Does anyone use morphine patches? If so, do you get the required pain relief and what side effects do you have?

[Blackwitch]

[Neonkitty]

I use opiate patches ... Fentanyl 25. Have been on them for three years and gone up from 12mcg/hr to 25 then tried 50 in a recent horrible flare, but had to come back down. 25 suits me and they do make you a little tired, but I would say i have got used to it. They are, however, very constipating at a higher dose but you can get round this with eating semi soft figs etc or a prescribed gentle laxative if you need to. They have helped me very much and I prefer them to taking strong oral painkillers. I haven't had any major bad reactions on the 25 dose but 50 made me really out of it. Too strong for me. Hope they give you relief and work for you. xx

[Hidden in reply to Neonkitty]

I've heard (and found) that taking high doses of VitC helps constipation as the body gets rid of the excess naturally! It works with me!

[Neonkitty in reply to Hidden]

I have such a lot of fruit and salad each day (a big bowl of cherries, blueberries, raspberries and nectarine is my usual summer breakfast with yoghurt!) that I find this does the trick along with semi soft figs. Vitamin C in high does give me the opposite effect too easily but it seems a good idea thanks, if it is the right dose without it becoming too laxative! When I recently stopped Diclofenac I found I wasn't constipated so I think they have been to blame too.

[Hidden]

Gees Nickety,

Your pain must be really bad! I cannot imagine requiring morphine for my RA

I hope you can find a solution soon

Kate

[Hidden]

I tried Bustrans patches for a week but they made me feel sick & grotty. They did help with pain relief but I think I react to morphine

I'd love to find something to help the pain other than cocodamol.

My GP gave me Pregabalina - changing from Amytrtiptilline but they make me feel lousy as well.

[Blackwitch in reply to Hidden]

I'm taking 2 x Co-codomol 30/500 3 or 4 times per day, 1 x Gabapentin 600mg 3 times per day, a slow release anti- inflammatory and Amitriptyline at night (down to 50mg). As well as RA I have Fibro & osteoarthritis of the spine. Just wondering if there were alternatives to all these pills! I will speak to my GP. Thanks for your comments so far.

[Neonkitty]

Yes, I too can vouch that if you have to take things like Fentanyl then the pain is very bad. Mine is. I just don't let on too much. People have no idea but it is often the best way for me. ( I am among quite a few very selfish people sad to say. ) Been on Fentanyl for three years now, as I have a lot of joint damage which anti inflammatory tablets won't help. I do so hope they will give you relief. xx

[Tillytop]

Hi Nickety,

I have morphine pills and liquid and low dose Amitrip (all for nerve pain which may or may not be RA related) but I have never tried the patches.

To Nickety and everyone else who is struggling so much with pain, I just wondered if you have ever been offered referral to a specialist pain clinic? I say that because, although I knew such clinics existed, it had never occurred to me that I would be a candidate for referral. I had my first pain clinic appointment recently and found it really helpful. I had been working on the "chuck everything possible at the pain" approach but they were able to advise me about the best way to use the meds to help the pain. And they gave me a strategy to try with the proviso that there were other drug options if it wasn't successful. I know that the wait for pain clinic appointments can be quite long - I was lucky and was seen quite quickly - but if you haven't been offered the chance to go to one, maybe it would be worth asking your GP or rheumatologist if there is one in your area. Really hope you find something to help soon.

Tillyx

[Blackwitch in reply to Tillytop]

Thank you for your comments. Pain clinic was mentioned some time ago by the surgeon who operated on my back. I assumed (wrongly it seems) that he was going to refer me. Anyway, I am seeing the rheumatologist in a few weeks so will mention it to him. xx

[SaraF]

I do have patches and love them I am having to increase them at the moment but will go back down again when needed.

They can make you feel sick for the first week while getting into your system but do keep going as this will pass, and you gp can give you some anti sickness if needed x

[SaraF]

I would say however I dont believe morphine patch will help with the Fibro pain as it doesnt with me at the present time.

[abyss05]

my uncle is suffering from cancer there is nothing the doctors can do for him, but he is in excruciating pain all the time and the painkillers that have been provided are not doing anything so we have heard about the morphine patches, just to give him a some relief, but we would have to buy them as he lives in pakistan and we are in britain ,we were thinking to post them over , if anyone could give us advise would be so much appreciated thank you

[nomoreheels in reply to abyss05]

This post is quite old. Nevertheless I'm sorry about your uncle but as Fentanyl is a controlled drug (morphine is a class A, schedule 2 drug) it is illegal to possess without a prescription, or to supply or produce without a licence. As such you can't legally buy it or it be falsely prescribed for anyone but the patient by his doctor. Posting it would be quite another matter! You would need to check with the authorities for the legality of doing so if it was possible to obtain them legally.

Surely there must be some other way? There must be other people in Bangladesh who have medical need for strong pain relief, other cancer patients for example? They surely don't allow patients to suffer, has he or his family asked about whether morphine in whichever form could be prescribed?

[nic1416]

Hi, I just wondered if lidocaine was similar to the other patches mentioned in the conversation? I'm really struggling getting my pain under control at the moment and at 45 I'm recovering from the first of my full knee replacement and am having the next one done on the 15th July. I have fibro, osteoarthritis in several joints, and 4 other autoimmune conditions. On slow release morphine twice a day (normally 15mg), paracetamol, Amitryptoline 75mg, duloxtine, ranitidine,Diazepam and tramadol. I'm allergic to anti inflammatory meds, liquid morphine and fast acting morphine tablets, gabapentin didn't help and pregabalin gave me serious heart palpitations. .. I also have IBS and follow the Low fodmap diet (eliminating fermentable sugars) and I struggle keeping my bulimia under control.....

Any tips would be very useful. I'm a bit of a car crash really 😔😔 xx

[nomoreheels in reply to nic1416]

It may be worth asking if buprenorphine patches (BuTrans transdermal) would be appropriate pain relief for you. I've been on them over a year along with a couple of others & except for the odd niggle it calms my OA pain quite well.

You do seem to be on a mix of meds though, I'm a bit concerned that one or two are cancelling one another out. Have you had you meds reviewed by a Pharmacist lately? It's really not my place to say but one or two may have an adverse effect when taking both, that they cancel one another out. Lidocaine could also be a no no with possibly a couple of your current meds but then so could buprenorphine & why really you should see your GP, or whoever prescribes your long term pain relief meds, as he/she should be able to advise.

I know that car-crash feeling, though thankfully I've come out the other end since my pain relief has been sorted, I hope you do too.

[BLANCHE5]

i have been given morphine patches for arthritis also co codamol and gavapentine but the patches are affecting my breathing ,and are making me itch also i seem to be getting depressed could the patches do this i am almost 75 and a bit concerned about the patches

[Skipper55]

Yes they are great I am on 100micograms or what they are measured they last 3 days I have no side effects my disease is Churg Strauss ,they are the only thing that helps me I need heavy hitting when the disease is in full flight which is far too often but every day use they are great. You will find a level that works it could be 80 or 120 but 100 is good for me under my pain rises ,maybe I should be higher but under 100 the difference is big at 60 not worth the effort total waste on me . So big recommendation from me

[k_J53]

I'm using morphine patches for 6weeks no side effects but not much pain relief