Fentanyl Spray? Looking for info, but Google didn't help

[painenduser]

Hey Guys! Long time no post!

I have a question I am hoping to get some insight on. I saw my pain management Dr last night and we are having some issues dealing with my break through pain, so last night, my Dr decided it was best to keep me on my current meds, Opana 30MG ER Q12hrs and Dilaudid 2MG PRN no more then Q6hrs but because he doesn't want to load my liver up with anything else but does want to help the severe break through pain I am getting, has opted to add a Fentanyl spray? Does anyone know anything about this? I am sorry that I can't elaborate anymore on this as I really was so tired while reading the paper and signing it, I forgot everything I read... IF I read it correctly it is some kind of Fentanyl Transdermal spray? Does that sound right? I have no clue what the dosage is, and I have no clue what the name of it was, but I had to fill out and sign some sort of form to which he then sends off to the company, and then they mail me the meds.

What I am hoping you guys might be able to enlighten me with is a possible name of such a beast, perhaps the dosages it may come in, and or how it is applied (other then the obvious of spraying it in the face of some unsuspecting fool (just kidding). Is there such a thing as a transdermal spray? I have heard of nasal sprays and sublingual sprays, but not transdermal, thought I am sure that is what it said on the paper. I tried Googling to see if I could get some idea but I came up empty, hence I figured I would ask here.

If noone is sure, that's OK, I will just wait until it arrives, when and if it arrives.

Anyway, I hope everyone is well, and hope everyone is getting ready for the holidays!

Thanks a bunch!

Pain

 

[Morphling]

Hi Pain,

Ok your post made me say 'huh?' for several reasons. I did some digging and found:

There is no FDA-approved formulation of a breakthrough med using fentanyl spray dermally, that I can find. Of course, I could be wrong. I had never heard of such a thing, but hey, there are new formulations available all the time of pain meds, so who knows?

The reason this made no sense, at all, to me, is that dermally-applied fentanyl takes 10 hours to fully reach systematic circulation. So how could a spray formula actually work? I did find a new formulation for breakthrough pain known as "Ionsys," which is used in hospitals for breakthrough pain. It's an on-demand med like a morphine pump, except that it uses electrical current to move fentanyl across the skin, fat, and muscles into the circulation. Not very efficiently, tho. But such a thing does exist.

I imagine a spray could be compounded using DMSO or some other solvent to do the same thing but as far as I know..doesn't exist. You can have just about anything compounded, though.

You had to sign forms and what due to the fact that there is an extra monitoring system in place for IR fentanyl preparations. Looks like they mean business with those particular meds not being diverted! Bet it doesn't work for shit, tho

At any rate, good luck with your pain, and let us know what on earth you are actually getting, when you get it! Sounds interesting....

 

[painenduser]

Hey Morphling! OK, I called my Dr because I realized that while I filled out the form and he had to send it to them, I never gave him a copy of my Medicare insurance card, so I called this morning and asked his assistant... So, I was very mistaken, turns out your confusion was due to the fact that I DID read the paper wrong.. It is not Transdermal, it was Sublinqual.. LOL How I mistook the two words I will never know! It turns out that it is Subsys and yes, you are right it has become extremely regulated to thwart diversion. I have to even be the one who signs for it when it arrives other wise it goes right back to the company.

The reason I had to fill out the form and have it go right to the company is because the pharmacy has to be part of the Transmucosal Immediate-Release Fentanyl (TIRF) REMS ACCESS Program. If they are not, you just can't get this kind of medicine.

I imagine that he is going to give me 10 100MCG sprayers per month. That should be more then enough to deal with my pain each month.

Anywhooo, Thanks for the extra info I learned from your reply, and sorry for the confusion. Next time, I will need to read the crap I am signing a little more carefully! lol

Thanks!!!

Pain