Fentanyl Transdermal System and Pain: What Users Say

• Dou...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 8, 2013

For Chronic Pain "After years of all the other opioid pain pills, I was put on Fentanyl 25mcg. Initial problems getting the patch to stick, I contacted the manufacturer, and they were very helpful. They have supplied Askina film dressings to cover the patch, and they never fall off anymore. TegaDerm patches work very well also. I was also increased to one patch every 48 hours since it seems to wear off long before 72 hours. I do leave them on for 72 hours but alternate locations every 48 hours. What a difference. Very little pain, if any, and I'm no longer loopy or half asleep all the time. Fentanyl has been a blessing for my lower back and leg pain. By the way, I suffer from lumbar spinal stenosis. Hope this is helpful to others."

• Fin...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 20, 2014

For Chronic Pain "I have had 5 back surgeries in four years with the last one being a double fusion at L4 to S1. This last surgery failed again, and they are now considering another one to fuse my lumbar spine all together. I have been on Fentanyl patch along with Percocet for three plus years. I take 150 mcg every 48 hours along with ten Percocet a day and still in pain. I just wish I could find something that relieves the pain to at least allow me somewhat of a better life. Right now I am basically housebound and depressed and sometimes very angry."

• cal...
• March 10, 2014

For Chronic Pain "I have been using fentanyl on and off for about 4 years. I had spinal fusion done on L2-L5, also, out of the 8 screws in my back, the doctors left one of the screws with the sharp point on it, so it jabs into my back muscle. I have tried every pain medicine on the market and have to say fentanyl works the best. I no longer wake up from pain. It is, in my opinion, the best pain medication available on the market. I used to have to get it off the streets because no doctor believed I was in pain (I am in my 30s), now I finally found a doctor who prescribes it to me, God bless him for it. I'm using 50 mcg every 48 hrs. I still get a little pain after any activity that stresses my back, so I might ask to try 75 mcg, but I am glad I have these patches."

• jod...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 2, 2013

For Chronic Pain "I had C-4, 5, 6, 7 fusion that went awry when they accidentally hit my spinal cord. I was originally put on 75s, but my feet would hurt so bad in the morning. I read that it was due to too much in my system, so I had them lower my dose to 25 mg. But I put a new one on every 48 hrs. (leave them in place for 72), so I am basically putting a patch on every other day. I wear them on my chest area so they don't get rubbed a lot and tend to stay in place."

• Hea...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 20, 2023

For Pain "I was switched from the Mallinckrodt 75 mcg patch to the Mylan 75 mcg patch, and ever since then, I have been in constant pain. With the Mallinckrodt patches, I could sometimes run out of my Percocet 10 mg a few days early without experiencing withdrawal symptoms, as long as I had my Mallinckrodt patches. I never ran out of patches. Now, with the Mylan patches, I can't tell any difference in pain relief from Day 1 to Day 3. I am always in pain. When I was using the Mallinckrodt patches, I would only experience pain on Day 3. It's worth mentioning that my insurance coverage has changed, and I now have state-provided insurance, which may be a factor in the difference in patch effectiveness. If anyone else has experienced this problem or has any information or insights to share, please let me know. I'm desperate for any helpful input."

• BBB...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 5, 2016

For Chronic Pain "I have had bad back, neck, and shoulder pain for 12 plus years. My doctor's tried several times doing guided steroid injections, and for several hours after the injections, I would feel pain-free. Once the numbing agent wears off, the pain returns to normal. They tried transdermal compounded creams as well as NSAIDs and oral medications. Some of the oral medications worked but not long enough. I would take one at bedtime, and 5 to 6 hours later, I would wake up in pain and couldn't go back to sleep. I was only allowed to take 3 a day, so if I used one at bedtime and one near morning, I had nothing through the day. The patches worked well, but they tend to roll up and fall off. I am told not to put tape over them. Not sure what to do about that."

• BBB...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 5, 2016

For Chronic Pain "I have had bad back, neck, and shoulder pain for 12 plus years. My doctor's tried several times doing guided steroid injections, and for several hours after the injections, I would feel pain-free. Once the numbing agent wears off, the pain returns to normal. They tried transdermal compounded creams as well as NSAIDs and oral medications. Some of the oral medications worked but not long enough. I would take one at bedtime, and 5 to 6 hours later, I would wake up in pain and couldn't go back to sleep. I was only allowed to take 3 a day, so if I used one at bedtime and one near morning, I had nothing through the day. The patches worked well, but they tend to roll up and fall off. I am told not to put tape over them. Not sure what to do about that."

• Rel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 15, 2018

For Chronic Pain "To be 100% honest with you, I tried fentanyl for about a month or so, and the first patch at 12.5 micrograms actually worked and lasted about 2 hours, but then it suddenly stopped working, so the doctor upped my dosage to 25 micrograms, then up to 50 micrograms, and then she skipped it to 100 micrograms, and they didn't do anything. I had no nausea, no pain relief, no stomach cramps, absolutely nothing, and I was wasting money on this stuff that did nothing. So I would definitely stay away, and plus these patches were only going on my skin, one patch every 3 days, which is absolutely ridiculous. A waste of time... and for a 400-pound man that has severe, severe chronic back pain, I could have easily used four or five patches a day, easy, that's if they worked. I'm just going to say this: stick to fast-acting medications because they work for me."