Duragesic & Phenergan side effects - please help if you can!

[Guest guest]

Good morning everyone. I am currently on the Duragesic patch

(generic form from Sandoz) and take Norco 10/325 for breakthrough

pain. In addition, I take phenergan for nausea...primarily

evenings. The phenergan helps my nausea tremendously, plus helps me

sleep. I feel like I get fairly good sleep.

Recently I've notice some new symptoms and don't know if they are

side effects of the meds just manifesting themselves now, or

possibly another condition.

I have pretty severe edema in my feet/ankles, I am unusually

tired/fatigued...to the point of almost falling asleep while

driving, and have become somewhat short of breath. I used to be

able to walk 2-3 miles every evening, but now feel short of breath

just crawling into my car. When I complained of these 3 new

symptoms to my docs, they immediately assumed heart or lung

problems. I had an EKG & chest xray...both came back normal. Then

pulmonary function testing...also normal. And finally, an

echocardiogram...normal as well. The docs are wondering where to go

now. Would a stress echo show anything that a regular echo wouldn't?

Has anyone experienced edema from either the patch or the

phenergan. I know the tiredness/drowsiness can be a side effect of

phenergan...are they nausea meds that don't cause that drowsiness?

I truly hate to lose the patch and the phenegan because they allow

me to maintain a fairly good quality of life; I'm still able to work.

Are there other things that you may think of that might be causing

these side effects? Kidney problems?

Thanks, in advance, for any replies. I truly appreciate you all.

SamT

Finally,

[Guest guest]

Sam,

Kidney problems can cause Edema. Also this warmer weather can affect how

your body swells also. I always retain more fluid in the summer. Zofran is a

wonderful anti-nausea drug that doesn't make you sleepy it is just so darned

expensive!

Angie in S C

" The happiest of people don't necessarily have the

best of everything; they just make the best of everything that comes along

their way. "

[Guest guest]

Sam,

Duragesic, (fentanyl), patches list drowsiness as one of it's side effects. I

know that when I first started on the Duragesic patch 2 1/2 years ago, the

drowsiness affected me considerably for the first two weeks or so, unttil I

became accustomed to the medication. Others I've spoken to also ha

ve had the same complaints about this drug.

Respiratory problems can also develop if a patient is on too high of a dose

of many pain medications. I do suggest that you research these medications

and all their side effects at:

http://www.rxlist.com/

This site is the first place I go to whenever I am prescribed any new

medication, or even when I purchase an OTC medication. It's easy to use

and will tell you all you need to know about any medicine.

I never experienced edema until I became diabetic. By any chance, have

your doctors done any blood tests to check your blood sugar levels? As

patients with chronic pancreatitis, we are more at risk for diabetes, and early

detection would be optimal. We recommend that all CP patients request

periodic testing for diabetes, and if their doctor's won't test, that the

members

themselves purchase a glucometer and test themselves.

In regard to your edema, if the doctors decide to place you on a diuretic,

please be advised that most diuretic's list pancreatitis as a side effect.

For this reason, I've never taken one. So far I've been able to treat my

edema by elevating my legs above my heart several times daily and with a

specific exercise that helps to reduce the swelling and pain.

I've only had Phenergan once, while hospitalized, and truly don't know that

much about it's side effects. I am fortunate in that the only times I have

problems with nausea are at the onset of an acute attack, and I don't have to

deal with it daily like so many others do.

I hope this information is of help to you.

With love, hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

www.pancassociation.org/anthology#Heidi.html

Bluffton, SC

SC State & SE Regional Representative

Pancreatitis Association, International

www.health.groups.yahoo.com/group/pancreatitis/

Note: All comments or advice are personal opinion only, and should

not be substituted for professional medical consultation.