How long does it take for Duragesic Pain Patch to work?

[yobo626]

Does anyone know how long it takes to feel the effect of the pain patch? Thank you

[C123x]

Hey I been on fentyal patches for 7 months ..the 50 mg  I need some feed back on this .. I need to know if it's working for other and how they feel while taking it ..thanks crystal bee bee

[Oahumike]

I'm on the 75mcg/h and I've found putting it on before bedtime and wake up with it working full blast. I've also found placing patch on bicep (upper arm muscle) and putting a 4"x4" waterproof bandaid over it to prevent leaking (if the adhesive on patch doesn't work well) and for peace of mind. I also write the date I apply it so I don't have to tracking it,, I just look! For transparency I use oxy 15mg ir for breakthru and together allows me to at least get groceries but not long outings. Without both these meds I can't even get out of bed. Hope this helps. Aloha

[Secretariat73]

Old post I know but you are actually wrong according to my guy.  I understand your point and I do exactly what you do, but at 72 hours, the old patch still has medicine in it and, more importantly, your skin still stores it and has it, so when you remove it and put the new one on, your body still benefits from the old one while the new one is kicking in.  Now...the old one may not be strong enough for you at hour 72, which is why I do the same thing, but technically...people should wait.  Also, I have never heard of the patches being legally prescribed in intervals of less than three days, so unless you have an amazing hook up...you would run out nine or ten days too early using your suggestion.  Anyhow...just a discussion.  I hope you are feeling well.

[Gnagflow]

You are so correct, also, if you apply them sooner, you will run out sooner and no pain management center will write you an early prescription!!! So you will be going through very, very painful DT's. Plus, putting a heating pad over it is just plain suicide!!!

[djoyg]

Omg, this may not seem painful to some? I just read this year's after you wrote it and nearly vomitted thinking of the pain you must be in. I'm still queasy. How are you? Has your medical team done anything to correct the movement of the rods?
All my best and bless you...

[djoyg]

Six years later yet still, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for posting this nytimes article.
I'm very concerned about starting the patch. From all of the patient feedback it seems so many write of how unhappy they've been with their experience as opposed to those commenting on success with it.

[cc131]

exactyl

[cc131]

dont ever heat it up. my brother had used one for the first time and heated it up and it made him die. i cant say it enought, its very dangerous, it was the gel kind. he read it online to do it and that it was safe..and well u can not believe everything u read, you hafta ask your own Dr. because now hes gone, and he was only 30 yrs old, my baby brother  RIP

[C123x]

I jave heated my up but thwy jave not be the jeĺl kind .. Ian so sorry to hear about your brother ...god bless him and your heart!!!  Do u use them??

[chronicchrons]

your guess is as good as mine I have had 2 docs tell me at least 12 hrs a nurse say at least 12 hrs and the newest doc say 5 hrs so as far as I am concerned not even a doc can give a decent answer....go with what yer doc is saying if you trust them...I can not trust what any doc in my town says about it now so I refuse to take it anymore ....it has also put me in a life threatening situation cause I forgot to change my patch out....I personally think this drug is very dangerous and should be used with extreme caution

[gdytko]

Why???

[gdytko]

I have read through all of the Old Postings I found useful and I'm very happy they were there. Most of my questions were answered.

[shinty]

This post is a few years old! Please start a new one if you need info., or have some info.......Just saying..
       shinty

[poundpup123]

Sorry Bout My Accent folks,..I have to agree with mr stnick on putting the patch on every 48 hours,1st month dose 25mg/72hr i complained he quickly said ill move you to 50mg. at 2nd apnt.  i was on 4 300mg lyrica an 8/800mg gabapentin,i ruined any hope of being pals with him.i said thats too much to soon. I said im not a paitent here anymore,As im walking out,he offered if i promised to take each patch at exactly or later than last patch.then chastised me that it oughta have been enough?
then states,id have to buy the overage,non formulated portion.Im happy to buy an pay,just to not increase the dose.As an adult i think i hope we all know the danger of this medicine.id never heard of it,or a patch for pain,i never look up medicine,so as not to get preconcived side effects.you get 27minutes each viset by law.he just forcefully told me how dangerous it was.forgetting where to place it,my chest ..i looked like a rabid dog shaveing spots lol,now i put them on my inner forearm,least fuzzy on me,but no matter,they came off.i found a bandaid 3-M Nexcare wtr proof,costly,but no skin rash,no marks or pain,
i still screw up,i have cut them in half,to make them last,
i aint no doctor but id hope folks have common sense nuff to look up drugs they take,the mayo clinic has less spam an is easier to understnd for me.

I also wanna say how sorry i feel for all of you here goin through this liveing hell.i know what its like at 2am ur on the floor in a ball rockin back an forth.
again i am so sorry that you hurt..thanks fer lettin me speak Le'roy

[PeterJeter]

My pain specialist told me today that fentanyl patches are used to relieve pain anywhere from 48 hours to 72, and if I am one of the ones who it only works up to 48 hours, he could write me a script for 15 a month so I could change it every 2 days, instead of 3, and insurances and pharmacists are aware of this issue with the patch and there is no problem with it.

[Houston22]

First time prescribed this for chronic lower back pain degenerative disk disease and bulging disks. I've been taking 10-325 vicodin morning, afternoon and evening 2 pills each time. My question is with the fentanyl 25mcg how alert I will be. I do a lot of driving for my job. I know I should not be but unfortunately I have to work so that's not an option.

[nursedeborah1]

I was recently taken off one of my 100 mcq Fentynal patches after many years, my MS Contin all at once, and my Klonipin as well.

It's now been a month since my car accident, where I have no memory at all as to what even happened at all, and now was just told I had, had a stroke.

I had a bleed on my brain as well, I am still having many problems, especially with pain, but my boyfriend refuses to let me take anything other than the 100 Fentynal patch, which he now puts on well if it's it's Mon. he will put a new one on Wed.

I just don't want to be in pain, and want to be able to do a little around the house, but he just doesn't get it, will only help me in public

[TheMadMan]

I have read the comments here and would like to offer my OPINION here.
Being in the Fentanyl patch was horrible for me. It was supposed to help with the pain but I was too doped up to realize that I had lost an excessive amount of weight, slept all the time and did not care about what was going on around me. When I woke up one day and looked in the mirror and saw a face that scared the hell out of me, I got off the 50mcg of the Fentanyl patch because my weight was down to 108 from 150 lbs. It was rough but I did not want to be that person who I saw in the mirror that day. Since then I have gone back to the doctors to help correct my pain issues and insisted that the drugs were not doing me any good and what really needs to be addressed here was WHY was I in so much pain and what could be done about it. That is what needed attention here and I got a few answers and treatments but I really had to get the doctor to focus on the attention of treatments and not the drugs. Since then I am doing a little better. Went through a whole host of doctors for attention to what needed to be done and will continue to do so until I have some relief from my pain issues WHICH I have experienced in the past with proper treatments. That is the issue at hand so to everyone who is on the Fentanyl patch I say BEWARE of what this medication can do and the damage it does to your internal organs. My pancreas acted up because of all these pain medications I was on and now I have to take an enzyme for the rest of my life for pancreatic problems caused by these pain medication so BEWARE of the future and what is to come due to the damage that these medications can cause. Thank you for listening.

[painaway14]

Hello Mollyrae, I literally just had my first appointment at pain clinic on Thursday amd was put on a 50 fentanyl patch. The dr TOLD me tht heat induces the fentanyl faster so do tht, just not directly over patch. Also, it takes up to only12 hrs to get fully in your system but a full week to level out. U shud not be telling people to use more becuz u obviously dont no what your talking about. Maybe all docs are different but im pretty sure they wud stick with the same information.

[Chronicjen]

Am on fentanyl for the second time, the first time the dr was stupid and the dose too low, no effect. Now on a higher dose and still in agony. The dr says to give it TEN days and come back and he will not allow anything for breakthrough pain. Next he wants to put me on methadone and that's very scary. I'm two days in on the new dose fentanyl and was reading this to see if it should have worked by now. Can't believe any dr suggested to put a heat pad on these things, is he trying to kill the patient??!! Any way good luck everyone, a life in pain is hell

[rosieposie7]

Hi! I just wanted you to know that I will pray for you and the rest of us...I feel for you, I really do...I suffer also and understand breaking points, depression(my own), "what am i going to do" thoughts and so on. I am glad I found this site since it makes me feel better to read that I am not alone...God Bless you!

[HotDog1977]

This is what I've done for months now and it seems to keep that down time pain from happening. And if you will notice even at 72 hrs all the medicine is still not out of the patch. And if you have to pay for these you definitly want to use every bit of it cause they are very expensive when insurance doesnt cover them.

[goldy31160]

  hello , i am so new to this that i am not sure if anyone is out there to hear me out . (please)..... i have use of one hand only due to an elevator accident. all this was in 2001. i have had 6 surgeries and lots of hardware put in my arm . damn elevator crushed me as i was exiting and and trapped me and i used my arm to push door open . i broke the blood supply to bone and got avascular necrosis. i have chronic pain , high blood pressure , diabetes, high cholest. , restless leg syndrome , and too much more . i have been on morphine ir for breakthur pain and fentanyl patches every 72 hrs. well after all the time was some what stable , when now my internal med. dr started doing urine test , 2 came back negative. oh no , never have i ever had any issues with drugs or alchol , i dont drink , smoke or dont even leave my home , my disabled hubby and i stay home and go out only for drs appts. well i was shocked , i asked her is there anyway something could be making this read neg.?? she said NO , I NEVER HEARD OF THAT .... OMG... i begged her pls do blood work , thats NEGATIVE AND I AM IN SHOCK . after reading on line this seems to occur more than known. again omg.... she will not prescribe my pain meds now and sent me to pain clinic , been there done that and was no help. they did some nerve block . well amy ideas or comments would be soooo welcome at this time. thanks in advance , goldy31160

[railroaded]

Thanks, I never even noticed the date!. I will pay attention to the date from now on...but actually, I posted as a reply to someone that DID post not to long ago! The post showed up after the long-ago post! i don't understand the posting concept, but it is hard to reply to someone's question, they just put it (your answer), antwhere they want...unless I am missing something!

[Weathergirl21]

Just FYI but you are posting to people who haven't been here since 2008...