Use of the fentanyl dermal patch.

@kenc
Yes, it was very effective for me although it didn't completely get rid of my back but I was active while taking it. Perhaps I should have taken the 100 mcg my doctor prescribed but I wanted to take as little as possible so I asked for 75mcg then 50 mcg but settled on 75mcg.
It also helped my Neuropathy.
The only side effect I had was constipation.
I know a nurse who takes it for back pain which it controls completely.
I never required an increase in the dose for the years I stayed on it. When I quit I asked my doctor for the 12.5 mcg patches and reduced my dose by that amount every month I never had any withdrawal effects.
I'd be concerned about starting fentanyl if you haven't been taking opioids.
Take care,
Jake

Photo of a lethal dose of heroin compared to fentanyl.

Thank you. Your reply was very informative.

I've been on the fentanyl patch for 13 years and it's very effective. My Mayo doctor decided to start tapering me off without my consent, that should be illegal, and I have so much pain I can barely walk. I'm looking at moving back to Colorado and forgetting the surgeries I came here for. Makes me very angry. And nobody at Mayo will listen to me. If you start on the patch start slow. Start with the 12 mcg. I actually only wore mine 12 hours per day and that was plenty. But that was due to the type of pain being treated at the time. Good luck!

So many doctors are cutting back on the use of opioids to treat pain, when there is no reason to do so, if managed properly. My GP said that in order for a MD to prescribe opioids the doctor must have a license to do so. He said, there are 2 that should be obtained in order for the doctor to prescribe the correct medication. (However this could be state mandate.) Also, my research revealed that hospitals may not be held to the same level of scrutiny as a private physician. So, maybe try seeking out a Clinician who is employed by the hospital . Good luck in your quest to find a suitable treatment for your pain.

Unfortunately, IMO, each state makes their own rules re Rx of opioid, and it's a mess. It's the political rebound from the illicit drug use/unscrupulous practices of prescription meds layered upon the use of illegal drugs. Chronic pain patients have been dumped in many places. Colorado was actually a better case for my husband to re eive care. The southeast USA is a nightmare. In Colorado he could get a 90 day rx, see doc in person every 6 months IIRC. In other states it's every 30 days and jump through hoops, getting the pharmacy to fill. Have to call.and chat with our lovely pharmacist every day of renewal, to verify it will go through. Same dose of 20 mg per day for 15 years, never abused the meds or the system.

...and yet the distribution and use of illicit narcotics is increasing. So much for the "War on Drugs".

My husband and I wore Fentanyl patches in 2007 or 2008 and found them very helpful. The only problem was if we were in the sun the patch would almost give us too much Fentanyl and made us very dizzy and nauseous. They may have fixed them by now. Also, we would get rashes at times from them. Good luck, it is crazy how hard it is to get pain relief when you have a history documenting all of the therapies you have tried or are trying. Doctors seem to go from one extreme to another without taking into account a patient's quality of life.

Your reply is much appreciated...thank you.

Sounds like something I need to try. Have lots of lower back muscular pain from walking or standing up. Have been taking Tramadol for years and was never sure that it did any good. Down to 50mg daily, but could quit that at any time. I also take PreGabalin for neuropathy related issues. GabaPentin was useless, but the Pregabalin is a blessing. I need to check with my doctor about the Fentanyl.

Hi. My husband has been wearing a fentanyl patch 50 mcgh for the past 10 years. He also takes one vicodin (10/325) three times a day. The first8 years it was very helpful. The last two years, he went from 37 and a half mcgh of fentanyl to 50 mcgh because the fentanyl stopped working, but he is still in a lot of pain from old lower back surgeries/scar tissue and neuropathy in his feet from the damaged nerves from the back. The doctor won’t increase the opioids and he would love to find something to relieve his pain. We got medical marijuana but that hasn’t helped either…….so discouraging.