Fentanyl

Yes it does. But not to the extent that stronger opioids do. It is much weaker than oxycodone, morphine etc. Constriction of pupils is most common when somebody overdoses on tramadol.

It's extremely common for Duragesic patients to have Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, or other acute opiate meds (Demerol, Methadone, etc.) as their breakthrough medication. Remember that patches are for primary, chronic pain; increased activity can cause the pain to increase past the point of patch effectiveness, which is termed "breakthrough pain". In those cases, an acute (short term) pain med like Vicodin or Percocet is used to deal with the short term increase.

I myself have used Percocet 10/325's for about 10 years in conjunction with my patches, about 120/month. At some point though, if breakthrough becomes constant, then it's time to re-evaluate the need for a higher dose patch or patch combination. I've had to deal with this several times over the years, and I prefer to use pills because it gives you more spot control of the pain. But for severe increases (see my bio for more), adding another patch is really the only way to go.

the Fentanyl Buccal Tablets I take for cancer pain are small, round, white tabs with 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, or 8 on them refering to the hundreds of mgs.

Most opiate patients are chronic pain patients in formal Pain Management programs, and since Depression is common to all pain patients, PM programs typically require patients to go through some type of mental health therapy. Taking Wellbutrin and other AD's with Fentanyl and other opiates is common, but of course not everyone is the same. For some like me, AD's have the opposite effect, so I can't take them. There are those that do benefit though - the best course is to try it for a short period to see if you're getting any benefit.

to get high if you cut it open and lick it or rub it on your mouth its absorbed right away the patch is time release through the patch eight to twelve hrs so if some one is doing this its probably to get high

$17.00 to $20.00 give or take i guess idk for sure though so dont quote me.

Any fentanyl transdermal system patch is worth whatever the mcg is and sometimes a little more. So say a 25 mcg patch would be between $25 to $30 or say a 50 mcg patch would get between $50 and $60.

I believeOxymorphone would be the closest Legal Opioid in Strength; if used in combination with oxycodone (which metabolizes into oxymorphone) Oxymorphone can reach 200 times the potency in relation to Morphine (although due to its lack of metabolitic absorption in it's current legal form, you would have to have to use it in it's IV/IM form plus oxycodone as a metabolic primer in order to reach the full potency of oxymorphone). It sounds like a lot of experimentation and work so if you are using fentanyl be cautious because it is a 100 times stronger than morphine without experimenting with mixtures. Although Methadone is about 10 times the potency of morphine the half-life (length of metabolism in the body) makes it another dangerous narcotic. I hope I shed some light on your question, and I hope you are not taking a combo of the above drugs mentioned. Also opioid dependency is a life long battle, and if curiosity for the sake of knowing is the only purpose that's OK but if you are fighting the painful fight there is help and people who care and know what its like ; ) .

It depends on the person and how long patches have been used, but in general you'll start feeling withdrawals around 6-8 hours after the patch dose expires. It takes another few days before it's really out of your system. If you've been using Fentanyl for a long time, it'll take days or weeks depending on how much and how long.

You can, but they are typically not prescribed together since they perform the same function - long term dosage delivery of opiate for chronic pain. They can be prescribed together when the patient is making the transition from OxyContin to Duragesic or vice-versa, but there's really no reason for it. All Duragesic patches come with information instructing the patient and doctor on the minimum starting dosage with a morphine equivalence chart that allows them to estimate your current equivalence with the drug you're using to the equivalent Duragesic dosage. Janssen Pharmaceuticals does skew the dosage estimates lower than they normally should be though for safety reasons, since all patients should start at the lowest dose and then work up to maintenance levels.

The difference is in the time factor - OxyContin has an advertised dosage time of 12 hours effective dosage, while Fentanyl patches are good for either 48 to 72 hours depending on the individual. For most people it's 72 hours, but a small percentage of the population (myself included) only gets 48 hours.

Since they're both controlled delivery drugs, Fentanyl patches are often prescribed when OxyContin tolerance has lowered to the point where the patient is only getting relief for about the same time that an acute pain medication does - just over 6 hours. Before I started using Duragesic, I was barely getting 7 hours out of OxyContin. The idea in pain management is to maintain a controlled dosage with less medication at a steady rate over long periods so that the patient doesn't have to rely on more medication to achieve the same results. Of course as tolerance increases, dosages may have to be adjusted, or increased if the pain increases. I've had to do this several times over the many years I've used Duragesic, but ultimately was able to return to my normal dosage levels after the reason for increased need was dealt with.

the fentanyl patch is a long timed system patch in which it lasts up to 72 hours per patch and dosage in your system compared to the tablet of Oxycontin in which it only lasts about 6-8 hours per pill depending on dose and your tolerance of pain medications

This refers to a Fentanyl Transdermal patch, which is commonly used for chronic pain patients like myself that need continuous long-term opiate therapy. It is regulated by body heat, and is extremely effective.

There are several doses - 12.5, 25, 50, 75 and 100mcg patches, all of which can be used with one another to make specific dosages. For example, though my normal dose is 100mcg, I typically have to use 200mcg, so I'll use 2 100mcg patches.

Yes, Fentanyl will show up if they ask the lab to look for it or drugs of its category (opiates).

The peak of pain relief provided by the Fentanyl transdermal system is between 12 and 18 hours after application.

You can't.

On first application it usually takes 24-72 hours for serum concentrations of fentanyl to reach a peak,

so it may not be until the second patch has been applied that a steady-state concentration is reached.

Break-through analgesia may be required initially. Wean other analgesics slowly after the first patch.2

The patch should be changed every 72 hours.

Duragesic patches do - you can get a $50 coupon for your prescription from the Duragesic site, and they often include them in the boxes. For me it's enough to take care of my copay.

Yes. See the Related Link below.

All Duragesic users experience withdrawals on a regular basis - it's the nature of using them. However, you can avoid the minor withdrawals if you overlap your patch changes. It takes several hours after your patch expires (or it's removed) before you really start to feel it. Initially you'll just feel cold and clammy (opiates are Vasodilators, meaning they open the blood vessels - the reason you feel cold is because the blood vessels constrict)

Duragesic takes several hours to ramp up to full dosage delivery, and the same goes for when it's running out. Eventually you'll learn when the dosage is low enough that you'll start feeling the first signs of withdrawals - not really that strong, but enough to get your attention. Severe Fentanyl withdrawal is not a good time, so never let yourself get that low on your meds. Try to stretch your patches so that you've got one or two extras at the end of the month - I've always maintained an emergency 1 month supply just in case.

The trick to avoiding the withdrawals is to know when your current patch is winding down. If you add your new patch as the other one is winding down, you'll find that your dosage level remains fairly constant, as one is ramping up to full dosage while the other one is expiring. You can always use your breakthrough meds if you need to if the expiring patch is too low.

Like any patch, you won't feel any withdrawal effects for several hours. After that, depending on your dependence level, the withdrawals will increase steadily over time. 25mcg patches aren't very strong, so you'd probably be through it within a week, depending on how long you've used them.

However, like any opiate, it's not recommended just doing it cold turkey, as the withdrawals can be pretty bad if you're not used to it (and bad enough if you are). There are many ways to ease the process, but in general you should have someone staying with you, keep hydrated (Gatorade is great), and warm (opiates dilate the blood vessels, so when the level decreases your blood vessels constrict, making you cold and clammy). Getting a doctor to prescribe an anti-anxiety and nausea med really helps. I've also used Flexeril and Naproxen to ease the discomfort, as well as just to knock me out.

One way I've done it in the past (I've had to increase/decrease my patch dosages many times over the years) is to use decreasing levels of breakthrough meds (Percocet in my case) and OTC meds (I use Tylenol ES Rapid Release geltabs, Bayer Back & Body aspirin) to help deal with the withdrawal pain.

The final key ingredient is mental distraction - Internet, or in my case, a large game and video collection. As long as you're focused on something other than your discomfort, it's a big help.

Severe withdrawals are a lot like having a really bad case of the Flu - it's uncomfortable, but unlike Flu, it won't kill you.

Yes, but it is used and prescribed with many restrictions. It is a DEA Schedule II controlled substance, and as such, restrictions are:

1. Patients can only be prescribed a 30 day supply.

2. Prescriptions must be new every month - they cannot be called in.

3. No refills are allowed.

It's the same for all Schedule II opiates, but for those of us who use them, it's an inconvenience compared to living with extreme pain on a regular basis.

I faced a similar problem in 1999, when I was using OxyContin for a year, and my doctor kept trying to get me to move to a 100mcg patch. My only regret is that I didn't listen to her and do it sooner.

I can guess your reluctance, as it's probably the same as mine was; increasing your opiate dependence. But in the long run, you actually wind up using less medication, as your stomach and kidneys can only take so much if your pain levels are high enough and the drugs you've been using are not doing the job. Remember that the stuff you've used in the past is for acute (short term) pain, not constant chronic pain, and only lasts a few hours. Duragesic is for long-term, constant chronic pain, and lasts 48-72 hours, and trust me when I say that it works. Of course you'll run into days where you'll need to use breakthrough drugs, and eventually your tolerance level will require you to increase your dosages. But the alternative is constant agony, and Duragesic at the very least gives you back some semblance of a normal life. Eventually you'll become tolerant enough that you won't even notice it. I've used up to 200mcg's (2 100mcg patches) for many years, and at my tolerance level I feel fairly normal, save for the fact that my pain isn't there.

Using patches comes with a price, and it's a quality-of-life decision not to be made lightly. None of use likes dealing with the restrictions placed on Schedule II opiates, but on the flip side none of use likes to be in constant agony either. You need to consider your long-term prognosis, and if it's going to help you live a better life, then use it. The side effects aren't much different than any other opiate, though mood swings can be more often. But if your pain level is that high, you already know that you can only keep up mental focus for so long before the pain changes your mood anyway. Duragesic at least increases the periods between those changes, and as long as your family and friends know what to expect (my wife just closes the door to whatever room I'm in), it's okay.

If you're wondering, over the years my prescriptions have been:

1 -2 100mcg patches

120/150 Percocet 10/325's per month

100mg Demerol tab

30mg MS Contin tabs

I also use 30mg Fiorinal w/Codeine for migraines (Butalbital/Aspirin/Caffeine).

yes

Yes, aspirin has no known significant drug interactions with fentanyl

yes

Fentanyl is a strong analgesic; don't use this compound as a drug !