Is Fentanyl a prescribed drug?

[redsky99]

Is Fentanyl a presrcibed drug or is it a substance that is created by mixxing other drugs together? I have never encountered this drug before and was curious to know its origins and who would need something 80 times more potent then morphine.

[Questions]

Yes, actually Fentanyl is a Schedule 2 drug in the US and is used for chronic pain or anesthesia. When used as a pain reliever it may come in the form of a patch or a sucker (for lack of better term). The "sucker" is a tab of the medicine on a stick and most commonly used for pain from cancer.

[stacyk19]

wow that sounds like a powerful drug, I'm sure this can be very dangerous in the wrong hands. What is a schedule 2 drug?

[Questions]

Originally Posted by stacyk19

wow that sounds like a powerful drug, I'm sure this can be very dangerous in the wrong hands. What is a schedule 2 drug?

All drugs/substances are classified according to the Controlled Substances Act. There are 5 classifications 1 being the worst 5 being the least harmful. Schedule II is a drug that has high potential for abuse, is an accepted medication for treatment in the US however is highly likely to be addictive. Its actual kind of extensive. I'll do a whole thread on it soon and trackback to you

[skatss]

The Fentanyl patch is very dangerous. There have been cases where someone, like a child, just touches it and it can cause death.

My sister has severe arthritis in both hips and is in terrible pain. AShe's in a wheel chair and can't walk at all. Her hips cannot be operated on because she has cancer. To relieve her of some of her arthritis pain her oncologist gives her Fentanyl patches in the strongest patches possible. She wears three 100 mg patches just to give her some relief. Her doctors are amazed that she needs such high dosages. They are always warning her and me that I shouldn't go near them. She also has to be very careful how she disposes of them.

This drug is very strang.

[stacyk19]

Wow that is amazing, I had no idea that a person's pain could be that bad. I feel really bad for your sister. Have the doctors explored any other possible options that might be able to relieve her pain?

I wonder is there is a method to just target the specific nerves in the area of the body that is responsible for sending all that pain shooting through her?

[BiggJimm]

Yeah it is a very strong drug. I've been taking it for chronic nerve pain for almost 10 yrs. I currently take 100 mcg's every 48hrs and take 600mcg fentanl suckers for BT pain. It is a very effective means of controlling chronic pain, it just needs to be handled with a little bit of care. They even warn a patients caregivers to be careful if you apply someones patch for them not to touch the sticky part and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards. I read an account of a guys 100 mcg patch coming off during the night time & in the morning he found his wife dead & the EMT's found his patch stuck on her when they moved her body. Some Dr.'s have even prescribed to high of a starting dose for patients who were not opiate tolerant & resulted in deaths. So they definitely need to be handled with some caution & responsibility. I hope all have a pain free & blessed day.
PS does anyone know of any good sites for chronic pain and long term pain management discussions? Thank you. BiggJimm.

[BiggJimm]

This 1000 character limit is for the birds. I had to edit my comment four times to get it to post. Lol.

[johnnypoppyseed]

I was prescribed the lowest dose fentanyl duragesic patch at one time. It dispensed 12.5 MICROgrams per hour. The patches DO come off sometimes. I prefer pills. They are a lot easier to manage as long as you remember to take them every day, and to always take the proper dose. (The pills I take are not fentanyl. They are other opiate and non-opiate analgesics.) The 100 micrograms can easilly be lethal if they are punctured, or if they are stuck accidentally to a person with a low or non opiate tolerance. I have never used patches that strong, but I had at one time been taking about 200 milligrams of morphine per day.