Anyone take Fentanyl patch? I was on Kadian 30 mg/day and my

[Maraya1969]

doctor just gave me Fentanyl 25 mcg/h I was excited about taking something new because the Kadians seem like they do nothing. But now that I read the insert I am scared to death to put the patch on. And then maybe I went to the wrong GOOGLE page but the whole thing was about how deadly the patch can be if it breaks and whatthefuckever gets into you too much. I checked the strengths though and I am on the second lowest dose so that made me feel better.

So I just took the Kadian and will wait until tomorrow and hopefully I can find out more about it. My doctor told me that he cannot prescribe "as is" drugs like Lortab anymore and they are the ones that work the best. He kind of suggested I ask my primary care doctor and even said, (because I have had a real bad week) that the doctor can call him and he will assure him that he does not believe I am trying to abuse drugs.

I read all about pseudo addition where people in real pain look like drug addicts to the doctors but they are just looking for relief. That's me too. I am so stressed as I type this because of the pain. This doctor is treating me for problems with my neck but the real problem now is my stomach, (which I have had all my life.....dyspepsia.....it causes a lot of pain and is very poorly treated at least in this country. And I know opiate are constipating but you've got to weight the good against the bad)

[Warpy]

1. I've seen classic drug seeking behavior in patients who

were just a couple of days out from open heart surgery when Nurse Tylenol had taken care of them for 12 hours. I saw drug seeking behavior in my poor old tomcat before he died, he would come looking for that medication and hold still while I gave it to him, poor kitty. People in pain can and do exhibit classic drug seeking behavior, so that experienced professionals know that the behavior is proof of exactly nothing by itself.

As for the Fentanyl patch, it's safe when used as directed. If you have some sort of accident, like a knife slips while you're cutting up a potato and pierces the patch, just take it off and replace it. Call the doc and tell him/her what happened, and keep the patch to show him/her.

You have to work pretty hard to put a hole of any type in those things. Junkies run into trouble when they cut them open because they're just not used to drugs that are measured in micrograms instead of milligrams.

The problems with drugs like Lortab are the short duration of action and the upper limit for the dosage. Oh, the hydrocodone won't hurt you, but that much Tylenol will.

Most docs will prescribe a long acting opioid plus something for breakthrough pain. However, people who are on an adequate dose of something, pill or patch, will not experience much breakthrough pain. Many are able to use NSAIDs like Motrin for the breakthrough pain they rarely get.

Good luck.