[Donna618]

Hi I've been taking vicodin on and off for the last 8-9 years. I have three herniated discs that sometimes respond to other treatments (prednisone, epidurals) and when that happens I completely go off the vicodin. The past 4 years I've been on vicodin the whole time, but the dosages go up and down from 7.5/500 to 2.5/500 depending on my pain level. Well I finally went to a new pain management clinic since I hadn't found a treatment that worked in recent months to control my pain and the 7.5/500 were lasting me only 2 wks instead of the full month because the pain is so bad. I've just been put on the fentanyl patch, 25 mcg, generic made by Teva. At first I felt a little drunk and nauseous but that went away. I didn't get pain relief but thought maybe I needed awhile for it to kick in, but even now, 24 hrs later, I feel nothing. No woozy feeling but also no pain relief. At first I thought maybe it fell off, but nope, it's still there.

I'm wondering is this at all common? Does it sometimes take a few days to start working? Is it possible I got a dud batch that doesn't have enough meds in it? I mean I was told this was an extremely strong med, but I just want my vicodin back now, even if it wasn't really working it brought the pain down a notch or two, where these patches, just nothing.

[Donna618]

I guess these ones are too new and no one else here has tried them?

These patches still aren't doing anything at all. If I didn't know better then I'd say they are a placebo with nothing in them.

[Robert_325]

Originally Posted by Donna618

I guess these ones are too new and no one else here has tried them?

These patches still aren't doing anything at all. If I didn't know better then I'd say they are a placebo with nothing in them.

I hate fentanyl. It has all kinds of negative side effects, I try to talk every single person I see using them to stop.

Wait until it comes time to possibly get off those things. What a lovely detox fentanyl is.

Your dr is trying to start you at the lowest possible dose so you don't feel the negative effects. You're on a very small dose. Wait until you slowly get up to 100mg ... that's where the fun really starts.

I would choose a different medication, but that just me. I'm sure someone else will pop on here who will LOVE the patches. Not me. God bless.

[CPer]

The patch also takes awhile to begin to work fully, if this is your first time putting one on, I'd give it 6 hours. If you do not feel any pain relief, the mcg you are on is not strong enough. Your doc will need to titrate you to the right dose. I was put on 25mcg to start and it did nothing, then my doc put me on the 50mcg and I got great pain relief with that dose.

There is no question this is a strong medicine, but to many of us it gives us the ability to get back some of the quality of life we lost due to pain and suffering.

Cper

[Donna618]

I called my doctor yesterday and expect her to call back today. I'll raise the issue of withdrawl with her, Robert, and see if there is something else I could try instead.

CPer, it's been three days and I'm now on my second patch and, nothing. Just sometimes a very slight woozy feeling that goes almost as soon as I notice it.

The one thing that does concern me is that I have noticed having that "heart skipping a beat" feeling a few times. Would the fentanyl cause that? I'll ask my doctor about that too anyway.

[Cats Meow]

Donna, Duragesic isn't that new, we (I) know quite a bit about them, who is the Mfr of your patches? The generics are far inferior to name brand, they're reported to last somewhere around half as long. If you can, try sticking to Janssen's, and watch out for Sandoz's.
Whenever you have a med change it does take time to re-adjust, even going to stronger meds, so do give it more time.
About your heart "skipping a beat", I have a feeling it's just your imagination, but your brain can tell your heart to do funny things, you should mention it to your doctor if it persists.
I think another thing about your titration that you're noticing is, with IR drugs (like Vicodin) you're use to peaks and valleys, Fentanyl transdermal gives you a fairly steady serum concentration (until it wears off). And fyi, 25µg Duragesic is equivalent to roughly 30-60mg of Hydrocodone per day, you didn't say how many 7.5's you took in a day, but I assume 3 tabs, so you are on the right sized patch, and should be receiving adequate analgesia.

Hope this helps,
Cats

[Donna618]

Cat's Meow, I know that duragesic and fentanyl patches aren't new, but the ones I was using were because the manufacturer, Teva, just got the green light from the FDA to distribute them. I was wondering if that might be the reason they were less effective, because these didn't have the reservoir, they were extremely thin and I think all the meds were in the glue that held the patch on. They did stick on really hard and didn't move at all, which is good since I hear other brands have a problem with that. When I am in extreme pain I sweat bad too, and I am in extreme pain, and even with the sweating the patch didn't budge.

This morning my doctor decided to take me completely off them instead of upping the dosage. I'm being put on Kadian 30s instead.

[Cats Meow]

Oh, I didn't catch that they were made by Teva, Idk about their patches, but most people feel their products are inferior. I think you're right, it is too soon to tell. I'm sure the Duragesic patients will be complaining soon, they know better then anybody, this is the single most drug that I know of that has a constant.

[CPer]

Donna,

How is the Kadian working for you? This is the hard part about pain management, finding the right medication and the right dose. But once you do, hopefully you will be able to get the appropriate pain relief. I hope it's working well for you.

Cper