How do you schedule the change of a Fentanyl patch every 72 hours?

Answer 1

First, remember that not everyone gets a full 72 hours, and the longer you use them, the less time you'll get from them. Point is, don't think that 72 hours is a hard and fast number; there are some of us who only get 48 hours. If you're getting less than 72 hours, you probably need a higher dose. If you've not been on them that long, it's important to note that the initial patch dose conversion from oral opiates is skewed to the low side for safety reasons, and most first-time patch users get a dose that's initially too low if they've been using oral opiates for a long period.

The trick is to overlap your patch replacement time; I used to use both biceps (when using 1 or 2 patches) for patch placement, as they're flat and don't flex much, making it the ideal spot. When only using 1 patch, add the new patch on your other arm (or another area above the waistline) as the old one is winding down, at around the 70 hour mark (or whenever you've determined is a good point). I used to put my new one on about 4 hours before I knew the old one would get real low.

As a result, the new patch has enough time to ramp up to full dosage delivery as the old one winds down and runs out. This way, your overall dosage remains fairly constant, and you won't experience any withdrawal symptoms.