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long term effects on brain function

my husband had been on Fentanyl 100mcg q3days for 15 years.  Could this be the cause of dementia like symptoms?  he's been off it for two years but still takes hydrocodone prn.  he had a mild stroke 10 years ago and still has TIAs periodically.  is this related?
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Avatar universal
The fentanyl was prescribed by his md, knowing full well he was already on several anti-depressants and a psychotropic.  My husband is a Vietnam combat vet with direct exposure to Agent Orange X3.  After his first disc surgery, he developed a strep (not staph) infection in the incision which landed him an 8 week stay in hospital with heavy antibiotic full bore.  The next 4 months had me debriding and dressing the incision as it granulated in so they could go back in and repair the damage done by the first surgeon...a non-certified resident from Yale.  There was no supervising surgeon so the post report was sketchy and incomplete.
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4113881 tn?1415850276
Heres a link to the same question  you have that was answered by another. I will cut a small section of response but you will have to click on link to read the full thing.

"Yes Fentanyl or any narcotic can effect our short term memories, regardless of our age. Physicians walk the fine line of memory impairment or pain management. It is my guess you would rather see your mother with some memory disturbances instead of dealing with chronic pain that would make her days and nights absolutely miserable."

"It is impossible to guess if her dementia is drug induced however in my opinion I would be more inclined to suspect she has dementia that is made worse with the fentanyl. So again in my opinion the next question is do you put her through withdrawal to determine her pain level and the effect if any the fentanyl may be having on her memory? You may have hit on the best solution by simply having the Lortabs discontinued, as long as she is still able to maintain the same comfort level. Another consideration would be to trial reduction in the fentanyl dose to determine if her pain would still be controlled and to evaluate any difference in her memory status."


http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Pain-Management/FENTANYL-PATCH/show/1091993
Helpful - 0
2126606 tn?1346345124
It could be related, but there might be more additional medical factors in his history that are adding to the symptoms of dementia and it would really be impossible to know.

Discuss your concerns with his doctor.  If he believes this might be playing a part in causing the symptoms, maybe he can start him on another pain medication.  After using Fentanyl all these years, dependency is a concern and withdrawals may occur.  There is a lot to consider in order to give him the best quality of life.  Good luck!
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