I had a new appointment with the Pain clinic yesterday (5yrs of chronic pain following a spontaneous Sacral fracture)
The consultant suggested I was on too many meds and prescribed me lidocaine patches? Does anyone have experience of these and do they work?
Really hoping that someone can give me a positive review as I’m scared my pain level will return to the highs that it was before I was prescribed Butrans patches.
Thanks. 💖
Good question, toplady...i’m thinking about licocaine patches: All opiates give me obstipation...i also have allergic reactions to codeine, NSAID, anti seizure etc etc analgesics...have had quite big spine surgery v recently (posterior instrumented L4/5 fusion + foraminotomy) & am stuck coping with nothing but self help + paracetamol + my immune dysfunction disease meds (which include daily oral steroids + various prescrip meds that reduce sort tissue & joint pain)...i also have grade 2 osteoporitic fractures at L1,2,5. My GP says only a consultant can prescribe lidocaine patches, ao am planning to ask my neurosurgeon soon, & my rheumatologist (i’m 65 with infant onset lupus and highly sensitive reactive skin, so we wonder if i’ll tolerate patches)
I found this 2017 NHS guidance re lidocaine patches prescribing:
prescqipp.info/media/1399/p...
In the US, lidocaine patches are available over the counter at 4% lidocaine. Any GP in the US can prescribe them in higher doses. My physician prescribes 5% patches to me and they do work. You can also cut them to fit whatever spot is painful. However, they are expensive and Medicare in the US doesn't cover them except for shingles.
I gladly pay out of pocket for a box of 150 which costs about $175. But they last a very long time, especially if you cut them to size for your unique pain spots. They really do work.
Requiring a consultant's prescription seems to me a way to discourage patients from obtaining them, saving the NHS money. I am wondering if 4% ones can be purchased online at Amazon???
Yes, available on Amazon at 4% strength but pricy. Also comes in Roll On form. I also like Tiger Balm which works almost as well and less expensive.
THANKS 🤗
Hi Toplady. I've been on the lidocaine patches for years now. My consultant prescribed them for my chronic knee pain ( now fibromyalgia ). If for whatever reason I forget to put it on before I goto bed , believe me the next day I'm in absolute agony. So yeah I'd say they definitely work for me. The lidocaine patch that you've been given, what's the strength of it? Do u wear it for 12 hours a day. I put mine on after a shower on a night and take it off in the morning. I do find that if I put moisturiser cream on the area that the patch goes on, then the patch doesn't stick properly. Hope this info helps.
Debbs. 😃
I used them for pain relief after spinal operation. Just over the spot where a proud pedicle was giving me hell. Worked well. Only constraint was only allowed to use it for 12 hrs in the 24. I chose to put it on for the night, to allow me to sleep.
Mine was 5%, I think .
No side effects.
Good luck.
I have been on Lidocaine patches for my chronic illness called Post Thoracotomy pain syndrome (PTPS) and it has to do with neuralgia pain and other syndrome of pain. I lost my left lung to infection and the operation caused a lot of nerve damage and rib and muscle issues. I have been of Lidocaine patches for neuralgia pain symptoms and it has been God send medication. I can’t live without it. At first I had horrendous side effects but now they have all disappeared, I find this patch instantly give me relief on my symptoms.
For me personally I had hypotension that is low blood pressure, vertigo, itchiness on patch area, urine renention and constipation
I still have urine retention but it is now a combination of Lidocaine patches and morphine i take
I know right constipation comes with most medication, I Hope Lidocaine works for you as it worked for me. There was talk at my pain clinic that NHS were going to stop as it was expensive. I was willing to buy it from where I could, just to keep it. Turns out it Nothing after all.
Cannot comment about lidocaine patches. Bit concerned about issue of changing medication you have been on for a long time. How does the pain clinic suggest you mange the withdrawal symptoms?
He didn’t mention anything about that surprisingly.I'm due to go back to my usual pain clinic doctor but if I don’t get an appointment soon, I’ll go to the GP and discuss it. I’m open to new/different treatments but have been dealing with chronic pain for the last 5 years so need to be managed better than this I think?
As you rightly mention we need to be better managed than we are. It is unfortunate fact that the system is not geared towards managing long term conditions.
We have to learn to do our own investigations into ourselves. We need to be given the tools to help ourselves do this.
There is no evidence that lidocaine is physiologically addicting so "withdrawal" should not be a problem unless psychologically addicting.
Hi my name is mick yes I use those patches and have done for the last 6 years they are used for surface pain I suffer a lot of chest pain from skeletal pain due to 2 lots of lung surgery over the years they do work but not instant they have to be removed after 12 hours and no others fitted during the 12 hours gap I also take longtec twice a day they are morphine based tablets for pain Do not start to use fentinal patches they are adictive and have loads of side effects keep your chin up bye Mick
Pain patches 
Licodeine patches
Versatis 5% lidocaine patch.
