Actiq for Breakthrough Pain User Reviews

• bla...
• December 6, 2008

"This medication was like a miracle for me. I'm on two other narcotics, but they hardly touch the pain. With this, I feel as good as I did 13 years ago before I became disabled. Use responsibly as your doctor prescribes. This is by far the most relief I've ever had."

• Don...
• September 16, 2016

"Used several years ago. I was prescribed the fentanyl patch for 72 hours (3 days). Actiq was prescribed for breakthrough pain. What a Godsend! Finally, research supported that people have differing degrees of metabolism, and my patch was changed to every 48 hours. Still, fentanyl in the patch for around-the-clock pain control WITH the Actiq lollipop-type medication for 'breakthrough' pain was a lifesaver. I was a mother of 3 boys with the severest form of neck, back, and fibromyalgia, putting my pain level off the charts. This med allowed me (after taking a dose of Actiq) to 1) go grocery shopping, 2) take, pick up, and volunteer for a whole hour, 3) cook dinner and go to church, and lastly, 4) participate in activities lasting 1 hour."

• Anonymous
• December 8, 2008

"I have sinus cancer (twice), and I am left with recurring 'ice cream headaches.' The relief from Actiq has been virtually miraculous. It takes effect within minutes, and it doesn't make me feel as medicated as I did with Vicodin. One of the best things about Actiq is that I can regulate the amount of medication to match my breakthrough pain level. I don't have to take a pill, wait 45 minutes, then realize that it isn't working. Take yet another pill, and (another) 45 minutes later realize that I am over-medicated relative to my pain. When my doctor asked me how I was getting on with the Actiq, my answer was, 'Actiq gave me my life back.'"

• DPa...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 23, 2017

"Four major back surgeries. All failed to relieve severe chronic pain. Dozens of outpatient procedures, nothing worked. Finally diagnosed with severely permanent damage to nerves and discs (three removed, two destroyed) in the sacroiliac and upward area containing nerve and disc damage that cannot be resolved with surgery, "failed back surgery and severe chronic pain syndrome". High natural resistance to opiates since childhood, made worse by tolerance to opiates at a faster than normal rate. During the 20+ years of severe chronic pain, the introduction of Actiq was pivotal. Best things: 1. You control relief level (save rest of sucker for later) 2. Speed! Very fast relief from breakthrough, debilitating pain..."

• Jew...
• May 30, 2010

"I have used fentanyl for about one year for breakthrough pain when using Embeda or 120 mg of oxycodone as the primary medication. Actiq works extremely fast and quickly takes down the pain and related panic. I can also easily moderate the amount of fentanyl by removing the lollipop once pain relief has been achieved, thus avoiding overuse. I do not get the typical drowsiness of narcotics from fentanyl. My only complaint is that it is relatively short-acting and usually worn off at about 2.5 to 3 hours. As a result, I often have to use a less effective medication for breakthrough pain and need to ration the fentanyl."

• amb...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 7, 2013

"Overall, it has been good. I'm on OxyContin three times a day, long-lasting, then Actiq for breakthrough. It works much better than oxycodone, and I don't get sick or loopy from it. However, I do on occasion need to take two lozenges, as my doctor refuses to up either my long-lasting or the Actiq. Don't understand, as I am on very low doses and have been responsibly taking pain meds for more than seven years now. Overall, a very good pain med."

• Jac...
• October 23, 2014

"Mostly good, but my pain would be worse at night when trying to sleep. I would take a dose, and due to the 20-minute time to dissolve properly, I sometimes fell asleep with it still in my mouth, which over time has done massive damage to my teeth nearby the cheeks in every quadrant of the mouth. The dental work required is in the ten thousand dollar range, which I can't hope to afford. As a middle-aged man who is divorced, this causes problems with the ladies, and I don't blame them."

• lou...
• April 25, 2010

"I was essentially mis-prescribed Actiq when I should have been getting fentanyl patches for my cancer pain. This caused problems with both bolus dosing (transient overdosage) and the build-up of opioid tolerance with the Actiq that have not been nearly as great a problem with fentanyl patches. Other patients may have different experiences; however, for chronic cancer pain, the patches might be considered before the use of Actiq."

• leb...
• August 21, 2009

"When on this medication, along with a long-acting pain medication, I feel this helps to wean down my pain levels."