Hydrocodone to Fentonyl, good idea?

Question

I have 2 herniated disks in my spine which contributes to 24/7 pain and I am hesitant about having surgery on my spine at the moment. I am a bariatric patient so when I take a medicine it does not stay in my system as long as a non-bariatric patient, it cuts off about 2 hours sooner. At first I was put on Vicodin 5/500 (1-2 tabs every 4-6 hours) for the first month and I had to take more of the 5/500 tabs for it alleviate the pain and have a theraputic effect on me. I was then moved up to Vicodin 7.5/750 (1-2 tablets every 4-6 hours) and it didn't do much for me so my doctor put me on Norco 10/325 tabs (1-2 tabs every 4 hours) it helped but then eventually it stopped working and now I am taking 8+ Norcos in a 24 hour period. My doctor has prescribed Fentanyl 25 MCG/HR (the patch) and I hear that it is about as strong as morphine and it leaves you feeling drowsy, etc. My question is will I be able to do things like go to school, etc. once I start taking Fentanyl? Since I take 80+mgs of hydrocodone a day should I wait until the vicodin is out of my system before I start using the patch or will I be okay to start it immeadiately? I am really nervous about taking it but it's been almost a month since I have been able to sleep in my own bed. Thanks for the help ahead of time.

My big question is, I have the 8 Norco pillis in my system a.k.a blood stream, would it be safe to start the Fentanyl patch right away or should I wait to use it?

Answer 1

I'm going to just throw this idea out there and see if it sticks.  Your doctor seems WAY too eager to unload pills on you.  You have a herniated disc, not a severed spinal cord!!!  Having surgery is far less costly than what you're doing to yourself right now.

The only people I have ever heard having a prescription of Fentanyl were people dying of stomach cancer, and that's no joke.  I can't imagine why someone would prescribe it for a back problem.

That being said, enjoy, it was always my favorite when I would've done anything for any drug at any time.  Beats heroin hands-down.

If you can continue to go to school like that, my hat's off to you.

Answer 2

Fentanyl is a good pain reliever but it is short lasting and wears off quickly when given as an IV. The patch was designed to give you a continuous flow of pain medication across the entire day. Then you take other pain pills as necessary throughout the day for "breakthrough" pain. That means when your pain flares up you take a vicodin or norco or something to help bring it back down to an acceptable level, while wearing the patch.

The thing about narcotics is that your body readily builds a tolerance to them so that you have to keep taking more to get pain relief. The fact that you have to keep taking more and more vicodin, etc. is just normal. I doubt that being bariatric makes you use up the meds faster than a non-bariatric patient, it's just that there is more of you to go around and you require a higher dose of meds than a non-b patient. Remember that many drugs are based as milligrams/kilogram of body weight and MD's just prescribe a "standard" dose based on the average persons body weight.

Fentanyl being a narc will give the same side effects as the other narcotic meds you have taken. Constipation, lethargy, mental sluggishness, etc. You need to be careful of what your doing when taking narcotics but you probably already know that.

You can't keep living like this though. In the long run you need to do something more permanent to help try and alleviate your pain symptoms. Also remember that narcs are depressants and chronic pain is a depressant that can lead to a spiraling downward of how you feel overall.  

Answer 3

You seem to have several questions rolled into one.  Here is my take:

1.  It should be safe to apply the fentanyl patch at the time you take your last pain pill.  The patch takes several hours to absorb into the skin and take effect.  It is not immediate release, so if you wait until all of your oral pain medication "is out of your system" before you apply the patch you will be waiting a while for pain relief.  That said, you should contact the physician who prescribed the new medication to see what he/she advises.

2.  It seems like your pain is getting worse and you are taking more and more medication.  Maybe you should consider surgical treatment for your herniated disc.  While there are risks and benefits to surgery (a surgeon can explain them to you), there are also risks and benefits to chronic narcotic use.

3.  You mention "being able to do things" in your message.  You should know that all of the medications you list are narcotics.  They impair alertness and memory, and it is illegal to "do things" while taking them... such as driving a car.

Answer 4

i am in just about the same shape but i get by on norco+800mg ibuprofen with antacid  pills and soma as well as assorted amounts of alcoholic beverages but i really appreciated westminstershakedown's answer you should pick her for the best answer.  

Answer 5

I am not going to preach about your medications or say that you need to do something other than take drugs.  I know where you are coming from, sometimes the only option is medication (I am in the same boat).

You can apply the patch now, you do not have to wait for the Norco to wear off.  You should be taking Norco for breakthrough pain while you are wearing the patch.  Those patches are designed to last approximately 72 hours.  Make sure you take the old one off when you put the new one on, you do NOT want to wear more than one at a time.  If you have body hair where you are going to apply the patch, cut the hair with scissors, DO NOT SHAVE IT!  Shaving opens the skin and you could get a lethal dose of fentanyl.

You said that you have heard that fentanyl is as strong as morphine.  I have news for you, it's stronger.  It is approximately 81 times stronger than oral morphine.  The thing about it though, is that it is being released slowly through your skin.

You may experience headaches, dizziness, drowsiness, constipation, etc while wearing the patch.  Fentanyl patches should be used for chronic pain and on opiate tolerant people (as I know you are).  This, however, does not mean that you will not feel the adverse effects of it.  Most people, even if they have been on opiates for a long time, feel some adverse effects from the patch.  With that being said, I think it is a wonderful tool in chronic pain management.  It is very effective at relieving pain when other oral analgesics have not been able to do so.

Good luck!