I do on occasion take break-through pain medication,Dilaudid, which is inexpensive. The lower the doseage you can deal with on the patches the better off you are as the longer you are on them you do build up to a tolerance to the drug. I have been on Duragesic Patches for nine years and am still only at 150ugh. Three hundred is the maximun dose but you definitely want to save those higher doses for critical life threatening complications down the road, ie. cancer. Duragesic Patches did not work for pain control after surgery for me and methdone had to be used, then down-graded to morphine and finally the Fentinal after the severe pain had resolved. If you are not getting good coverage in the hospital after surgery because the nurses cut back on your meds without the Doctors approval when you still need heavy pain control call in the pain doctors who work at the hospital, some nurses are relentless at not caring about your comfort level. It's dufficult being a chronic pain patient physically. Keep your resolve strong, your mind focused, and strive for a better life in the future. | F | 62 | 9 years | 10/22/2004 | 5 | Severe Spinal Pain/Fibromyalgia | See note below | The only comments I wanted to add regarding the Durgesic Patches are: 1. Duragesic Patches have given me the power to lead a somewhat normal life when my last three spine surgeries failed to give me any permanent relief and the pain became intolerable. 2. The ONLY MAJOR downside to the Duragesic Patches is the cost which is prohibitive when one does not have insurance coverage. This is tragic because some people who desperately need the Patches are totally out of luck. It is a drug that you can not just stop taking you must be weaned off of it and withdrawal is doable but very difficult. We chronic pain patients need to have to have some plan we can fall back on if we have lost jobs or insurance. No human deserves to suffer horribly just because they don't have the money to pay for this drug. PLEASE NOTE: If you are over 55 you can get a discount at K-Mart on the Patches which makes a huge difference. Remember it is not just the drug company which causess the price of the patches to be so high/ | F | 62 | 9 years | 10/22/2004 | 4 | back pain | sweating, dose lasting only 30 hrs, rashing & itching at application site,improved sex drive, | the dose need to be high enough to be effective | M | 40 | 3 years | 10/21/2004 |