medical advice

[puppylove01]

I'm currently taking methadone for chronic pelvic pain due to a bladder disease and my doctor is lowering my dose slowly, it looks like I'll be on some kind of patch. Does anyone know what would work the best and cause less withdrawal suffering?

[marycarmel]

I wouldn't touch Fentanyl again with a ten-foot pole.  It's not easy to come off.  I've often used lidoderm patches and it takes the edge off but that alone doesn't help much.  I was surprised to read that it has problems of its own.  I always thought it was a pretty benign med.

[BetterGetBetter]

I don't know anything about patches, so can't give any advice, but I've heard 3 types mentioned in the forum here:

1.) fentanyl patch
2.) buprenorphine patch
3.) lidocaine patch

There all really different and they each have pros and cons, as well as a big spectrum of side effects -- for example, in the forums here, I see people mentioning the hell they go through withdrawing from fentanyl. And at the same time, it looks like withdrawing from buprenorphine (or any opiate for that matter) is no walk in the park, either. Lidocaine is not an opiate, so there's no "opiate withdrawals" from it, but it's a real serious medication with dangers of its own too.

Don't be shy to go over all of the side effects with your doctor. In fact, I think it's the responsibility of a patient to become an *expert* in all the meds they are taking. So for example, if a doctor prescribes such-and-such medication, it is reasonable to want to take some time to research it and understand it, first, before jumping in head first.

Remember, it's your body to decide what to do and always remember that you can say "no" to medication, too. I'm so sorry you are in pain, and wish you good, positive thoughts for your recovery.