I have been suffering with fractured vertebrae for over a year now. I’ve been on Tramadol, ocycodine, steroid shots and morphine. None of them relieve the pain. I had six steroid shots today, pain level to 3. Best it’s ever been. Now the doctor wants to put me on fentanyl patches. From what I’ve read it’s very scary.
I have a bone scan and mri tomorrow. They are watching a spot on my right kidney. Seems everything else is stable. Oncologist thinks they can do radiation on the kidney after they do a biopsy on it if it had gotten bigger. Lady scan it was 2.5 mm. We’ll see.
Anyone on fentanyl or had experience with it? I have 7 fractured vertebrae. Any thoughts appreciated. Hugs!
Sharon
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Sharon0122
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I was diagnosed after a pathological hip fracture and I also have extensive mets to my vertebrae. I’m no longer on opioids but I was in a lot of pain in the beginning. I had radiation to my hip and the worst vertebrae and later to my skull.
I also had monthly Xgeva injections although they’re now spaced out to every three months. And I take Loratadine daily. Xgeva is said to heal bone mets according to comments I’ve read here but it definitely strengthens bones. And Loratadine reduces inflammation associated with breast cancer according to a very large study in Sweden.
Is radiation a possibility for your worst bone Mets? The spine can be difficult to radiate as the food tube gets caught up with it but it’s manageable.
I haven’t used a pain patch myself but we used one for my mother during her end of life care. They’re very easy and effective and relief is continual. We’ve all read the horror stories of opioid addiction but my oncologist told me at the outset that if you need opioids for pain management then you don’t get addicted. There’s a difference between necessary pain relief and addiction. And a pain patch is the safest way to take a drug as powerful as Fentanyl.
Pain level 3 doesn’t sound like a desirable state. Zero pain is the ultimate goal so I’d take the doctor’s recommendation and try the pain patch.
Whatever you decide to do I hope it goes well for you,
I'm on the fentanyl patch and oxycodone 20mg every 4 hours for multiple bone Mets and I am happy with it. Before this mess I would NEVER take pills. With my anxiety I'm afraid to feel funny so I keep ny pain at a 6 on the pain scale but I wouldn't change my patch for anything notlw that I know what it does for me. All you can do is try it.
Thanks for your reply! I’m worried about side effects. No hot shiwrrs, no heating pads, and it says if you’re going to have a reaction it’s going to be I. 24-72 hours and you could die. I’ve had a kyphoplasy on one and that was more painful than the fracture itself and the dr seems to think it dominoed the other six to fracture. I do get zometa infiusions every three months but not sure why this happened. Some days the pain is so bad I spend the entire day in bed . It’s very depressing. I was on morphine for snout a week and all I did was throw up. So that didn’t work. I’ve been dealing with this for over a year. Thank you for your reply. Have a great weekend!
Greetings😇 Sister/Warrior my girlfriend had 3 fractured vertebrae a few year ago. They performed surgery that I know as cementing. I can only tell you the layman's term, but most Oncologists know the medical name🙏😇. I pray your pain will be eliminated without pain killers Amen😇🙏
I had the kyphoplasy and it did no relief for my pain. Fentanyl is a powerful and dangerous drug. Scares me. No other opioid or morphine works. Just besides myself
Greetings: Sister/Warrior😊 : Sorry for the late response, sometimes I check my computer once a week🧐. Can you look into something called nerve blockers. The draw back is you may not feel any pain in a portion of the area treated. If you don't feel pain you can injure the area treated, and the surrounding area and not know it😕. Please discuss this with your doctor or a pain management Dr. Also look into using a Tens Unit, or a Ten's unit vest. They are available online now for pain in almost every part of the body.. My friend who needs back surgery uses a Ten's Unit vest that he purchased online, and he tells me it works😇. I hope/pray your pain will be relieved 🙏 ]
Hi Sharon. I am so sorry you are suffering so much with this. I also have multiple vertebrae fractures. I am also sorry the Kyphoplasty procedure did not work. Unlike you I was warned when I was considering this procedure that because I had many mets in the same area there was a high probability that doing the procedure could fracture others adjacent as the cement can leak and harden on to other verabrae.....for that reason I declined the procedure.
I see all the medications you have tried that you listed above. Another potential one to ask about before you go to the Fentanyl patch is Dilaudid (Hydromorphone). It has an analgesic potency approximately two to eight times greater than that of morphine. Just a thought.
What I would recommend if you are not already under one is to see a Palliative Care Pain specialist. They will better be able to get you on the right path. Living with MBC is bad enough but living with constant pain is no way to live. If they need to start you on the Fentanyl patch they are the best team to help you . Your doctor may start you on a low dose fentanyl patch and gradually increase your dose, not more often than once every 3 days at first, and then not more often than once every 6 days. Your doctor may decrease your dose if you experience side effects.
Fentanyl patches are not to be feared and are used widely for cancer pain. I will be thinking of you. Please don't continue to suffer when there are options to ease the pain under the supervision of a qualified doctor. Take care.
I had fractured vertebra from Mets and have used fentanyl patches for months. No problem and they have worked well. Also had my vertebrae glued back together which helped quite a bit.
thanks, I had a kyphoplasy and it dominoed to fracture the other 6. Morphine just made me throw up no relief and oxicodine or Tramadol did nothing for the pain. I just want to not hurt do much. I’m sure my husband is tired of doing everything. He doesn’t complain but I can tell. Thanks, hugs!
Hi Sharon. I see you've started the Fentanyl. I've been on it for 10 years. My oncologist said I had multiple discs that had issues, but she didn't provide details. (I should ask.) Do you think the cancer caused your vertebrae issues? My doctor started me on a low dose of Fentanyl 25 mcg/h and increased up to 75. Last year I reduced the dosage down to 50 since they thought it may have been causing me to faint. (The culprit was low, low blood pressure.) I'm also on Gabapentin for neuropathic pain (nerve pain) due to previous chemo. I think the government and society has the world so frightened about Fentanyl. Yes, there is a huge problem, but we patients are in a controlled environment and are using it to treat pain, not to abuse it. BTW, I do use a heating pad (microwave type) and take hot showers, but you need to see if it's ok with you. One note, one evening I was lying in bed and suddenly my skin felt like it was crawling. I got out of bed and took a shower to see if it would help. No help. I'm thinking I may have to call an ambulance then I felt for my patch. It wasn't there. I had earlier pulled the old one off as it was time to replace it (every third day). I forgot to put a new one on. Ugggh! My body was starting to go into withdrawals. Just a tidbit for you, just in case you forget. Fentanyl isn't the type of drug most people can just stop using. The doctor slowly reduces the dosage. Best of luck to you and please let us know how things are going. Prayers and hugs.
I’m on 12mph and I go to the dr on the 1st. It didn’t relieve any pain. I do change the patch every three days. Hopefully the dr will increase on the 1st. 7 fractured vertebrae is just too much to bare. I’m just ready to live a normal life again. At 72 who knows how much longer I have. Thanks for your reply! Hugs!
The dr upped me to 25. Can’t get any til Monday. Pharmacy does not stock it. Hopefully it’s not a problem for refills. This is the 4th time in two months they were out of a px I needed. Seems from what I hear, pharmacies have a hard time here in the us keeping drugs in stock. Too many baby boomers needeing drugs! Pharmaceutical companies can’t keep up! Hugs!
Hi Sharon I wouldn’t recommend a fentanyl patch at all. I’ve been prescribed it and was also prescribed OxyContin alongside it. It was awful the side effects how it takes over your body. I came off the OxyContin when I was discharged to the NHS as they couldn’t believe how much medication I was taking it was dangerous and I’m now weaning off the fentanyl patch completely. I’ve took to CBD & THC oil which really helps with the pain. I’m trying to go all natural holistic healing. Opioids are extremely dangerous and I’d avoid it all costs, it nearly made me take my own life.
I’ve been on it for 15 days now. 12 mph doesn’t do much good. I change the patch every three days, and I go back to the dr Thursday. My oncologist says the pain dr will double it til it works. Oxy or morphine do nothing for the pain. Sometimes I think they are barking up the wrong tree, as they are treating me for 7 fractured vertebrae. I’ve got a bladder prolapse and they all say that’s not where the pain is coming from. They just don’t listen! I lived in Ascot in The 90s for six years. The royal family went right by our house to the races, sure wish I lived there now, I’d love to see Kate and William !! I’ll let you know what the dr says Thursday. Ps. I’m an American and I live in Oklahoma! Hugs!
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Kyphoplasty procedure for vertebral fracture 
Femur fracture caused by Xgeva
MBC, joint pain on meds
2 Doctors said, “unheard of”, while smiling from ear to ear!
