Fentanyl and Drowsiness: What Users Say

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

Fentanyl 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."

• bac...
• December 16, 2010

Fentanyl for Pain "I was put on Duragesic when the MS Contin wasn't enough to control my chronic pain, osteoarthritis, and fibromyalgia, even with breakthrough medicines. At first, the patches worked well once I got up to a dose that worked. The only horrible drawback is that I live in the desert, and once the daytime temperatures got over about 90 degrees F, the patches began dumping more because of the heat. I finally had to quit using them due to side effects brought on by the high temperatures. Also, at times I would just fall asleep. I finally quit the patches altogether when I fell asleep driving and almost had a bad, bad wreck. I feel the patches work great for people who don't have to deal with high outside temperatures."

• Jew...
• May 30, 2010

Fentanyl for Breakthrough Pain "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."

• Pai...
• August 25, 2009

For Pain "For those of you whom the patch does not last the whole 3 days, or if your dose doesn't seem constant-try the MYLAN generic brand. It lasts the whole 3 days, and I never have any withdrawal symptoms! I take the 75 patch, and it is the ONLY brand that worked for me. I do also take 2 tramadol 50 mg every 4 hours also, but this is for the pain from my muscle spasms, which the patch never helps (for me). I also take muscle relaxers for the spasms, but I hate to take them because they make me drowsy. I have disc degeneration and nerve damage, and the pain wraps around my upper back to my chest area. On my worst days, I wanted to die. Thank God for this Fent Patch! PS-use rubbing alcohol to clean your arm first; major stickiness helps!"

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 5, 2017

For Pain "Had 6 surgeries for cellulitis advancing to sepsis. 60 days in the hospital. They discharged me with 2 weeks of oxycodone, a pretty high dose around 120 mg/day. My MD preferred Fentanyl patches with a low dose of hydrocodone for breakthrough pain. I definitely prefer the Fentanyl, no wild mood swings or sedation like the oxycodone. Just blessed pain relief. Only have to put the patch on every three days. It seems to weaken on the third day, so I use the hydrocodone, but it beats being tied to the very tight dosing of oxycodone, with all its weird baggage."

• MRS...
• October 30, 2011

Fentanyl for Pain "Scoliosis and multiple herniated discs in both my neck and lower back have required quite a few spinal surgeries but left me in chronic pain. Over the years, it has increased to the point where nothing was helping my pain. My pain doctor started me on Fentanyl 100 and slowly raised it to 150 over the course of a few years. Currently, I am able to control my pain to about a '4' out of 10 by adding OxyContin for breakthrough pain. Drowsiness and constipation are the most annoying side effects, but it's worth it to get my life back to semi-normal."

• bf3...
• November 1, 2011

For Pain "My pain is completely alleviated with this medication when in normal use. I am on a 3-day schedule in changing the patches. I did try to go on a 2-day schedule as well, but then I experienced too many unwanted side effects (drowsiness, feeling 'high', etc.), so I asked to go back to 3 days. After about 2 and 1/4 days, the patch doesn't seem to work, so the final 3/4 day I really start to feel the pain and withdrawal symptoms. I sometimes feel the loss of 'control' with the patch because of the time it takes for it to become effective and the amount of time it goes out of your system. In other words, if a patch rips (I've had 2 do so in the last year), I start to feel the medicine pouring into my system, and I have to immediately take off the patch."

• Chr...
• January 28, 2012

For Pain "Fentanyl was recommended by the hospital pain management team. I had been on it for 4 years, low dose 50 for 2 years, then the 75. They worked well until I was hurt in an auto accident, then had to move to the larger dose. Always had oxycodone for breakthrough. The downside is it does leave you groggy. Once your body is used to the medication, you have to constantly tweak your medicine. I recently changed medications, my head is clearer, but my pain is off the chart. I think I will be going back to the fentanyl if I can't find a better alternative."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 16, 2022

For Anesthesia "This was given to me in ambulatory surgery. I felt absolutely nothing from it, no sleepiness, dizziness, or altered consciousness. It was as if the doctors injected saline, which I suspect might have been the case. There really isn't any reason to complain other than the bill for one dose was over $1,000."

• Fat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 16, 2018

For Pain "Utter sleeplessness, extreme headache, brain burning, inside of skull on fire, severe twitching of limbs, confusion, inability to focus, total loss of memory, total loss of appetite, neurological issues, visual."

• Blu...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 9, 2017

Fentanyl for Chronic Pain "Constipation and sedation, but great pain relief."