Chronic pain from Hydrocodone to Duragesic patch

[Hippiealways]

Due to chronic pain I was put on Hydrocodone (Loritab 750)  I  was prescribed 2 a day 500mg to start then 2 a day 750 up to 3 a day all in a 2 year period.  Just recently because of my drs concern for the tylenol affect to my liver I now use the Duragesic Patch 50 mg which has been such a relief...I am able to do almost anything without worrying about the pain I will feel tomorrow.  The dr was happy to give me the patch and I am happy to have it.  What is this doing to me physically...he even remarked that my dosage would be upped as my tolerance needed it. I expect to be on medically supervised narcotic pain relievers for the rest of my life.  Having no side affects now and  several people have commented 'if you are in chronic pain the medication goes to the pain and not to form an addiction' this doesn't sound possible to me...appreciate your opinion on this.  Thank you

[Mommy-In-Pain]

I have fibromyalgia and have been on pain meds for 4 or 5 years.  I had endometriosis first and had a hysterectomy in January of this year to relieve that pain.  The fibromyalgia is awful.  My husband will hug me and I cry out from the pain or just putting on a shirt will cause pain.  Some days, I have trouble walking from the pain and other days, I just have trouble getting out of bed.

I was first on Vicodin 5/500, but ended up taking 3 to 4 tablets of that for any kind of relief.  My doctor then switched me to Vicodin ES, but again, I have to take 2 to 3 tablets to get any relief at all from the pain.  I am not looking for a high or anything like that, but I feel like the pharmacist thinks I am a drug addict because I need refills so quickly on my medication, but the Vicodin just doesn't work.  I think it is perhaps because I have developed a tolerance to it.  My doctor has talked about putting me on the Duragesic patch, but she wants to save that as a last resort because of the high capacity for addiction.  

I don't want any mental addiction, but I do want to be able to get out of bed in the morning and take care of my kids and go to work.  I have lost one job from pain and I don't want to lose another.  I am a nursing student and getting ready to apply for clinicals and I am scared that without having this pain under control, I am not going to get through the program.  Is there something other than Vicodin, but without going to the patch, that might relieve this pain?

Thanks.

[Mathman]

Be careful with the patches.  I have chronic lower back pain and have been treated by pain management doctors for 10 + years.  I was on 3 of the 100s of Duragesic for over 2 years.  It didn't relieve all the pain, but when I was tapering off I found out how much in control of my brain it had been.  Try anything else first.  It was really nice to get my head back.  The nausea was very bad and I lost 40 pounds.  
Mathman

[Frankfrombirmingham]

Hi - I had lower back surgery in feb of 05, fusion L4 and L5 and it's been a long road.  I have had continous chronic pain. I have had numerous injections and my dr has had me on percocet 10/325's up until about a month ago.  Now I'm on Duragesic pain patchs, 25's and they seem to help more than anything I've ever been on. I guess one day they won't work though, like anything else, you get addicted to it.  BUT I can tell you that this has enabled me to live a normal life, I've had no side affects and I hope that continues.

[Bigare]

I was checking the doses of the fentanyl patch for my wife who will be going to the Dr. today and I wanted to get the dose correct.  I work in a pain clinic doing research on new types of pain medication and things like oxycontin that will no longer be able to be abused (they will be putting another drug with the oxycontin that if it is crushed for snorting or whatever, it will inactivate the oxycontin.
My wife has a drug problem, but also has MS and needs something for pain.  I feel like some of you that it will be less likely for her to abuse the patch.  The patch works by slowly allowing a small amount of drug to enter your skin and your body.  It is less likely to be abused because of the way it works, but of course anything can be abused if a person works at it.  By the way fentanyl is considered much more addictive than morphine.
Another form of fentanyl on that market that works through a unique delivery system is a drug called Actiq.  This is fentanyl in a lollipop, but I have heard these are extremely costly.
Lastly, those that talked about wanted to withdraw from narcotics, there is a relatively new medication that helps facilitate this and is not the same as just slowly tapering off of the medication you are on.  The drug is called "SUBOXONE" and I understand it is a lifesaver for many addicts in helping them get throught the withdrawal process.  Look it up on the internet and it will tell you all about it and you can go to your Dr. with this information.
Anyway, I will let you know how my wife does on the patch.  I am hopeful and I am also sick of seeing her gorked out all the time by taking too much of the liquid morphine she was on.

Best Regards, Bigare

[ned407]

Hi, on those transdermal patches. I first saw them at VA OutPatient clinic. The vets could not believe what we were giving them and actualy got mad thnnking we were giving them some type of placebo. The effects though were great. We had substancial pain relief without worrying about patient capability for injections or counting out and keeping track of a bunch of MSIR tabs.

[ned407]

Hi, on those transdermal patches. I first saw them at VA OutPatient clinic. The vets could not believe what we were giving them and actualy got mad thnnking we were giving them some type of placebo. The effects though were great. We had substancial pain relief without worrying about patient capability for injections or counting out and keeping track of a bunch of MSIR tabs.