Fentanyl: Medifacts and Uses

Fentanyl is a narcotic drug used as a painkiller. It is an opioid pain killer drug. It is used for treatment of pain due to breakthrough of cancer, when other medications fail to control it. It is meant for only cancer related pain and is not for normal pain. Doctors prescribe it for other purposes based on their clinical judgment.

Structural Formula

Duragesic is brand name for fentanyl transdermal system. It continuously provides fentanyl transdermally for 72 hours. Its chemical name is N-Phenyl-N- (1-(2-phenylethyl)-4-piperidinyl) propanamide. Fentanyl has a molecular weight of 336.5. Its chemical formula is C22H28N2O. Fentanyl skin patch or transdermal system is used to treat moderate to severe cancer related pain.
Uses

Fentanyl skin patch or transdermal system such as Duragesic is used for treatment of pain occurring due to breakthrough of cancer. It is used when other medicines fail to control the cancer related pain. It is used for treatment of moderate to severe pain.

It is not meant for normal pains such as abdominal pain, headache or other such pain.

Doctors prescribe it for other purposes, which are not listed in medical guide as well based on their clinical judgment.

Precautions before using Fentanyl

• Consult your doctor to be sure that your body can tolerate opioid medicine. If you are intolerant to it, do not use Fentanyl.
• Do not use it for normal pain that is pain other than cancer related pain such as headache, abdominal pain, backache etc.
• Do not use this drug if you have used an MAO inhibitor such as furazolidone (Furoxone), isocarboxazid (Marplan) etc in last two weeks.
• Consult your doctor if you have any type of breathing disorder before using Fentanyl.
• Tell your doctor if have suffered or is suffering from a head injury or brain tumor, seizures, mental illness, a heart rhythm disorder or low blood pressure.
• If you have any type of liver or kidney disease, or a history of drug or alcohol addiction, consult your doctor before using Fentanyl.
• Be careful and keep this medicine at such a place so that children or pets can’t reach there before and after using it. It could be fatal for them if they swallow it accidentally.
• Avoid exposing your Fentanyl skin patch to heat while wearing it. It could increase amount of drug being absorbed and could adversely affect you.
• Fentanyl should be used only after being prescribed by a certified medical practitioner.
• Drinking alcohol, or using other medicines such as relaxants should be avoided while using Fentanyl.
• It should not be used while going for an MRI.
• Tell your doctor if you are allergic to this drug or the adhesive used in the patch.
• Consult your medical history with your doctor before going for this medicine.
• Avoid any activity, which requires high level of alertness because use of this medicine could make you drowsy or dizzy.
• Tell your doctor if you are using this patch or other medicine before going for a surgery.
• Avoid this medicine if you are pregnant, planning to have a baby or breast-feeding. It could be fatal for child. Consult your doctor in such case. He will prescribe it after evaluating its benefits and harms. If you used it while breast-feeding and your baby develops sleepiness or other such symptoms, immediately call your doctor.
• Immediately seek medical help if you develop a breathing disorder such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a heart rhythm disorder or any thing unusual.

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