How to Get Started With Pain Patches

Transdermal patches are easy to apply and are an effective way to get pain relief. They can be used to treat a variety of conditions, including pain from cancer.

While using fentanyl patches, you should discuss with your health care provider your pain treatment goals and length of treatment. Also, tell your doctor if you or anyone in your family drinks or has ever drunk large amounts of alcohol, uses street drugs, overuses prescription medications, has an overdose, or has depression or another mental illness.

How to Apply

For the most part, pain-relief patches work by delivering the active ingredient directly to the skin. This is called transdermal drug delivery and it’s the most effective way to deliver the medicine.

To apply a pain-relief patch, remove the protective liner and press it firmly in place, using the palm of your hand. This should take no more than 30 seconds, making sure that the entire adhesive surface is on your skin, especially around the edges, continue to read.

Choose a dry, flat, and unbroken area of skin to put the patch on, such as your upper arm or chest. Try to avoid hairy areas, and if necessary, clip the errant hairs before applying the patch. You may also use first aid tape to secure the patch if it isn’t sticking right away. It’s also a good idea to keep your hands dry and wash them thoroughly with plain water after applying the patch. This will help keep the active ingredient from slipping off the skin.

Dosage

Fentanyl patch is a powerful drug that can be very dangerous if overused or misused. It can also be habit-forming (causing mental or physical dependence).

Patients who have used strong opioids before can be at risk of overdose if they are treated with a higher dose of fentanyl patch than is necessary for pain relief. Therefore, prescribe the lowest-strength patch (12 micrograms per hour) and monitor closely until analgesic efficacy is attained.

Prescribe fentanyl patch only when there is a genuine need and when the patient has an established tolerance to other opioids. Dosing should be gradual and titrated upwards (no more frequently than every 72 hours after the initial dose or no more frequently than every 6 days thereafter) until analgesic efficacy is achieved.

Side Effects

Pain patches are easy to apply and can be used for a variety of different pain conditions. They can deliver medications like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), local anesthetics, and opioids.

Lidocaine patches are used for neuropathic pain, which is pain caused by nerve damage. This kind of pain is often more intense than other kinds of pain.

These pain patches have a special adhesive that holds them in place. They are available over-the-counter (OTC) and can be found at most pharmacies.

NSAID pain-relief patches come in three types: Flector (diclofenac epolamine), Lidoderm (lidocaine), and Duragesic (fentanyl).

Fentanyl pain patches are used for long-term, around-the-clock pain relief following cancer treatment. They can be up to 100 times more potent than other narcotic pain medicines.

Storage

Fentanyl is a potent opioid painkiller and comes in a wide variety of forms including the most popular a transdermal or adhesive patch. It is often prescribed to people with cancer or severe chronic pain. The good news is that these medications are very effective and safe when used as prescribed. However, they do have their drawbacks. For one thing, they can easily be abused by non-patients. In addition, they can cause serious side effects when used by children or pets.

Summary:

To avoid the risk of abuse or accidental overdose, it is best to dispose of unused patches in a safe and environmentally friendly manner. Many communities have medicine take-back programs and you should be able to find one in your neighborhood. Alternatively, you could just toss it in the garbage. There are also a number of nifty products on the market to assist with this task, such as the WellPatch Warming Pain Relief Pads and the Schreiner MediPharm’s patented pain patch with an integrated tamper proof label solution.