My LLMD has me starting this pain patch. It's a very low dose, 12.5. I've read all the posts about it on here but I'm still worried.
I've until now always taken pain medication as needed, which granted, has been getting more as needed, but nonetheless.
It seems like it either really helps people or doesn't help them at all.
In either case, my pulse is slow at night, in the 50s (I have to take BP to monitor my POTS and how it's not getting better). My doctor doesn't seem too worried about it, seems to think it's because of the Coreg I take to slow it down when I stand (still, amazingly in the 100s when I stand).
My main question is, for people the patch did work for, what did it feel like? Sick, perky, rapid pulse, slow? I want to know it all. I'm very wary of pain med so I want to know what to expect.
Thanks!
Oh, and great news! Social Security turned me down for my POTS today! They said I'm not disabled enough not to do sedentary work. That is so good to know. Here I was thinking I was too ill and tired to work what with my body acting like I'm running in place all the time.
We're getting a lawyer.
Posted by lpkayak (Member # 5230) on :
they put me on the fentynal patch after bilateral knee replacement cuz i was taking too much demerol and still hurting too much
i was also on the 12.5 patch.
i loved them. too much i guess. yes they really helped the pain. and in my case it allowed me to do physical therapy aggressively early which helps alot with recovery.
but with in 3 weeks i was addicted. i had withdrawal coming off and almost had to go in to rehab to do it. bad nausea-no appetite-had a rule i had to eat 5 bites of protein every 4 hours...there were other withdrawal symtoms i forget about
my surgeon was really mad when he saw i had been put on it. did you know it is so addictive they save it for people who are terminal? because the understanding is, it is ok if they get addicted cuz they will die before they have to come off.
i don't know if you should use it for something long term chronic. i don't regret using it-i recovered amazinly well-pt's couldn't believe it---but withdrawal is real-be ready for it. 6 months later i think my appetiet is back to normal.
Posted by JesseSapp (Member # 16630) on :
quote:Originally posted by lpkayak: they put me on the fentynal patch after bilateral knee replacement cuz i was taking too much demerol and still hurting too much
i was also on the 12.5 patch.
i loved them. too much i guess. yes they really helped the pain. and in my case it allowed me to do physical therapy aggressively early which helps alot with recovery.
but with in 3 weeks i was addicted. i had withdrawal coming off and almost had to go in to rehab to do it. bad nausea-no appetite-had a rule i had to eat 5 bites of protein every 4 hours...there were other withdrawal symtoms i forget about
my surgeon was really mad when he saw i had been put on it. did you know it is so addictive they save it for people who are terminal? because the understanding is, it is ok if they get addicted cuz they will die before they have to come off.
i don't know if you should use it for something long term chronic. i don't regret using it-i recovered amazinly well-pt's couldn't believe it---but withdrawal is real-be ready for it. 6 months later i think my appetiet is back to normal.
Wow! Talk about misinformation! The duragesic patch is NOT reserved for terminal patients! Nothing could be further from the truth. It is a safe and effective pain medication when used properly. In terms of addictive potential, it is among the lowest of all opiods. It is far less addictive than short acting opiods like percocet or vicodin because it provides a constant slow uptake in our system without the highs/lows of oral medications and without the euphoria.
Dependance and withdrawal are commonplace with long term narcotics. That is the bodies natural response. We become tolerant to the dose over time and may have some symptoms of withdrawal if the medication is discontinued abruptly. However, that is distinctly different than "addiction"
Please do some homework and get better educated in terms of pain treatment before presently your misinformation as fact.
Posted by maidodie (Member # 14455) on :
Eep! I'm so confused right now. The one post certainly made me want to rip it off right now (put first on about three hours ago).
Posted by herbalfrog (Member # 12711) on :
I am using Flector patches (1.3% of diclofenac epolamine) to be changed every 12 hours. On occasion, I even cut them in half. No problem with side effects or addiction problems. You may want to talk to your doctor about those.
Posted by herbalfrog (Member # 12711) on :
I am using Flector patches (1.3% of diclofenac epolamine) to be changed every 12 hours. On occasion, I even cut them in half. No problem with side effects or addiction problems. You may want to talk to your doctor about those.
Posted by herbalfrog (Member # 12711) on :
I am using Flector patches (1.3% of diclofenac epolamine) to be changed every 12 hours. On occasion, I even cut them in half. No problem with side effects or addiction problems. You may want to talk to your doctor about those.
Posted by lpkayak (Member # 5230) on :
this is the first time i saw this post after i posted.
JesseSapp-i don't know if you are a medical person or where you got your info-but what i wrote was true for me. maybe you are reading from a text book about it-maybe what you say about it is what is supposed to happen-but that is not what happened to me.
my surgeon was angry i had been put on it-the home care nurses told me it is reserved for terminal cases-my primary and i struggled with whether or not i could get off it on my own or had to go to rehab
everyone reacts differently to drugs. what i wrote was true for me. there is no where else to go to "get better educated". i lived it. i am telling you what my doctors and nurses told me
maidodie said she (he?) wanted to hear from people who used them. i told my experience and did not suggest she use or not use the med.
Jesse your response makes me think you are in with the drug companies like so many of the docs...but maybe you are just misinformed.
i have read my response over and over and i don't think i should change a thing. that is what happened to me.
i am like many other lymies who get bad or wrong responses to many drugs-esp psyc drugs. i can't take any of them. and pain and anesthsia drugs seem to take a long time to get out of my system.
maidodie - i hope you get some relief somewhere. good luck.
Posted by lpkayak (Member # 5230) on :
ps-herbal frog-you won't know about addiction problems until you go off them. i didn't-and loved them when i was on them.
also-on monday i had a colonoscopy. they gave me iv fentanl and bentyl. i am still nautious and dealing with spasms in my gut, pain and exhaustion.
my previous colonoscopies did not give me any trouble like this. it's been 12 yrs since i had one so that is 12 yrs of Bb and bart and babs possibly attacking my gut. and abx and nsaids too.
i may be extremely sensitive to it...but that's me. not necessarily anyone else.
sometimes you just need to do what you need to do to get away form the pain. take care.
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