Duragesic (fentanyl) pain patch | Arthritis Information

I've been using the duragesic pain patch since Tuesday. My doctor suggested this since all of the other pain medication has made me sick...to the point of throwing up. I haven't had that problem with the pain patch so that's good. Only problem I have is that it makes me VERY tired. I'm fine if I'm busy doing something, but as soon as I sit down I feel like I could go to sleep. I also think I need to go up to the next level of strength since this hasn't really done much for the pain( or maybe I just expect too much for pain releif?), so if that's the case I can imagine it'll make me even more tired.

So my question is to anyone who's been on this...will I adjust to this and eventually not feel so tired...or will I always feel tired while using this?

Kelstev, you will adjust to this and at some point, you will not notice the
sedating effects of the duragesic. You may even require a higher dosage
over time. One of the problems with narcotics is that we build a tolerance
and it is more difficult to achieve good pain control over time. It is just one
of the down side of narcotic use. You may have to use something in
combination with the duragesic.

Meds make you tired and weak.

Wild lingzhi formula made me alert, besides stopping pain. That was my past experiences when battling with the disease.

Watch your toilet habits. Eat alot of fruits and drink juices. Abstain from oily foods.

Take good care!

I had never heard of the Duragesic patches til you posted. They sound great! I like the continual pain relief they offer. My pain meds (morphine plus percocet for breakthru pain) made me very tired when I first started using them. I would literally fall asleep in the middle of a sentence! I think that is common for any narcotic pain relief because of the way they work. I eventually stopped falling asleep and the side effect went away.

I also do the Lidoderm patches (non narcotic) for localized pain. They have been wonderful for my ridiculous foot. It is just lidocaine that is absorbed transdermally (thru the skin) and you can wear up to 3 of them on different parts of your body at the same time and for 12 hours at a time. I slap one of those babies on about 30 minutes before I start housework. It has seemed to help. They are presecription and covered under my insurance at a .00 co-pay.

Thanks for the info Lorster, GrammaS and Kokako.