I was on 120 mg avinza,i could no longer afford it so my dr. switched me to 50mcg fentanyl patch?

Hey Tryn,

Avinza is Morphine in an extended release formula. But the actual drug is Morphine. So go to google.com and search for Narcotic Conversion Charts. There is a chart somewhere that gives conversions for different opiates to the Fentanyl patch. I had it last year. Or maybe it came in the box with the patches. If it does and you didn't get it, ask your pharmacist if he has it. But first try google.

Just a guess now, as I haven't used the Fentanyl patch in almost a year. But I think 120 mg of anything needs a stronger patch, like the 75 mcg. But don't take my word for it, because I'm guessing. Look it up.

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There can be other issues too. Which Brand of patch did you get? Look to see please. All the companies that make the Fentanyl patch make it a little different. Different people find different brands work best for them. This is something you need to work out with your pharmacist. If you don't have a good relationship with him/her, start to develop one. As a chronic pain victim, you need to be friends with your pharmacist.

The Mylan patch is unique, and some people love it. But it didn't work for me, and I never tried any others. Actually, the first 2 times I put one on they did work. But after that they didn't. At one point I had 150 mcg on at once, and I felt no pain relief. I concluded my skin wasn't absorbing the Fentanyl, and everyone I knew who was on it agreed with me. They all said that 150 mcg is a LOT of Fentanyl. I was advised to try the Name Brand. But I went back to pills. I feel pills are more reliable. If Avinza is too expensive how about MsContin? That's another time released Morphine pill that has a generic which is much cheaper. Ask your doc how about that. I think the patch is a beautiful thing if you can find the one that's right for you. There have been several questions on the Fentanyl patch lately. Read the other questions too. You can probably get good information there.

Let us know what happens.