Butrans and Headaches: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 10, 2012

For Pain "Fantastic, at first. I received relief from fibro pain throughout my body and some rheumatoid arthritis pain. (Oddly, I did experience a new pain in the very center of my lower back after beginning Butrans). Once I increased to 20 mcg, after 2 days of applying the new patch, I would vomit, have nausea and headache. Then, my depression got so bad, almost to the point of hospitalization. Butrans did help with my pain, but the side effects were just too much."

• Man...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 16, 2020

For Chronic Pain "DON'T GET THIS PATCH!!!!! My pain doctor removed me from 40 mg extended relief oxycodone and IR morphine 30 mg to 10 mcg Butrans patch. I went into heavy withdrawals, and the patch caused a migraine 24/7. I was told that the patch would keep me from withdrawing, and that wasn't true! Even after my withdrawals got better, the patch still didn't work on my pain. And the side effects of headache, diarrhea, stomach aches are just not worth it!!!"

• Anonymous
• January 25, 2012

For Pain "The patch started off as a great alternative to the other options, but I quickly had too many issues with it to continue using it. It constantly peels off, leaves big red itchy bumps, loses its effectiveness after about 4 days, makes me dizzy, nauseous, light-headed, races my heart, and gives me headaches. Too bad because it really killed the pain. Never mind the cost."

• Anonymous
• September 27, 2011

For Pain "I have been using Butrans for 2 months now. I have scoliosis, cervical, and lumbar bulging discs. I do get relief from the patches, but it doesn't take the pain completely away. I am also prescribed Vicodin for breakthrough pain episodes. My main complaint is HEADACHES! I have been having the worst headaches, so I discontinued the patch for the past week and a half. I am going to resume it today. I will let you know if it's the patch or something else. I am hoping I can continue with the Butrans because it does give me relief."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 27, 2015

For Pain "I have a broken tailbone and an L4 fracture, didn't want pain pills so Dr. prescribed Butrans. Within 1 hour of putting the 5 mg patch on, I was dizzy and lightheaded. I went to bed and woke up still in pain and still dizzy. Day 2 nausea kicked in and still dizzy, by after I had to call Dr. because I had a bad headache and was very nauseated. Took Dramamine and it helped a little. Day 3 - I felt very out of it when I woke up, by 11 am, I was extremely nauseated, dizzy, and shaking. Took a Dramamine and ate lunch, this did not help, I felt horrible at work. I took the patch off at 12 noon and had to leave work. I am home and it's 6 hours later, shaking has stopped, still very nauseated and dizzy. Very upset because the back pain had almost been totally gone."

• Fib...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 26, 2014

For Chronic Pain "My doctor first prescribed these for me at the 10 mg dosage as many of her fibromyalgia patients did well on them. When I first started to use them, the side effects were awful: headaches, lightheadedness, dizzy spells that came on out of the blue, severe nausea. But after the first patch, the symptoms seemed to ease when I would place the patches on my thigh or arm. Then by the 2nd box, I noticed they weren't doing anything for the pain. So my doctor upped the amount to 20 mg. I started to take the first of those patches this week. Side effects were tripled. After going for a 4-mile run, I came home and felt like I was going to pass out. This turned into my vomiting violently for 20 minutes. Don't know that I'll continue; pain has dulled."

• 50o...
• April 30, 2017

For Chronic Pain "On it for a month, and I'm having bad side effects. Extreme restless arms and legs, enough that I can't sleep in the same bed as my husband. Slight headache, nausea, extreme fatigue... can't function, and my pain is okay, as long as I don't do any gardening or heavy housework. Right now, I can barely make dinner. I'm so very tired all the time. I had to go on this med because we just retired, and my Medicare drug insurance will not pay for what worked so well before... then there was a quality of life... now I'm not doing so well."

• She...
• September 20, 2015

For Chronic Pain "I've been on Butrans 10 mcg since July. Today I noticed that my shirt, right where I had the patch, was wet. I checked the patch and I could see a liquid seeping from the patch. With today being Saturday, I couldn't reach my doctor, so I got ready and went to the pharmacy. I guess the way I was feeling could be described as being extremely 'high' and very jittery! Also, my head hurt and I was nauseous! The pharmacist told me to remove the patch right away, and she gave me a piece of paper to stick it on and a zipper bag to close it up in. She said I was getting the full week-long dose all at once, so I was in jeopardy of overdosing if I wouldn't have caught it sooner! I don't know if I want to put another one on!"

• CPG...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 6, 2022

For Chronic Pain "These patches don’t work at all! I have suffered for nearly 10 years with pain from osteoarthritis, which has caused numerous severe painful disorders such as stenosis, spondylitis, spondylolisthesis, radiculopathy in both my spine and neck, with painful cysts and bone spurs in both areas along with MS, and I am not even 50 yet. I have tried these patches twice now in the last 2 years, and as another reviewer said, you might as well stick a Band-Aid on. I was started on the 7.5 mcg and told to put on a second patch in a few days if that wasn’t helping. Other than a very bad headache after applying the second patch the first night, I have not experienced any other side effects, and I am so sorry for the people who have. In my opinion, these patches are absolutely useless, and it’s so sad that we all have to suffer. Good luck to all…"

• sev...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 21, 2023

For Chronic Pain "I have had osteoarthritis lumbar and cervical for the past 30 years with no significant pain relief. I saw a pain management team who at first refused all opioids but was finally prescribed Butrans 5 transfer patch. Remove the foil package and hold the patch in your hands to warm it up for at least 30 seconds. You're warming the glue on the patch up, nothing else. Make sure wherever you're placing the patch has been thoroughly cleaned beforehand. Once it's on, you cannot remove it for 7 days. The intense itching was irritating. I used a back scratcher to gently scratch around the patch. I started to feel sick on day 4, then I had an intense headache. I now have to take an anti-sickness tablet every day to stop feeling sick. I have no pain at all because of this little patch. I can now start to walk a bit more."

• wil...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 9, 2016

For Chronic Pain "I have chronic Lyme disease, which has caused chronic pain. The doctors have tried just about everything, but nothing seems to help. I was on 125 mcgs of fentanyl with 32 mgs of Dilaudid and still in full-blown pain 24/7. I was detoxed off the fentanyl with Suboxone (not a pleasant experience), and the hope was the Suboxone would address my pain, but it didn't. The doctor seemed to think the BuTrans patch 20 mg might help, so I started on it six days ago. I don't feel a huge difference pain-wise, but I have had nonstop headaches and a total lack of motivation to do even the smallest of tasks. I really don't know if I should continue on it, whether the headaches will slowly subside, or if I should tear the patch off so I don't have to go through withdrawal."

• Nj ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 15, 2016

For Chronic Pain "I switched from 15 mg methadone for my chronic pain to a 20 mcg Butrans patch 2 days ago. I was sick of taking pills every day, and I liked the idea of a patch. I wouldn't say I got a buzz from the methadone, but it definitely helped my pain, and it gave me a little kickstart. I've worn this patch for 48 hours now, and I have had a horrible headache and stomach pains since I started this. The pain is under control, but no 'kick,' and the headache is miserable. Going to try something different next week with my PM :("

• Jes...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 4, 2022

For Chronic Pain "I have been taking Dilaudid in pill form for a while now. That worked wonders for my back pain, but I wanted something with a longer duration for pain around the clock without taking too many pills. My doc put me on Butrans. I’ve had the patch on for 5 days now. It’s not helping the pain as well as Dilaudid, plus it’s giving me very bad anxiety and depression, also headaches, and I’m not sleeping well. I think I’m going to go back on my pills because Butrans is making me feel too weird."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 11, 2023

For Chronic Pain "Was put on a 20 mg patch for chronic back pain due to blood cancer. Was on this strength for over a year. Started to notice irritability around day 5. The pain was a lot better, so lowered it to a 10 mg patch, still noticed around day 5 irritability crept in. A couple of days after applying the new patch, I would wake up with a sickly headache and vomit. I was also becoming dependent on them. I would get anxious, agitated, and irritable around days 4/5. So, decided to come off them. Went to the doctor, he lowered it to the lowest dose of 5 mg for 2 months. I'm a month in and still having withdrawal symptoms, it's horrible. These patches did work for me pain-wise. Please be aware long-term use will get you addicted, and yes, you do have withdrawal symptoms from them. Can't wait till I'm off them and they are out of my system."

• Qua...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 20, 2016

For Chronic Pain "Not effective for me. I think it's a placebo. I experience severe headaches. Was really not effective for them."