Pain patch types

A doctor may prescribe a patient a pain patch because he feels the patient will experience fewer side effects with a patch than with oral pills, a cream or an injection.

Other reasons why a doctor may try a person on pain patches is because oral medications have stopped working well for the patient, or the patient needs medication administered slowly and steadily, 24 hours a day. There are several different types of pain management patches. Lidocaine is a gel used as a local anesthetic by doctors during procedures to numb an area.

Pain patients can utilize lidocaine to numb parts of the body that are causing pain. Lidocaine is available for patients in both gel and patch form with a doctor's prescription. People suffering from nerve pain or arthritis pain may benefit from the use of these patches.

Patients should apply a patch to clean skin and should only leave it on for 12 hours or less each day. You should tell your doctor what drugs you are taking before you are prescribed a painkilling patch. Also let your doctor know that you are using a patch when starting any new medication. Extreme heat will increase the absorption of the drug into your bloodstream, so sources of heat should not be placed near the patch.

However, you must be careful about washing the area of your body where the patch is. It is also important not to bathe or shower in hot water. Some people do experience mild side effects, which can include:. Opioid medication, including painkilling patches, can carry a risk of addiction.

This is unlikely to happen, but if you are worried, speak to your doctor. Painkilling patches can interact with some medicines. Painkilling patches should not be used during pregnancy unless necessary.

The risk to pregnant women using painkilling patches is not known, although fentanyl used as an anaesthetic an-ass-thet-ic has been shown to cross the placenta. Newborn babies whose mothers used painkilling patches during pregnancy have been seen to have withdrawal symptoms. It is recommended that you do not breastfeed while using painkilling patches and for three days after taking the patch off.

This is because the opioid drugs can pass in to your breastmilk. It is illegal in England and Wales to drive when taking prescription drugs if this affects your ability to drive. Opioid painkilling patches.

Download opioid painkilling patches information booklet. Print this page. In fact, it is one of the best methods of administering medication over an extended period of time. Key components of a pain patch include the liner, contact adhesive, drug reservoir, drug release membrane and clear backing that protect the patch from any adverse effects. It is indeed exceedingly fascinating to know that a skin patch is classified by FDA as a combination product because it consists of a medical device that combines with a drug analgesic that the device is designed to deliver, but come in different types.

A pain patch of this kind contains Flector, which is basically a NSAID Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that falls under a popular class of painkillers that include aspirin, ibuprofen, and Aleve and naproxen.

This medication is usually prescribed for any form of pain associated with muscle strain and sprain, or any other minor injury. It can be applied on the affected area, as long as the skin is not broken, or near the area if otherwise. However, just like most non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, patients using Flector skin patch might experience relatively increased chances for cardiovascular problems, such as stroke or heart attack.

The risk of inflammation and irritation is also quite evident in the stomach or somewhere else along the digestive tract.