Duragesic (Fentanyl) for Chronic Pain

Overview
Duragesic is a prescription drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat pain in opioid-tolerant patients in cases where pain is severe enough to require daily, long-term, continual pain relief, and other treatments are not effective. Duragesic is also known by its drug name, Fentanyl. Duragesic is an opioid, or synthetic opiate, that works as a potent analgesic (painkiller). Duragesic is believed to work by reducing the perception of pain. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, regular use of opioids - even as prescribed by a doctor - can lead to dependence. If misused, opioids can cause overdose and death.

How do I take it?
Prescribing information states that Duragesic is applied once every 72 hours. Duragesic comes as a transdermal patch.

Side effects
The FDA-approved label for Duragesic lists common side effects including headache, drowsiness, dizziness, fatigue, insomnia, sweating, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, and loss of appetite. Rare but serious side effects listed for Duragesic include overdose, dependency, and respiratory depression.

For more details about this treatment, visit:

Duragesic – Janssen