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Butrans patches

Posted , 4 users are following.

lisa11951
lisa11951

Hi guys, im just over 7 weeks post op and my knee is still painful but im doing ok. Unfortunately i have severe psoriatic arthritis so i have other pain issues as well. My doc wants to wean me off tramadol so has prescribed butrans patches 25mg which i found were not great for my pain so the pain clinic took me off oxycodone and increased my patches to 35mg. I was fine the first 10 days but since then ive suffered really badly with nausea and constipation and even though ive stopped being sick i still feel waves of nausea come over me every now and again and even though i take stuff for my constipation and its worked i still feel really nauseous most of the time. Ive taken a 5mg patch off so now i am just taking 30mg and hope this might make me feel better. Have any of you guys had any experience wuth butrans patches my gp eventually wants me off tramadol and replace with butrans but if they make me feel like this there is no way i can carry on with them. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • janet59360
    janet59360 lisa11951

    Posted

    Hi Lisa. My husband has  Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (worse than Parkinsons) where the muscles and joints seize up in the body and become very painful.   He wears 2 Butrans patches of 5 micrograms weekly.  They are not very effective with the pain - he also takes Paracetamol.   He has nausea all thetime and often gets constipated. Like you he takes constipation sachets in water and seems to go abut 3 time a week. He was actually being sick a few weeks ago, but at the moment its nausea every day.  This does affect his appetite.  I think it must be because of the Butrans med.   Funnily enough, the name has changed on our recent delivery from the Chemist to BUTEC 5 - comes in 10 and 20 as well.   Sorry this only confirms what you are feeling.    Regards Janet.
    • lisa11951
      lisa11951 janet59360

      Posted

      Hi Janet, I'm sorry to learn of your husbands illness it puts my pain into perspective. I think you are right I still keep having waves of nausea coming over me as well

      so I do think it's the patches dosage I am on. My problem is what is worse the pain or sickness and constipation and at the moment I am recovering from a knee replacement and awaiting rotator cuff surgery and they have just found cysts on my spine so my pain is quite high at the moment and these patches work well so just not sure what to do at the moment. I am feeling slightly better than I did a couple of weeks ago so I may wait another week or so to see if it goes and if not I will go and see my gp.

      Thanks and I hope your husbands condition stays stable. Take care

    • janet59360
      janet59360 lisa11951

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply Lisa, just a quickie.  I notice you have had a knee replacement.  I am due to have one done in 6 weeks time and I am dreading it.  No two people seem to have the same experience regarding [pain levels.  I am a bit of a coward having experienced useless keyhole surgery on the same knee.   regarding your nausea, there are tablets to take for it, and also I gave my husband a ginger drink which sometimes helps with nausea.  Grate 1cm fresh  ginger ino a glass, add honey or sugar to taste and top up with hot water.  Leave it to infuse and then drink, probably half an hour before a meal.  He did say it helped.  Good Luck with everything, I wish you well.    Janet
    • lisa11951
      lisa11951 janet59360

      Posted

      Hi Janet, thanks for the advice about the ginger I'm going to give that a try. I had my tkr 9 weeks tomorrow and I'm not going to lie it's painful but beleive me it's worth it. The best advice I can give you is use this forum you will get great advice and many times this forum has put my mind at rest. Other than that make sure you get the right pain meds and it will make the experience so much easier. Always rest with your knee elevated if you can. Do your Physio although don't push yourself till it hurts. Make sure you ice your knee regularly this will help with the pain and swelling and after 2 to 3 weeks you will notice a difference in your pain and from then on all being well the pain should get easier every day. This is a long recovery and it can take up to a year to feel normal again but I'm only 9 weeks and I'm starting to feel like I'm getting my life back. Keep me updated and would love to hear from you when you have had the op. Take care

    • jenny80029
      jenny80029 lisa11951

      Posted

      It is upwards and onwards now! Good to hear things are coming together for you!
    • lisa11951
      lisa11951 jenny80029

      Posted

      Thanks Jenny I just need to build up my muscles and stamina now because I still can't walk for too long yet but the pain is so much better and getting easier every day so onwards and upwards and next thing is rotator cuff surgery which will be a walk in the park compared to tkr.

      Glad your doing well take care.

  • Guest
    Guest lisa11951

    Posted

    Hi Lisa, my husband has been on Butrans patches for over a year now, he hasn't experienced the symptoms you have but they don't really help his pain. He's 6months post TKR and is still taking opioids 3 times a day. Our pain management doctor prescribed the Butrans patch and our OS isn't familiar with it... our insurance is giving us a hard time each month we need the prescription filled. This is my husbands second TKR we've been dealing with pain for about five years now...we don't find the patches to really be affective. It feels like he'll always have pain... it's very depressing. I hope you find relief and maybe a lower dose will in fact help you. I'm sure you're doc will adjust your meds... it takes time to figure out what cocktail of meds work for best for each individual.

    • lisa11951
      lisa11951 Guest

      Posted

      Hi Tamara, Ive not been drinking much water so I'm going to give that a try and see if that helps. It's a shame they don't work much for your husband because I find these patches work for me I have arthritis so I don't wake up in the morning in as much pain as I used too. I'm on opioids as well but my consultant wants to wean me off Tramadol and replace with Butrans but if I carry on feeling like this I won't be able to. I do understand, I'm in pain constantly I've had arthritis for the last 25 years since I was 26 you just have to try to learn to live with it and it's hard. What dose is your husband on at the moment could he not be put on a higher dose. With you saying your insurance is reluctant to give you a prescription are you from the USA? We are fortunate in the UK that we don't have to worry about that. Is your husband still suffering pain from his first tkr as 5 years is a long time or does he have other issues. Hope you get his dosage sorted. Take care.

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