June 10, 2008 - 2:08pm
First post!
My pain doc prescribed fentora for peripheral neuropathy pain. It works great. I'm taking the 400MCG dose. I sometimes find that I need less than 400MCG so I cut the tablet in half. This also seems to work great but the directions say do not cut the tablet.
I bounced this idea off my pain doc and she said the pill might not be homogeneous but judging from the relief I get this is not the case.
A call to Cephalon, the maker of fentora wasn't much help. They were concerned about the safety issue of pieces of fentora getting into the wrong hands. This will not happen.
Anyone have any idea on the risk(s) of cutting the tablet.
Thanks,
Jerry
June 10, 2008 - 2:53pm
#2
is
if fentora stronger than opana???
June 10, 2008 - 2:56pm
#3
YES
Fentora is stronger than opana
June 10, 2008 - 3:05pm
#4
FENTORA
Hi Anthony,
My insurance does not cover the fentora. The doc gives me vouchers so I get the med free of charge. The voucher is for only 28 pills and I get the the voucher only when it is available, about once a month so taking three or four pills a day is not an option.
That's why I elected to go for the 400MCG dose and cut it in half. That way the med spans the time from voucher to voucher which can be up to 40 days.
I am also on neuronton and tegretol for pain control. This is the base med which I have been using for the past ten years but some times I have flare ups and then I use the fentora.
I will definitely check out the fentora web site again. I think I looked at that web site for answers but don't remember seeing the info about the moisture in the air. That stands to reason because the moisture in your mouth causes the pill to release the fentanyl. Anyway when I cut the pill in half I reseal the remaining half to lock out the moisture in the air. I tried the fentanyl patch but it made me sick.
Thanks, Jerry
June 10, 2008 - 6:38pm
#5
if you don't mind me asking,
if you don't mind me asking, what is your ailment? what other pain meds have you taken already?
I'm a social worker, not a medical professional. All comments and thoughts are simply my opinion and experience.
June 10, 2008 - 8:48pm
#6
Hi JS
Hi JS,
I have peripheral neuropathy. Let me rephrase that. I have idiopathic peripheral neuropathy.
First started 13 years ago as a slight numbness in my right foot. Now I have intense numbness in both feet, moderate numbness below the knee in both legs and slight numbness up to the center of my back.
I have intense burning pain in my feet requiring meds for pain control.
I have seen many doctors and specialists over the years all to no avail.
I have tried many meds for pain control ranging from over-the-counter stuff to narcotics. Most meds either do nothing or do nothing but make me sick. My body seems to have a very low tolerance for meds. The only thing that works is the neuronton and tegretol but the problem just keeps getting worse with time. I went from one 200 mg dose a day of neuronton 13 years ago to 1600mg of neuronton and 600mg of tegretol per day today.
The fentora helps with pain flare ups. The fentora works in 15 minuets as opposed to three hours for the neuronton and tegretol.
Thanks for your concern,
Jerry
June 10, 2008 - 10:37pm
#7
Thank you, I was just
Thank you, I was just wondering because that sounds like the same label given to my problems with my arm, peripheral neuropathy, with radial and ulner nerve issues. I was not sure if that was a general diagnosis given to many areas of the body, or if the phrase itself meant only one region. Though I have a broad knowledge of medical issues and such, I am not very well versed when it comes to all the medical terminology.
I do hope that your current meds work for you, I have never heard of fentora, although it sounds like something that may work for me. I currently use fentanyl 50mcg.
I'm a social worker, not a medical professional. All comments and thoughts are simply my opinion and experience.
June 10, 2008 - 11:17pm
#8
Hi JS57
Hi JS,
The way it was explained to me is that neuropathy means a problem with the nervous system and peripheral means the nerves outside the spinal cord.
Thirty percent of these problems go undiagnosed. I was lucky enough to fall into that category.
In my case it seems I have a problem with the nerves that go to the lower leg and foot.
You should try fentora if you get a chance. It's a buccal meaning you place it inside the mouth between the gum and the inside of the cheek and allow it to desolve. It works in about 15 minutes. It's a small white tablet about the size of an asprin. It's made with fentanyl and it's very strong.
Good luck,
Jerry
June 10, 2008 - 11:26pm
#9
Is that an IR or ER
Is that an IR or ER med?
I'm a social worker, not a medical professional. All comments and thoughts are simply my opinion and experience.
June 11, 2008 - 1:07am
#10
Fentora is an IR
Fentora is an IR breakthrough med with fentanyl
August 11, 2008 - 12:29pm
#11
Similar issue, different name
Hi,
I've been suffering for about 4 years last Dec. I fell 14' off a ladder at work, injuring L4/L5/S1. I have shooting pain down the right leg with numbness in the outside of the right foot, sharp pain in the low back depending on position. Bursitis in both hips, arthritis in the back, right hip, both knees. My left thigh on the outside is completely numb, but also burns intensely. To top it all of I suffer migraines and Seizures.
My nuerologist had me on Nuerontin 800mg daily, Tegritol 800mg daily and Primidone 1000mg daily.
After going through different pain meds with my Pain management doc. He worked it out with my Neurologist to up my Neurontin to 1600mg and drop the Tegretol. for Pain I've been on Lortab 10/500 3times a day with methocarbamol 750, as well as Avinza 60mg to times a day. But even with the above mentioned meds for over 3 years my pain is not under control. Then Last Tuesday I had a series of radio frequency burns on the facet joints in my low back, Doc put me on Fentora 200MG 1 to 2 tabs every 8 hours It's great. I've been able to, most of the time, take under the 200MG's (I spit it out before it dissolves half way or more.) Not only does it handle the Break through pain from the injuries but on top of all that it handles the post op pain.
By the way, I was put on Fentora due to an allergy to Oxycodone or any related meds and Skelaxin the muscle relaxer. Doc said only other option was Fentora.
Anyway back to the reason for the post, You have peripheral neuropathy, I have similar symptoms but after many MRI's and bone scans it is said that it's from disc displacement at l4/l5/s1 connections and Collapsed vertebrae at L1 with a damaged disc.
Stedler
"It's never to late to have a happy childhood."
Berke Breathed
Hello JERRYLA, i just read your post and have a suggestion, i read that you are on the 400mcg fentora tablets and that you are sometimes only taking half of them. Why not suggest to your DR to prescribe the 200mcg tablets? or even the 100mcg then you could take 2 or 3 to give you a better dose. Im not sure what kind of health insurance you have but i am sure you know that fentora is very expensive. I guess if you have good coverage try to get your dr to prescribe 1 script for Fentora 200mcg tablets say you take 4 a day so that would be #120 for the month and then a second script for the 100mcg tablets for say #60 so instead of breaking them in half you will be able to take 200mcg and if the breakthru pain is bad enough you can add 100mcg. Thats just a suggestion. Fentora the one time I got a script for the 600mcg tablets was like $27 a pill, but my dr gave me a voucher for like 25 free tablets or something I forget along time ago. Also I was just on the fentora.com site and it says that the moisture in the air will actually break down the pill, that is why they say to place it in your mouth as soon as you open it. The website is very interesting to me. May I ask what if any pain meds you use as a base med or are you just on fentora for flare ups? I found that it definatly knocked the pain out but made me sooo tired almost like i ate a hndful of valiums. Fentora is suppose to be the best med for breakthru pain it is the closest to IV you can get. I also read somewhere that they are developing a new fentanyl delivery system kind of like those listerine breath sheets. It is suppose to work just like fentora. I always wondered why fentanyl was never made in pill form but i guess it has horrible oral bioavaility that it just wouldnt work. Sorry I went off track a little there but i hope I was some sort of help for you. If you have any more questions please ask. There are alot of very helpful members on this site and also a woman who claims to be a MD goes by Dr Lois.All my advice is just from personal expirience, I am not a DR.