Fentanyl Patches for Fibromyalgia I h

@GLOJO1 hi I've been on fentanyl patches for years. I also tried the butrans patches. You've got to remember that fentanyl is stronger than morphine and it takes time for your body to adjust to such strong medication. Headache,  nausea etc is normal but obviously if you're on the patches for a while and are still having the symptoms then speak to your gp about changing them.  What strength are you on? 

Oh thankyou so much for your advice. Ive only just read the advice that you sent me  ..I haven't been on here for a while. Have felt too. On top of everything else, my SURGICAL CONSULTAN have told  me that my GALLBLADDER needs to be taken out. There's only 1 gallstone....But apparently it's the Gallbladder itself thats causing my Stomach Problems....I have to see my Anaesthetist now to see if he could give me a GENERAL ANAESTHETIC, because I have VALVULAR HEART DISEASE, COPD and i also have Asthma and ANGINA   NOT a very good candidate for a GENERAL ANAESTHETIC  .  Oh, ill just have to wait and see. I WISH THEY COULD TAKE THE FIBROMYALGIA PAIN AWAY AS WELL. Id better finish for now..... I feel like SCREAMING and screaming and shouting and swearing .Please keep in touch. 😭😨😭😭😱😰😨🤢😪😓😱😰 .they are me Take Care  and  Thankyou .Glojo x

@GLOJO1 I'll sorry to hear you need surgery. Our bodies go through so much as it is. I hope the surgery goes smoothly and you recover quickly.  I think i speak for all of us when i say that we all feel like screaming and swearing due to fibro pain so if you need to rant and let it all out then do so.  Do you have anyone you can talk to?  Might be good to have a heart to heart x

I’ve been on tramadol for over 10yrs it doesn’t touch the pain exhaustion but drops help a little with the restless leg I also get (but I do feel that tramadol probably gives me more symptoms and my body is definitely now reliant on it as when I try and stop taking it I feel agitated and shakey -horrible stuff ) but as yet I’ve found no alternative to help with the restless leg and definitely nothing to help with the fibro and Cfs I have so until I do I have to stay on these horrible things 

Hiya

I've just started on the patches was on 12.5 for a month my gp just changed them to 25. I change them every 3 days. I'm doing much better with these patches than I every did on butran patches. They seem to control my pain much better and it's not such a roller coaster of pain . Still have break through pain mind. But its early days on the new patches. 

I have plenty of conditions its helping the pain with.  But I cant take normal pain meds as I have phantom gallbladder attacks that are brought on by all pain medications it's been going for 10 years since my gallbladder was removed . Still undiagnosed.  But under investigation. 

Good luck with your operation and the patches 

I'm exactly the same as She-Ra ^^^ . Been on high doses of Tramadol for 15yrs, along with Prednisolone methotrexate gabapentin amitriptyline and more. Nothing really eases the pain but if I cut back in tramadol my legs are uncontrollable because if I try to keep still the pain is in unbearable. I walk around the house kicking furniture to try and shroud the nerve pain with physical pain. Taking boxes and boxes of medicine but getting worse month by month but frightened to stop them.

Hi I have fibromyalgia I was diagnosed about 9 years ago I tried patches many years ago I can't take ibuprofen due to having a heart attack 11 years ago so I'm expecting to deal with the pain with paracetamol not a good thing to be taking every day so I'm in constant pain so I decided to try CBD oil my Daughter helped me and she did all the reading up about it and I can honestly say it works I am not stoned it's the real deal from the USA . it helps me so much I wondered has anyone else tried it 

I have been on Fentanyl patches for 15 years initially for back pain after an accident. Since I have been diagnosed I have had a whole lot of other medication added. I know the last 18hrs before my patch needs changing my pain level increases. 

Hi to all,

With reference to the FENTANYL PATCHES.

I have been on these patches for many many years and for ME they are a godsend.

I had been prescribed numerous different pain killing medications but only got very mild relief, if any at all, then a new GP discussed and suggested FENTANYL PATCHES .

He started me at 25mg patches, with a slight improvement of relief, then over the next 20 weeks increased the strength and I found that 75mg gave me 'adequate' pain relief.

I continued on 75mg until a SEVERE FALL caused an INCREASE in MY PAIN, MY GP suggested increasing MY FENTANYL PATCHES to 100mg. I am STILL on 100mg patches, reapplied every 72hours/3days. I have now been at this level for a long time, I find that this level gives ME around 90% pain relief/control, it takes around 20 to 30minutes for the medication to 'kick in', if it's a NEW or a LATE application, but if you are able to stay with the 3 day replacement procedure you should get CONTINUOUS PAIN RELIEF. I apply my patches between 11pm and 2am on the due day. (eg. if its a wednesday application....... I apply my patch between 11pm weds to 2am thurs). This is because USUALLY this TYPE of 'DRUG' causes sleepiness/tiredness or drowsiness. HOWEVER, MY USE OF 'FENTANYL' HAS BEEN SHOWN AS HAVING THE OPPOSITE EFFECT ON 'ME', GIVING 'ME' A SLIGHTLY HIGHER LEVEL OF PAIN RELIEF, which gives 'ME' MORE ENERGY for a few hours the morning after application(my wife called it my 'SUPERCHARGED SESSION'){although I benefit from this extra energy 'AFTER MY' application, it REDUCES MY sleep pattern, to approximately 6hrs of sleep after the medication has taken effect, around 6.5hrs after application, hence the time period chosen for the application of my replacement patch}. This will undoubtedly 'NOT' be the same for everyone using this medication. AMAZINGLY I have NEVER SUFFERED WITH OR BEEN AFFECTED BY ANY OTHER NEGATIVE SIDE EFFECTS from THIS medication. I also have 25mg patches as a 'standby' additional application, for times of VERY SEVERE PAIN, as well as ORAMORPH for faster response times to the bouts of VERY SEVERE PAIN .

For the person with concerns with regards to this medication and asthma/copd,....I also suffer from acute asthma, I have NEVER had ANY ISSUES WHATSOEVER USING FENTANYL PATCHES affecting MY asthma, although I am aware that the misuse or abuse of the fentanyl patches can cause problems with this illness, but this is the same with ALL medication, they ALL have different side effects, your GP should be cross checking these and advising you respectively.

I am truly grateful to the MY NEW GP, for recognising that I required a stronger pain killer and ignoring the high cost of the fentanyl patches.

Without his foresight I would have continued to be in severe pain and unable to walk or complete simple everyday life tasks(those of us suffering from fibromyalgia will understand this)

HOWEVER, BEWARE OF INFERIOR PATCHES WITH DIFFERENT BRAND NAMES. THESE ARE NOWHERE NEAR AS AFFECTIVE AND THESE ARE THE PATCHES THAT I HAVE FOUND CAUSE THE SIDE EFFECTS.

INSIST ON ONLY BEING PRESCRIBED GENUINE FENTANYL PATCHES.

I hope that my comments with regards to this medication and my experience will help any others that are suffering from the effects of fibromyalgia and are unsure as to the effectiveness of fentanyl patches. If all other medication has failed to give YOU the BEST results in controlling YOUR pain, then surely it is worth giving this medication, at least a 12week trial, monitored by your GP, so that they can vary the strength, if necessary, if it does not seem to be working for you, at least it gives you and your GP an indication of the other medications they need to be aiming towards.

ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE THE PATIENT, YOU DESERVE THE BEST CARE AVAILABLE, NO MATTER WHAT THE COST. DO NOT LET YOUR GP TALK YOU OUT OF THE LATEST MEDICATIONS BASED ON THE EXPENSE TO THE NHS OR IN REALITY 'HIS/HER GP

PRACTICE', INSIST ON THE BEST CARE AND/OR MEDICATION AVAILABLE AT THE TIME, AND 'ALWAYS' ASK YOUR GP ABOUT 'ANY NEW MEDICATIONS OR TREATMENTS, FOR YOUR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE ""EVERY SIX MONTHS "". IF THEY ARE NOT HELPFUL, USE THE INTERNET, ITS A SIMPLE QUESTION TO TYPE INTO A SEARCH ENGINE........

"NEW OR RECENT TREATMENTS OR MEDICATIONS FOR (enter your specific illness)(if you have multiple conditions search for each one individually)"

Best wishes to all.

Paul

I have copd Have been on 25mg Fentynl patches for over 10 years Glojo Absolutely no problems at all