Butrans pain patches

Nicchick

Evening everyone!

Silly, I know but despite being prescribed these after seeing my consultant in November I'm only now starting to use them, first one today.

I've been feeling so well, first on Celebrex and then the Humira that I stopped all pain relief and even stopped the Celebrex but a few days ago (maybe a little longer) my feet and hands started complaining - it's not rheumatoid pain, I'm guessing it's the eroded joints that are causing the agony.

I popped a Q on Twitter as I don't know anyone who uses pain patches and the thought of something almost permanent feeding drugs into me scared me. Two rather sweet and reassuring ladies offered up their experiences with them to me, both positive!

So...here's hoping!

I know people (who don't have RA) are alarmed by the strength of the drugs we need to take but if they were using my feet right now then they wouldn't hesitate to take whatever was offered! I couldn't bear to take Tramadol again, the tolerance built at an alarmingly fast rate, it made me sick and zombiefied, not nice!

I've set my alarm as I'm expecting a good snooze......

Nic x

stickywicket

Did it work? Did you sleep well, Nic? I hope so.

kentishlady

Hi Nic. Do hope the pain patches will work for you. I have used them but they didn't agree with me at all and I had to come off them. The side effects I got were not good at all. Hope you have more luck as I know that others on the forum do use them with varying degrees of success. Like most meds, some people get on fine with them and others don't. Unfortunately, I'm one of the latter as get dreadful side effects from everything my GP has tried me with and now have to stick with just paracetamol (not nearly strong enough), plus so-called pain-relieving gel.

Take care. Beryl

barbara12

Hi Nic
I am on the fentalis patches, and like you took a while to start using them,especially has I found out they are much stronger than morphine, so far I am not having much joy with them, at first I felt quite sickly but that has passed just waiting for them to work... :?
Good Luck with them I know others on here have had a lot of relief from them,please let me no how you get on with them x

Nicchick

Well SW....I always sleep pretty well anyway - famous for it!

I haven't had any relief yet and did resort to some additional Tramadol this afternoon which the doc did say was ok and had a couple of hours where the pain was bearable.

I always count it as a bonus if there are no horrid side effects but am waiting to see if there's any positive effects after 3 days - I'm abandoning ship if there isn't!

Poor you Beryl! I'm ok taking most things and I suspect that it is all my fault for stopping Celebrex as I was feeling so well - doh!

Barbara, it is scary and as I know no-one who is on the sort of drugs we have to take I had to 'speak' to some people who had before I was brave enough to try!

I'll report back tomorrow as I feel an early night coming on - it's been a long day!

Nx

villier

Hi Nic

just read your post, don't know much about the meds and patches as it is OA I have although I have used Lidocaine patchesin the past for neuropathic pain, keeping fingers crossed you will get some relief by tomorrow............tc..............Marie xx

Nicchick

Thank you!

Until yesterday afternoon I would have said that it hadn't been much different but then I did feel in slightly less pain feetwise which in comparison to normal was bleeding marvelous - then I got all stupid and did far too much again and feel ropey as anything this morning!

The Humira is definitely doing something as I can do 3 'jobs*' in a day instead of spreading them throughout the week!

*making the bed, having a bath or cooking a meal etc.

I think OH is looking in to asking for lidocaine patches for his foot and ankle - he gets a lot of pain post ankle fusion and we both wondered if they would be any good - did they help you at all?

Nic x

villier

Nic glad things are a bit more bearable for you although try not to over do things. I am afraid the lidocaine patches did nothing for me but I do know people that do get some relief with them, certainly worth a try...........Marie xx

dachshund

Hello Nicchick.
i was on those patches they did work i had to come of them
they made me ichy and my clothes stuck to it.
i hope you get some releaf from them.
take care
joan xx

frogmorton

Hi NIcchick

I am on bu-trans and have been for a good while now. I don't think they are a miracle BUT they take the edge off for certain and l don't feel so woozy as I did on 'normal' meds :oops:

I don't know what dose you are on, but I am allowed to top up for breakthrough pain with things like co-codamols and paracetamol. You could ask your GP or pharmacist whether you can too?

Love

Toni xxx

Ps I stick them on my upper arms as I think the skin is tougher there than chest area and most of the time they don't show

CJHunter

Hiya, well what can i say that hsnt been said by frogmorton. Im on them too, no they are not the miricale drug but they sure help me with the pain.

I was told by rheummy that codiene medication should NOT be taken with the beutrans. the reason he gave was that they battle against each other through different nuropathways so counter act each other. He explained it in more detail but i cant remember exactly what he said.

Anyhow the advice i would give is dont take anything with codeine in while on patches. Stick them on a dif area each time too.

All the best. x

frogmorton

CJHunter wrote:

Hiya, well what can i say that hsnt been said by frogmorton. Im on them too, no they are not the miricale drug but they sure help me with the pain.

I was told by rheummy that codiene medication should NOT be taken with the beutrans. the reason he gave was that they battle against each other through different nuropathways so counter act each other. He explained it in more detail but i cant remember exactly what he said.

Anyhow the advice i would give is dont take anything with codeine in while on patches. Stick them on a dif area each time too.

All the best. x

EEKK!!!

Thanks for that Clare :shock:

love

Toni xxx

constable

Hi there

I have those patches to. Ifind they do help, dont take away pain completely but help. And I am able to take tramadol on top as well. I am one of the luck ones, no side effects at all. No sleepiness, nothing.

Nicchick

Thanks everyone!

I've given up on the patches as I think distraction was playing a bigger part in dealing with the pain - I had a couple of trips sitting in cars and found that the pain in my feet after getting out was just as bad as it ever is. I might be wrong but I'll see how things go.

OH is off to see GP about his medication as his arthritis has changed over the years but his meds have stayed the same. He had a hip x-ray yesterday and that showed narrowing spaces and erosion in his hip joints, hence pains!

Nic x

merri

Have only just come to this. It can take a while to get into your system, so I wouldn't expect a huge difference right away, you need to persevere, I think it takes at least 3 days for them to take effect. Also make sure that you've got them in the right place, I stuck mine on my lower back last week and then reread the instructions and realised that's one place that they're not supposed to go

3 months ago I was in unmanageable, unbearable pain every day, was taking 8 Tramadol, 8 Cocodamol, 3 Diclofenac plus ADs and capsaicin cream and the pain was still unbearable. I started on the patches, and now while it's intense, it's manageable. I find that it blunts it and takes the edge off so that I can do other things. I'm lucky but don't seem to have side effects

That said, they don't suit everybody but in order to know if they help or not, you do need to give them a chance.

dreamdaisy

Have you restarted the Celebrex? The fact that things were feeling so good means the meds were doing as they should so stopping them ain't usually the wisest move. Pain is a fact of life for all of us, nothing takes it away, it's only ever eased a little and the stronger the relief the more we are taken away from it, not vice-versa. DD