Re: /a: Duragesic

January 17, 2004

Dear Judi:

I have been using the duragesic fentynl patch for about a year. At first I

had problems with itching and it was difficult to use... However, it is better

now. I don't get any fevers to speak of even when I had terrible itching. I

think Have the hang of it now. I used paper tape to keep it on, on the edges

and on top of it. Then I use another tape made of plastic over it, to keep

it in place. I noticed if I keep it in place right I have less itching. In

between I use a moisturizer to treat the skin to help ease the itching.

However, I have to really wash it good to get it off good so the next patch will

stick okay. I really think they are wonderful. Maybe not at first. However,

now

I feel I get the best pain relief from them. I am on 50 mg. Are you on 50

or 25? I was on 25 but the 50 is better. I feel better than I have in years

with them.

Good luck to you too.

Sincerely,

Anjillah@....

January 17, 2004

Judi,

The only information I could find regarding fever as a side effect is in

children. If you download this full prescribing info (It's a PDF file),

you'll see on page 3 it has a chart of side effects. Fever is listed as a

side effect in children. Maybe you are regressing back to childhood. How

nice that would be if it meant we got our health back

The Full U.S. Prescribing Information is available as a Portable Document

Format (PDF) file.

http://www.duragesic.com/prescribing.jsp

The reason you have to stop the patch in the event of fever is because the

increased temperature could cause you to receive more medication than you

should from the patch.

It is 's law that things like this happen when your doctors are away.

a

> Dear Knowledgeable Friends:

>

> I've been wearing this patch (off and on, pardon the pun) for a

> little over a week now. I took it off at the end of the first 3 days

> with this horrible red itchy rash, so left it off for 1 day. I

> developed a high fever which lasted about 3 days, so according to

> directions, couldn't use the patch while I had the fever. When the

> fever went away, I put the patch back on. Took it off last night at

> the end of my 3 days, intending to put a new one on this morning

> after my shower, but now have another fever!! I had thought the

> fever was one of the Dercum fevers that I get occasionally, but now

> I don't know. I've tried doing research on Duragesic/fentanyl to see

> if that is a reaction to taking the patch off, and the pharmacist

> doesn't know. The pain doc. who prescribed it is away at a pain

> management conference for a week. Do you wise wonderful people

> know?

>

> Gratefully,

> Judi

>

January 17, 2004

I don't know, Judi. That's a tricky one, especially since you just

started it. It is possible that it could be a withdrawal reaction, but

I'm not sure. What strength is your patch? Did it seem to be effective?

The best strategy is to put a new patch on immediately after removing

the old one (and I've read you should choose a different location), but

I can understand why you didn't.

You're an unusual case in so many ways. You seem very sensitive to meds.

Too, the fentanyl isn't the only thing in your system right now.

Even though your physician is away, maybe you could run it by someone

else at his office.

[ ] /a: Duragesic