is anyone using butran patches for fibro pain

[joed]

would love to here from others using butran patches and see how they are getting on with them as i started on 10mg nd am now up to 25mg and the pain is still so bad im having to top up with zapain

[soozie]

Hi there I was also on these patches for a short while but even though they kept on increasing the dose,I found them useless & just zombied me out but still lots of pain,so I told the Dr & came off them... Good luck x then tried tramadol which works better for me xx

[joed in reply to soozie]

has tramadol got any bad side affects as my stomach is very sensative to alot of meds

[Hidden]

Hi joed

I started the BuTrans patches a couple of months ago.

I was started on 5mg then upped to 10mg and am now on 15mg.

They're kind of just taking the edge off my pain. I just wish my doctor would put me straight to a high dose because I really think they would work, but it's best to go up gradually.

Hugs

Coz

[joed in reply to Hidden]

im up to 25mg and my gp said he would go to 40mg max 25mg isnt working im seeing my gp on tuesday dont know what i will do if i get to the max dose as ive tried all other meds apart from tramadol

[shushkin]

Hi

Yes, I've tried these as well. They made me even more dizzy (I didnt think that was possible!) have itchy skin and aso made my legs swell up. Did nothing for my pain.

[Hidden in reply to shushkin]

Morphine acts on the brain,. and feeling dizzy is one side affect of it.

[9necat in reply to Hidden]

CITERIZINE helps with the dizziness. I had that. xxxxxx

[joed in reply to shushkin]

omg itchy isnt the word i feel like im being eaten alive its awful but its the lesser of the two evils if you want some pain reielf

[Hidden]

Butrans patch is morphine essentially, which is highly addictive. As I read your replies, I can see that the dose is getting higher. What happens in the brain is that it gets to like the morphine, so grows more dendrites. They take up the morphine. But, the high or the relief you get from them, starts to wane. So, you want more, the more you have the more dendrites the brain grows to take up the morphine. Eventually you end up on a high dose, and even that can stop working. That is a simplified account of what the brain does with addictive substances. You might find tramadol works, but even that can be addictive due to the opioids in it. It is opioids that are addictive, and like morphine, work on the brain.

[Cookie72 in reply to Hidden]

What medication do you take Eli50 !!....gentle hugs..Dee x

[Hidden in reply to Cookie72]

Paracetamol, gabapentin, nefopam, diclofenac suppositories. I cannot have morphine.

[joed in reply to Hidden]

my 20 year old daughter has fm also she is on most meds you are on but also like me has a sensative stomach to some meds she told me today she starts a new job tomorrow and is going to come of all her meds and is goin to try and roll with the pain i worry that our gp s can perscribe us far to many meds sometimes and surely that cant do our insides that good but what ever suites people

[Hidden in reply to joed]

You are on a cocktail of meds because combinations of drugs often work better than one medication alone. With FM, it is not one symptom. It is a syndrome, e.g. multiple conditions. Therefore, there is a lot to treat. Not just pain, but stiffness, IBS, headaches, migraines, tiredness, insomnia...... I do not think your doctor would prescribe you medicines just for the hell of it given the government is telling doctors to cut back. Your doctor will only prescribe what is necessary to treat you or your daughter. I would say coming off all her meds is not wise. Depending on what she is on, she should consult her doctor before just coming off them herself. Many meds require you come off them incrementally. If she does have FM, I think she will find it hard going at work without any pain medication whatsoever and if she has difficulties at work, if she is not on any meds, her employers may find that strange. If she was sacked, (hope not) because she was not coping with the pain, and it went to a tribunal, it may not look good if she is not on anything. It could be used to determine she is coping, but therefore, is incapable of doing the job, e.g. unsuitable, as apposed to having a medical condition that needs adjustments from the employer. Just a few things to consider. I have seen this happen before.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I'm sure you are correct about what you've written, but I've only just started wearing my patches. Just like most medications you are always started on a low dose and work your way up to the dose which works for you, as everyone is so different. Mine weren't working at 5 or 10mg. That's why they've been increased. Not because I've got too used to them. Only started them in September.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

It does not matter what does you are on, morphine still has the same affect on the brain. That is how morphine works. It alters your perception to pain. You still have the pain, but your perception is changed so that you do not feel it. Other pain killers work on the site of the pain, e.g. where you have burned your finger or have a cut. Morphine works directly on the brain. Same for all opioids and all are addictive. Other medications that are not opioids are not addictive. With morphine even low doses will mean an increase over time, as the lower dose stops working, you go higher and higher. I have a BSc honours degree in Psychology and we had to do courses on biology, neurology, the brain, and learn about addiction, and how drugs work on the brain. You have only increased strength because that is what happens with an addictive substance. It is because you have become used to the lower dose. It is as I describe. If you want to know more about addiction, just ask.

[Cookie72]

Hi joed I have just been put on those patches but I'm the lowest dose 5 she is going to up them very mth, but I'm also on tramadol gabapentin and sertralin, I have read nd was told if you use these medications wisely and closely monitored you shouldnt get addicted, always only take what the doc says .....hoping this held...gentle hugs ...Dee x

[Hidden in reply to Cookie72]

Tramadol is addictive the longer you are on it. My doctor will not give it to me for that reason and I have a problem with morphine. These drugs are suppose to be only used for short periods for acute pain.

[joed in reply to Hidden]

thanks for all your advise my gp has had to up my patches to 25mg and will still keep goin if needs be to 40mg max as he has said to me all other meds i have tried dont work and also im 45yrs old and because im in cronic pain the addition side is out weighted by this i am startin to question the patches as the pain is so bad im having to top up with zapain

[Hidden in reply to joed]

You mean your doctor says the benefits of higher doses of morphine outweigh the addiction properties of morphine. Sometimes people find relief with pain on a cocktail or one strong medication and two others of lesser strength, or all lesser strengths of morphine. Have you tried Nefopam?

[joed in reply to Hidden]

i havent tried nefopam or tramadol but really have ti be carefull what i take as my stomach is sensative to certain meds

[Hidden in reply to joed]

Nefopam is used for moderate pain. It works by reducing the amount of pain you feel by interrupting the way pain messages are sent to your brain from your body.

They can cause sickness, but not everyone experiences this. In some people it can cause stomach upset. But speak to your doctor about it. You could try it. Tramadol is used to relieve severe pain. It works on the nerves and brain to reduce the pain you feel. It does not cause gastrointestinal problems, but everyone is different. I guess you need to speak to your doctor and try it.

[joed]

thankyou for all your replys these patches are begining to not work and think i will end up on max dose 40mg but already these patches make me not function properley and i itch that much it drives me mad ive treid all other meds available and feel apart from morphine patches these are my last chance im so sad right now i cry all the time think im on the change to my hair is falling out have loss of labedo the list is endless im a my whits end

[Aisha in reply to joed]

Hello Joed, Sorry for the late reply I have read everyone's comments to your question! When I was on BuTrans Patches they started me off on 20mg and finished at 50mg. I found they were very good for my chronic pain and Fibro my Dr also gave me Temgesic which goes with the patch for top up for your pain relief which is very affected and you can take Paracetamol too. I would have loved to remained on them but be came allergic to the glue! I am now on 50mg Fentanyl Patch with Oramorph for break through pain and Paracetamol if needed. This is good for Fibro pain I've tried everything else even Tramadol but nothing works. I never felt dizzy or sick on the patches at beginning just tired. I've been on them over 4yrs and I find it is the best medication... I always suffer from side effects to most medications except the Patches. Do what's best for you just because others have bad side effects doesn't mean that you will. If you find the BuTrans work for you then ask your Dr for Some Temgesic as they are very good. Good Luck. Love Aisha xx

[tinkz2007]

Hi Joed, I;m on 20mg butrans patches, but I also top it up with cocodamol 4 times a day, and gabapentin 3 times a day, im also on fluoextine. Like you most days I am still in pain, however, during some of the summer months when its nice and hot and depending on what i've been doing, I am in a lot less pain. I think the best that I can hope for is those days and just except that I will be in pain no matter what I try.

Gentle hugs, hope you can get some relief xx

[suzy39]

Hi is there many of you out there who take 25mg butrans patch ? I believed it only went up to 20mg but reading a few of ur comments it seems i am wrong. I am in severe pain at the moment and am on 20mg so maybe i can increase by 5mg if that is not too much ?? Would love to hear back from some if u . Thanks

[joed in reply to suzy39]

hi suzy i was on butrans patches 25mg started on 10mg unfortunatley they did nothing for me apart from made me itch im on oramorph now and awaiting a referral to a physio ive had every med in the book im in so much pain morphine is making me feel not good dry mouth disurbed sleep i have gone back yo taking zapain and useing perskindol gel hope you are feeling as good as can be today take care joanne x

[9necat]

I am on 45mc as I had a critical flare up!! Now having severe breakthrough all over body pains. Am confined to bedroom and unable to get downstairs as it's just too muc suffering and takes nearly an hour!!! Just not worth doing it. I'm thinking of upping my dose to 55mc, but not sure what to do???? I wish you universal healing and love xxxxxxx