Butrans and Itching: What Users Say (Page 2)

• 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."

• Azp...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 30, 2015

For Chronic Pain "I saw in the comments that someone had an allergic reaction. I thought it was interesting. After 10 weeks of wearing the patch, I developed some itching around the edges. The next week, I had intense itching as if bitten by mosquitoes. I removed the patch and tried one more patch. The reaction started after 2 days, mild itching to a very discrete raised red patch the exact size of the patch. I don't know if it's the patch or the medication, but I will have to discontinue use. Too bad since it really worked well at alleviating my pain at night."

• Cla...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 3, 2017

For Chronic Pain "I was on tramadol for 3 years, and that didn't work. I was also taking Gabapentin for fibromyalgia. I started on the patch, 5 mg, then 10 mg. The 7-day patch helped a little for 3 days, then became very itchy and very sore and gave me an allergic reaction to my skin, raising it, going red and tender for 2 weeks after the patch was removed."

• Vgo...
• July 23, 2015

For Pain "I just started this yesterday, so I will continue to update on it. My low score doesn't indicate that it isn't working for me, just that it has not yet had a chance to. So far, though, I have been up the entire night itching. Not at the application site, but all over, just like I do when I'm coming down from morphine or other anesthesia after surgery. I hope that this passes because I'm very optimistic that this will work for me. My doctor just switched me to Butrans yesterday to replace Norco and baclofen because my breakthrough pain was just getting so frequent and so severe that the other drugs were worthless. Reading everybody else's stories, though, makes me feel very optimistic about Butrans."

• Tra...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 22, 2016

For Chronic Pain "Patch worked great at first. Now I'm on the 20 mcg, and the itching is killing me. Now I am having a hard time urinating after being on this patch for over 3 years. Guess I will have to be in pain again. Don't get me wrong, at first, this was amazing, but it's just not giving me the relief I need. Had to start using more breakthrough meds."

• cla...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 26, 2016

For Chronic Pain "Works most of the time, but I still take Tylenol 3 for breakthrough pain. Works better when placed on the upper body. Tried it on legs and butt and had lesser effect. Worst part about Butrans patch: the plastic medication patch is square. It digs into your skin. By day 2, I start to itch from the jabbing. When I remove it, I have 4 puncture wounds from each corner. Make it round!"

• Six...
• November 22, 2011

"Update from my comments on July 11. I have since been bumped up to 10 mcg, and it seems to be handling the pain very well. I am starting to experience that the patch seems to lose strength at about day 5 (that is why the Doc bumped me up to 10 mcg). Might have to pay another visit to see about 20 mcg. Have most of the same symptoms as everyone else... extreme itching at sites, etc. BUT, I am still very pleased with the results of the patch as opposed to taking multiple pills."

• ewi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 4, 2016

For Chronic Pain "I have been on the patches for about four months, and they really help. I have mild itching at the site and have little or no side effects. Sometimes I have a little dizziness. This may be due to the initial application being a little stronger upon the initial application. They are costly, so ask your doctor for a discount card."

• Ari...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 11, 2017

For Chronic Pain "Allergic reaction where the patch was. Red, blistering, and itching. Usually by the 3rd day."