May 29, 2016 (Started Jan 15, 2002)

  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for cervical spondylosis)
  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for fibromyalgia)
  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for muscle spasms in neck)
  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for pain)
  • Side effects
    None (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    A little hard to take
Dosage: 100 mcg Daily
Advice & Tips: Continues to relieve a considerable amount of my pain and allows me to function more than I could without the patch.  Doesn't relieve all my pain, but it sure reduces the level. 

Nov 28, 2015 (Started Jan 15, 2002)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for cervical spondylosis)
  • Effectiveness
    Major (for fibromyalgia)
  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for muscle spasms in neck)
  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for pain)
  • Side effects
    None (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    A little hard to take
Dosage: 100 mcg Daily
Advice & Tips: A correction to the above - at my doc's suggestion, we backed off the amount of fentanyl.  Downgraded to 75 mcg/hr with noticeable increase in pain levels.  At 50 mcg/hr, I couldn't function at all.  Pain levels too high and left me in bed or chair and with tears.  Back to 100 mcg/hr.  It doesn't relieve all my pain by any means, but it allows me to function. 

Mar 1, 2011 (Started Jan 15, 2002)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for Nerve pain/muscle spasm from degenerated cervical vertebrae)
  • Effectiveness
    Major (for pain)
  • Effectiveness
    Major (for fibromyalgia)
  • Side effects
    None (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    A little hard to take
Dosage: 100 mcg Daily
Advice & Tips: As an opiod, it is critical to keep a note where easily seen to ensure changing to new patch on time. In a few hours after missing change time, unpleasant withdrawal symptoms start. It much easier to use than the oral meds and prevents the up and down pain levels that oral meds create. Like all opiods, it is constipating, but (at my docs suggestion) I take a stool softener ever morning. That seems to relieve 90% of the problem. Because of degeneration in my cervical vertebrae and the days I overdo, I supplement the patch with oral opiods as needed. All in all, without the patch, I don't think I could function at all.
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