I have been on the Fentanyl Patch 25 mg since Aug ....I have been having stomache pain and severe anxiety and deep depression...more so since starting the patch..I put the pieces together yesterday...that all the emotional Sx's increased greatly since starting the patch and the new Sx...stomache pain..severe...which has recently been Dx'd as colitis.
I was wondering if anyone out the has had this reaction to this med?
I was too sick to drive yesterday so I missed the GI appt...this morning I have appt with Primary and I want to stop this patch and go on oral meds that I took before surgery..at least I could somewhat have a life then.
My fear is that she will get upset that I am "telling her " what I want and appear to come off wrong.
Maybe my stomache issue is not due to the patch....but the emotional I truly think is.I am not myself these days as far as my personality.....I am always crying and thinking darkly.
Its your body and your doctor should not be upset. I have seizurs on top of this and it took severly diferant meds before I found one that worked for me. So don't be afraid I was at first but leaned that the doctor what you to feel better and they need to know that this not working for you. Meds can also do perment damage from side effects.
I have used Fentanyl Patches through my Chiari Journey at high doses for long periods at a time. I didn't experience the symptoms that you described, but....those are common side effects for any Narcotics. They can also make anxiety worse & that will cause stomach & colon problems. Definitely talk to your PCP and ask to change your medication. I know fentanyl works well because you have constant steady pain coverage. After years of Narcotic use I took myself off narcotics & have found a pain mgmt combination that works well for my Chronic Pain. My pain is never below an 8 on a 1-10 scale, because of my extreme CM situation with any pain medication. You need to talk to your Dr. about anti depressant medication. I know when you are in pain & on narcotics your emotions can be very intense. Please know we are all here for you. If you need to talk to someone we have a Crisis Hotline # 1-800-273-TALK. Please know you can always send me a message if you want to chat sometime I truly understand what you are going through. Never, Never, Never worry about telling a Dr. a medication is not right for you. We don't want you to have negative symptoms for no reason.
Are you taking Neurontin? It has caused depression in me and is listed as a side effect to neurontin. Those dark thoughts seem to like haunting me when I feel crappier. No patch for me, but I did have colitis, and saw the GI many times. Went through a week of not being able to eat or crap. My solution was acupuncture. My guts felt great after 3 treatments. It can help with depression too, but that will most likely take separate treatments. That was last May, and I've felt fine ever since. When I get down like that I just ask myself "Am I gonna let this BS beat me?" And the answer is always "Hell no!" Hope this helps.
I am an idiot....I didn't realize this was you. I wouldn't have given you the crisis number. You know more about this than I do. Please forgive me. This is what happens when I have too much going on at one time !!!
You know I Love you !!!!
Tracy
TracyZ said:
Lori,
I have used Fentanyl Patches through my Chiari Journey at high doses for long periods at a time. I didn't experience the symptoms that you described, but....those are common side effects for any Narcotics. They can also make anxiety worse & that will cause stomach & colon problems. Definitely talk to your PCP and ask to change your medication. I know fentanyl works well because you have constant steady pain coverage. After years of Narcotic use I took myself off narcotics & have found a pain mgmt combination that works well for my Chronic Pain. My pain is never below an 8 on a 1-10 scale, because of my extreme CM situation with any pain medication. You need to talk to your Dr. about anti depressant medication. I know when you are in pain & on narcotics your emotions can be very intense. Please know we are all here for you. If you need to talk to someone we have a Crisis Hotline # 1-800-273-TALK. Please know you can always send me a message if you want to chat sometime I truly understand what you are going through. Never, Never, Never worry about telling a Dr. a medication is not right for you. We don't want you to have negative symptoms for no reason.
Thanks for all your input and sharing yourselves with me..Dylan I may look into acupunture...thanks..no, I am not on Neurontin as it gave me double vision.
Tracy...you are too funny....you are not an idiot!!
Well...ended up in the ER per my docs request and got blasted by the ER doc for being the for the 2nd time for the same reason!!! I guess he volunteers his time and felt slighted that I was there ..AGAIN....OMG....
As for the appt with my primary...she was great..she listened and thought that it was a great possiblity that the patch was causing the stomache pain as well as my emotions...
So, I had to call the ordering doc to see how he wanted to go about weaning me off this nasty thing and his response was.."JUST TAKE IT OFF"..I was floored.....doesn't that cause severe withdrawal? I am 'not myself' mentally as it is..I felt like he really wanted to send me over the friggin edge!!!!
The pain doc is very nice and is good for certain things..such as , my RSD...which was caused from freqent falls about 2 yrs ago..but this Chiari thing is over his head and he hates pain meds and made me sign a 'contract' that I would not get pain meds anywhere but him..so I have to call him and tell him the ER gave me 1 shot of diluadid(SP) and sent me home...ofcourse after blasting me again for missing my GI appt the day before...I explain I had to cancel b/c I was dry heaving and didn't feel safe to drive and had no one to take me....his response to that was "DIDN'T YOU KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THAT APPT WAS???" I guess , even though I told him again about the vomiting and dry heaving...he didn't get it...oh well....I think this ER has what I call RENT A DOC.....
Just wondering why it was I that had to come up with the possibility that all this belly pain was from the patch?????
I am so glad you are on your way to getting things straightened out. I didn't know you have been diagnosed with RSD. A Pediatric Rheumatologist diagnosed my daughter for three years with RSD. I think I cried every day. Luckily he was wrong & she just had a Thoracic Kyphosis. I have done massive research on RSD. Have you ever read anything about Ketamine treatments? Victoria was in such bad pain I was considering this treatment even though it is very extreme. Let me know & we can discuss this sometime. I can only imagine how difficult Chiari & RSD is on your body & mind. Please know I am thinking about you.
Possible as far as the legs....RSD...originally the injury was to my arm and hand....tx'd with hefty steroids...but it can spread to other limbs...who know?? The docs certainly don't ..
and I am finding out the hard way that they are clueless as far as meds and their adverse effects...not to mention the withdrawal....."Just pull the patch off"....My PCP was horriffied....told me to see her Monday if I get nowhere with the pain guy and she will handle pain management..