Fentanyl Patch - How Long?

It is the same for all the doseages with the fentanyl patch.  What that means...17+ hours to reach a 50% serum level... is that after 17 hours your level of fentanyl is reduced to approx half of it was when you took the patch off.  The other half is disapated in a little more than 17 hours.  Snice fentanyl is stored in the fat under the skin where you had the patch, these times are approx..ie. the more fat the more time it will take..Hope this helps...Ray

I'm so skinny I have to run around in the shower just to get wet, Bromaze. I'd say 34-38 hours to be clean. What are you worried about here, an upcoming BT or UA?

for up to 72 hours, but by that time the dose would be so low that I don't think it would cause any problems.  Recently when I went to my doc for my 3 month appt. she asked me to do a UA for her...I said "no problem" as I have nothing to worry about.  Well, the patch  (I use transdermal fentanyl) I had on at the time had been there for going on 4 days, because  had lost one that month due to sweating issues.  Well, at the next visit she said "Ray, we have a problem"..that's something you dont want to hear from your doc.  I thought Oh, God...what now..Cancer...Hepatitis,..lol, HIV makes one extremely paranoid.  She said that I didn't test positive for fentanyl..I was floored.. I showed her the patch I had on and the adhesive marks where I had had the others on and she believed me and I offered to take another UA for her at my expense...she said that wasn't necessary.  Well, I went to the lab where they do the testing.  I have a friend who works there.  They do in house testing..It's a university hospital.  Anyway, he pulled up my labs and said it wasn't that I didnt test positivie for it, it was just below the "cutoff" level, and the computer automatically reports this as negative.  So I got him to print that out for me...chart and all and took it back to her.  We have a very trusting relationship and I wouldn't want to do anything to comprimise that.  She laughed and said, I believed you the whole time, but thank you for going the extra mile to prove yourself.  She has never questioned me since.  That's why I cannot stress enough to BE HONEST WITH YOUR DOCTOR, about EVERYTHING..GOOD or BAD...Ray

Ray, can you get your FTD patches filled every 28 days or sooner? I have a stash because I used to go to the dr every 28 days. Now I have to go every 30 days. When my stash gets low I'm going to let my pmd know it. I also have a few patches to fall off a month. Take care, htmom

I do use the q48hr dosing schedule for that reason.  They didn't last me 3 days like the PI said they would, and I had issues with them  coming off.  It's not so bad in the winter because I dont sweat as much.  Also, I have found a band-aid that works better than any other covering I've used thus far.  It's just a rectangular band-aid about 3"x2.75".  It covers the patch completly and the pad keeps the patch from sticking to the bandage.. I am so glad I found these.  Tegaderm were so expensive and even they came off quite easily.  The only time use use the tegaderm now is to cover the bandage when I take a shower.  Although the bandaids will stick in the shower, I dont want to take any chances.  Ever since i've been using these I havent had one fall off.  I get 15 a month now because of the change in the dosing interval, so if one does happen to come off...i'm covered.  And no, I can't get them filled every 28 days, because it is a c-II, I have to get a new written script every month and she dates them for exactly one month.  She has started writing me 3 at a time tho so I didnt have to make the trip (75 miles) just to pick up the prescription... Ray

What is it about sweating?  I sweat really bad!  I can't wear makeup because I sweat.   My patches are not lasting 72 hrs.  I'm non-functional on the 3rd day.  I get Tegaderm off ebay.  I got 25 for $7.00 with free shipping.  My pmd is a 90 mile round trip every month.  I wish I could go every other month.  Ray how many mcgs are you on?  I don't remember you saying.  Is this a club meeting, if so we are missing a few members?  LOL could not resist!  Same time, same place? Htmom

I'm on 75 mcgs and get 10 a month for $5.00.  I also have medicare because I'm disabled.  I prefer Mylan as well.   Several companies have clinical strength, is it really clinical strength or a marketing tactic.  I'm so picky about deodorant and like Mitchum unscented.   I think we have hi-jacked this post! Take care, htmom

high endurance...i only need to bathe once a week with this deodorant

This thread is really starting to smell funny . . .

LOL htmom. I didnt think you guys saw that response of mine, if thats what you are referencing to. I had hoped someone got a laugh out of it. I also sweat alot, even more when I am in pain. Dang, the fentanyl club has a hyperhydrosis problem..... Q, any extra leakage we should know about? Now that this meeting has been called to order, do we have any motions? Ray, I love the green, the standard blue is bright, I had to skip over a post of yours because it hurt my eyes, and I enjoy your posts. I like all the color in small amounts, but in large posts, I get lost with blue and yellow (I know you have not used yellow) I will get that deoderant next month, I have been thinking about it for a while, but just didnt know if the price was worth it.

I wasnt talking about the sweating, I meant my response about the whole fentanyl club thing in that other thread. Where I said we had a meeting coming up per our bylaws and constitution. Made some other comments about enrollment and fees, lol.

HA HA I thought it was from Blue's Clue's....Yep, we're Mommies alright.

Please be careful using this patch - there is a recall on some of them so please check with the manufacturer.  My friend just died on Sep 11th 2009 from this patch.  He had severe back issues as well as fibromyalgia.  Can't remember who to call about this but please check before applying this very dangerous drug.

I looked it up, it's the same recall initiated in Feb. 2008. Activis was the latest to voluntarily recall ALL patch doses. All recalled patches will be the "pocket" type and will have an expiration date between MARCH - DECEMBER of 2009. I believe there could still be lots of them circulating but most of us here use MYLAN, but fo those of you who don't, please search the recall, check your patches expiration, and if there is any doubt, call the 800# on the box and inquire about the lot# you have. Be Safe!

 Thats funny.....

Hi, Just to let you know I went on E Bay and received a box of 100 Tegaderm for 35.00 so I purchased 2 boxes. Here at CVS they cost about 13.00 for 1 small box (10 count)Maybe that would help you out, just thought I would mention it to you.Be Well, Nancie

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, OH, and I am glad that you stated yours. I suffer from severe cancer pain and Fentanyl, as well as it's super-fast delivery formulation, Fentora, have reduced my self-reported pain level from 7.5-8.5 to 2.5-3.5. I was Rx'ed and taking close to 600 mgs of Oxycodone total daily dosage and it only got me to that 7.5-8.5 with awful side effects as well. I switched to the 72 hr. Fentanyl 100 mcg p/h patch about 7-8 months ago and what a difference! I am still Rx'ed 120 mgs of OxcodoneIR as an adjunct to the patch as well as the Fentora for BTP. This is the least pain that I have suffered in 3 years of my fight with cancer.

My point is one that you will probably hear from most of the pharmer posters:  Everyone's Pain is unique unto themselves, as is their metabolism and the way it processes opioids/opiates. Some people can have a prewired resistance to a certain opioid while others can be hypersensitive to the same opioid. It's generally not a good idea to make blanket statements about any analgesic. Believe me, I learned that lesson the hard way here on pharmer. BTW, Welcome aboard, OH . . .

                                                                           Q      

PS:  I did notice your IMO statement and totally realize that you only wanted to state your personal reactions and thoughts about Fentanyl. I hope you see my post in the same light, OK?

Regardless of how one views fentanyl patches, I believe it is sound practice to understand the negative liabilities that overdosage or a malfunctioning patch represent.  It is kind of like methadone in that regard - so difficult to put back in the bottle once too much is in one's system.

But unlike methadone and others, I am not aware of a single other medication where a malfunctioning dosing unit will likely cause death.  No other medication packs the raw horsepower of the fentanyl patch, not even the discontinued 160 oxycontin tablets.  So while this large amount of pain reliever packed into a small unit results in both improved convenience and effectiveness for many people, this does not come without a certain element of risk.  I am one that also subscribes to the school of preferring to control the amount of narcotics that my body recieves rather than leaving it up to technology to do so for me.

Exactly Quincy.  Unfortunately, there isn't an invention that offers all the things the automobile offers with less risk.  In fact, in this day and age it is almost impossible to function without one.

On the other hand, for most of us, there are other alternatives to the fentanyl patch that work equally well or nearly as well with far less risk.  For others, there is simply nothing that works as well and so that small risk is justified.  I say small risk, because if the risk was too great, the patch would be removed from the market, and as we all know, it is still here.

And by the numbers, the risk is indeed small, as thousands and thousands of patients successfully use the patch every day.  For a select unlucky few however, they and their families wish that they had never heard of the patch when major problems occur.  If I find that I need it and the patch is the only thing that works for me, than I will use it like all those thousands of other users.  Til then, I'll just take my pills, thank you very much.

Oh, and if I want or need some fentanyl, I will take my Fentora, which work great and I don't worry so much about not waking up in the morning.

Dag, it seems that no matter how hard I try everyone thinks that I am a clueless proselytiser for the Fentanyl patch. How I got stuck with this label is, as always, partly my fault and partly the fault of others. I am doing my best to remove the part that is mine, and I would appreciate it if others would do the same for their contribution.

I spent 6 weeks agonizing over my decision to switch to the patch. I read everything I could find about it. I corresponded several times with pharmer posters who were pro and also those who were con. By doing all of this research I feel that I made as informed a choice as I think I possibly could and I strongly advise anyone who is contemplating this particular opioid path to do the same.

Of course, I advise the exact same approach for any other opioid/opiate analgesic path out there. I do not think that anyone should blithely decide that they should become physically dependent on any narcotic just because they are in pain. So, starting with you, ES, could you please do your best to stop with the seemingly knee-j e r k response that has developed about Q and his "Fentanyl Cure-All"?

                                                                           Q      

Part of the problem is patients hearing how good the drug is and they think"high".  They are very disappointed about no high.  If you need to regulate your meds by the hour, FTD is not for you.  FTD is for patients who have pain around the clock.  There was a lady on here that took her patches off at night!!  She complained that they didn't work and wouldn't stay on, really ummm duhhhh!!  The cases that I have read about in the newspapers that involved deaths. are addicts buying them and abusing them.  I would bet that a lot of deaths comes from abuse and people too stupid to understand how to use them.  Are the deaths coming from responsible patients that have a few brain cells that are up to the task comprehending the directions?  I'm sure their may be a few.  Most people don't know this but I was on OC, It didn't work for me, but I want  bash it.  Talk about deaths, wowsy.  The addicts can't regulate how much oxycodone they are getting when ????? to it.  I left out some details because I don't want this to turn into a how to.  My rant and point, don't demonize Fentanyl, it is getting a little old and on my nerves.   For some FTD gives us our life back, so please be respectable.  It has all been said before.  The good news, I haven't died on FTD and I have been on it for 3 years.  htmom

I have tried almost all long lasting meds for my many DX's and I am one of the patients that the patch works the best for. I am RX'd 75 q48 hrs with oxy 15mg for BT q4hrs PRN.My PM sat with me a long time when I first went on them (25 at first as most responsible MD's would do. We talked for about 1 hr or more about the pros and cons of this med. In the long run It is IMO dependent on the patient as with any med what works for one may not work for another.We all have our opinions which is how it should be. There is no right or wrong answer to this question.I hope you all have the most pain free days as possible, After all is that not what we all want. Take Good Care All, Nancie

There's a sort of membranous bandage called "Tegaderm."  They come in different sizes, and not only do they hold the fentanyl patches on, they pull up on the edges so they don't cut into the skin!  But using these, there's no problem about using some weird substance like a glue or something that gets mixed in with the med or blocks it.  It works perfectly, but they're ot cheap.

To some others, about fentanyl staying in the system, it's the only med I've ever had cause really uncomfortable withdrawals before the pain hit!  That part of the drug appears, for me anyway, to have been strengthened more than the analgesia.  And depending on my activity (therefore pain) levels, they'd wear off in 40-48 hours, or as fast as 30 hours on a really bad day.  It isn't uncommon.  The more you hurt, the faster your body uses it.

Ian

I totally agree with you all, htmom, nancie, and the running panther dude Ian as well.

would that We

were all pain free.

and not in need

of FTD

                                                                          Q

500 mg maybe you mean 500 mcg same for 75 mg patch.