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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2003 >> How effective is the Duragesic Pain Patch?
        
(Message started by: ClstrHeadSupport on Oct 28^th, 2003, 6:02pm)

Title: How effective is the Duragesic Pain Patch?
Post by ClstrHeadSupport on Oct 28^th, 2003, 6:02pm

I am new to the site and have spent the past few days reading all of the posts on the Medications, Treatments, Therapies boards. I've heard the Duragesic Pain Patch mentioned a few times. I'm just curious how effective this is, and for how many of you? Does it prevent them all together? It doesn't sound like something that is used as an abortive. My fiancee has Episodic CH. He's currently on Stadol. We're trying to find something as effective.

Title: Re: How effective is the Duragesic Pain Patch?
Post by Jimmy_B on Oct 29^th, 2003, 8:26am

The Duragesic (Fentanyl Transdermal System) is a strong narcotic that delivers the potent pain med. Fentanyl into your system through a patch that's adhered to the upper body. It's available in 25, 50, 75, & 100 micro-grams per hour strength. Each patch will deliver the med for up to 72 hours & the 50, 75, & 100 mcg/h strengths are only for people that are already on and tolorant to opioid therapy.

It is (IMHO) a bad choice for Episodics. Since it takes up to a week or two to titrate the dose properly & then must be slowly withdrawn upon stopping. Since most Cluster cycles only last 1 or 2 months...it doesn't make much sense. Also it can & most likely will cause dependence & the user will go through a "Withdrawal Syndrome" upon stopping the drug. Ther is also a 4 to 5 percent chance that the user will become addicted to Narcotics upon habitual use.

Narcotics for Clusters are used as a last resort. Try the other meds available:

Good Luck

Title: Re: How effective is the Duragesic Pain Patch?
Post by Karla on Oct 29^th, 2003, 3:31pm

I use duragesic patch. Check your pm.

Title: Re: How effective is the Duragesic Pain Patch?
Post by gore2424 on Oct 30^th, 2003, 1:37am

I also wear patch 100 ug/h been working for me for 10 months. Only thing I am on . I am not on any preventives either just patch. Plus Dr gives me 10 mg morphine to have at house just in case. He will only give me 4 per month but thats ok only been using 2 so far so have 5 saved and next week will have another helps me when even the patch forgets to do its job. PS I as take antidepession and anixity meds too. Just have to watch you dont go into lalala land too much. I have worked my way to the 100 but since i got a lot of stess relieved from me in about a month i will try to go down to a 75. Plus cutting doen on others too. BTW been chronic for 3 years. Spring and Fall only before for 15 years.

Title: Re: How effective is the Duragesic Pain Patch?
Post by hdbngr on Oct 30^th, 2003, 12:10pm

The Duragesic helped quite a bit. It's not for acute pain treatment, but it takes the edge off if you are chronic and have daily pain. It's neither an abortive or a preventative, but will treat low to mid-level pain. It doesn't work for everyone, and should not be used for episodic treatment. Oral meds don't stay in my stomach, so this was a blessing for me.

The first patch you apply will take about 12-24 hours to start working and may feel sedating for the first week or so. It's convenient because you only have to change them every three days. Hot showers or summer weather can cause the patch to drain more quickly, so the patch might go "dry" before the three days are up. It's best to stay cool and keep it out of the sun.

It is a controlled substance, so the scripts are written in one month supplies on a special script that must be picked up at the Doctor office personally. They can't just call it in to the pharmacy. This limits the chance of misuse or overuse. You get a thirty day supply. If you use that up before the end of thirty days, you would be stuck.

I started out with a 25 microgram patch two years ago. It didn't help, so they upped it to 50 mcg, which did. After three months, I took a med break for 6 months, then went back on it last year. Your body gets "acclimated" so after six months the 50 mcg was no longer effective. I went to 75 mcg for the next six months. When that quit helping, I started a wean to go off of it, rather than up my dosage again. The wean takes about a month and can be very unpleasant if you have been on it for longer than 6 months. Possible to self-detox, but a "yuck" experience.

I didn't realize how much relief it provided until I went off of it, but the breaks are necessary.

Title: Re: How effective is the Duragesic Pain Patch?
Post by Svenn on Oct 30^th, 2003, 12:18pm

Have tried the pads,and it kill hits up to kip7-8.My personal opinion is that the sidefeects of the pads is worse then what we can win by using it.

My advice is to take the time to test/try the other meds for us
There is a lot of new meds/combination of new meds out there

See no reson to get addicted before you have tried the other meds.

Just read and learn.

Pop a question here and you get good answers from our friends here in Clusterville

Take Care

Svenn