Duragesic Pain Patches: "People Will End Up Dead"

Calgary, ABRayden N. says he knew when he started using the Duragesic pain patches in late 2001 that there was something wrong with them. He says he repeatedly told his pharmacist and doctor but was told that the patches were fine and he should continue using them. He decided to listen to the professionals, but says that he suffered serious side effects, including overdoses, as a result only to learn recently that the patches have been recalled.

Rayden was put on the 25 mcg/hour fentanyl patches because he suffered from spinal cord injuries, spinal cord tumors and brain tumors. After a while, his body became used to the 25 mcg/hour patches and he was switched to the 50 mcg/hour doses.

"On a hot day, my body would take in the whole dose in 30 minutes," Rayden says. "I told the pharmacist and was told that nothing was wrong with them but now they're being recalled. I found tears on the patches, on the inside of them. Basically, as my fiancé put it, I looked like a zombie when I used the patches. They are a dangerous and serious problem. People will end up dead on them. Sometimes, I felt like I would be better off dead. I had suicidal thoughts. It was a very scary situation."

Rayden says that he kept using the patches, even though they did not help his pain, because his doctor told him to. He finally stopped using the Duragesic patches in 2006, after he became fed up with the side effects.

"The fentanyl patches made my life hell," Rayden says. "Not all the batches were messed up, but some were. If the patch got too warm it would blister and crack allowing the gel to come in contact with the skin. I could actually wipe the gel off my skin. If the blister popped, you got stoned from it.

"I wound up in hospital but was told the problem was my spinal cord tumor because the patches are fine. They are very dangerous: if they're used outside a medical facility they are dangerous. If you are wearing a patch and go work hard somewhere, look at the patch: it bubbles. The gel will bubble if it is cracked. The [fentanyl] gel will come in contact with the skin.

"I had trouble breathing, trouble walking, trouble with vision, ringing in my ears and messed up speech. It made me feel like I was having a stroke. My brain couldn't handle the fentanyl. You're supposed to get 25 mcg patches to last three days. When one breaks, you get that in 30 seconds. You feel like you are going to die. I lost consciousness and got to the point where I would get lost when I was in town."

Even after he stopped using the Duragesic patches, Rayden had problems. He suffered from withdrawal symptoms for two weeks after he last used the patch.

"Be careful on the Duragesic patch," Rayden says. "If there are any signs of any problems, get to the doctor. If he doesn't believe you, find somebody else. The patches ruined a lot of my life. The patches need to be properly monitored. Many people are self-medicating and that doesn't work. A lot of people have suffered because of the [Duragesic] patches. How many have died?"