Durogesic
Durogesic patches help relieve very strong and long-lasting pain in adults and children over 2 years old who are already on opioid pain medication.
Form
depotlaastari
Strength
100 mikrog/tunti
Active Ingredient
Fentanyl
Manufacturer
Janssen-Cilag Oy
How to Use
Dosage
Apply one patch to your skin every 3 days (72 hours).
Method
For adults, apply to a flat area on your upper body or arm. For children, always apply to the upper back where they cannot reach it. Change the patch at the same time every 3 days.
Important
Do not use more than one patch at a time unless your doctor tells you to. Your doctor will decide the correct strength for you.
Possible Side Effects
COMMON
- •Nausea, vomiting, constipation.
- •Feeling sleepy.
- •Dizziness.
- •Headache.
- •Allergic reaction.
- •Loss of appetite.
- •Sleep difficulties.
- •Depression.
- •Agitation or confusion.
- •Seeing, hearing, or smelling things that aren't real (hallucinations).
- •Muscle tremors or spasms.
- •Unusual skin sensations, like tingling or prickling (paresthesia).
- •Spinning sensation (vertigo).
- •Feeling your heart beat fast or unevenly (palpitations, tachycardia).
- •High blood pressure.
- •Shortness of breath (dyspnea).
- •Diarrhoea.
- •Dry mouth.
- •Stomach pain and digestive problems.
- •Heavy sweating.
- •Itchy skin, rash, and redness.
- •Inability to urinate or fully empty the bladder.
- •Feeling very tired, weak, or generally unwell.
- •Feeling cold.
- •Swelling of hands, ankles, or feet (peripheral edema).
RARE
- •Unusual sleepiness, slower or shallower breathing than normal.
- •Sudden swelling of the face or throat, severe skin irritation, redness, or blistering (signs of a severe allergic reaction).
- •Seizures.
- •Reduced consciousness or unconsciousness.
- •Agitation or feeling disoriented.
- •Strong feeling of happiness (euphoria).
- •Reduced sense of touch or sensitivity, especially in the skin (hypoesthesia).
- •Memory loss.
- •Blurred vision.
- •Slow heart rate (bradycardia) or low blood pressure.
- •Bluish skin due to low oxygen in the blood (cyanosis).
- •Lack of bowel movement (ileus).
- •Itchy rash (eczema), allergic reaction, or other skin disorder at the patch site.
- •Flu-like illness.
- •Feeling of changes in body temperature.
- •Fever.
- •Muscle twitching.
- •Difficulty getting or keeping an erection (impotence) and sexual dysfunction.
- •Difficulty swallowing.
- •Constriction of eye pupils (miosis).
- •Interrupted breathing (apnea).
- •Lack of male hormones (androgen deficiency).
- •Delirium (a state of severe confusion, agitation, disorientation, fears, hallucinations, sleep disorders, or nightmares).
- •You can become dependent on Durogesic patches.
Important Warnings
- Durogesic can cause very serious, life-threatening side effects in people who do not regularly use strong opioid pain medicines.
- This medicine can be life-threatening for children. Even used patches still contain medicine. If a patch sticks to a child's skin or they put it in their mouth, it can cause death. Keep all patches (used and unused) out of sight and reach of children in a safe place.
- The patch should only be applied to the skin of the person it was prescribed for. If it accidentally sticks to another person (especially a child), it can cause serious side effects like slow or shallow breathing, which can be fatal. If this happens, remove the patch immediately and contact a doctor.
- If you get a fever while using Durogesic, tell your doctor, as fever can increase the amount of medicine absorbed through your skin.
- Durogesic can cause constipation. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice on how to prevent or treat it.
Show 3 more warnings
- Do not expose the patch to direct heat (like heating pads, hot water bottles, or sunbathing). This can increase the amount of medicine absorbed, which could be dangerous.
- If you or your caregiver notice unusual sleepiness or slow/shallow breathing in the person using the patch, remove the patch and call a doctor or go to the nearest hospital immediately. This could be very serious.
- Do not drink alcohol while using Durogesic without first talking to your doctor.
Use in Elderly Patients
Category D
Avoid use in older adults. Sedative. Serotonergic. Intended for the treatment of cancer pain. Not suitable for initiating opioid medication. Low transdermal efficacy in cachectic patients. Increases the risk of confusion and falling. Need for laxative is often necessary. Consider potential significant interactions. (updated 24.3.2025)