Durogesic
Durogesic patches contain fentanyl, a strong opioid medicine, used to relieve very strong and long-lasting pain in adults and children over 2 years old who are already taking opioid medicine.
How to Use
Dosage
Change your Durogesic patch every 3 days (72 hours), unless your doctor tells you otherwise.
Method
Apply the patch to a clean, dry, and cool area of your upper body or arm, avoiding joints, and press it firmly for at least 30 seconds to ensure it sticks well.
Your doctor will decide the correct patch strength for you; do not use more than prescribed or change your dose yourself.
Possible Side Effects
- •Nausea, vomiting, constipation
- •Drowsiness
- •Dizziness
- •Headache
- •Allergic reaction
- •Loss of appetite
- •Sleep problems
- •Depression
- •Agitation or general confusion
- •Hallucinations (seeing, hearing, or smelling things that aren't there)
- •Muscle tremor or spasms
- •Unusual skin sensations (e.g., tingling, prickling)
- •Spinning sensation (vertigo)
- •Fast or uneven heartbeat
- •High blood pressure
- •Shortness of breath
- •Diarrhea
- •Dry mouth
- •Stomach pain and indigestion
- •Heavy sweating
- •Itching, rash, and redness of the skin
- •Difficulty urinating or inability to empty the bladder
- •Severe tiredness, weakness, or general feeling of being unwell
- •Feeling cold
- •Swelling of hands, ankles, or feet
- •Fever
- •Disorientation (loss of sense of time and place)
- •Strong feeling of happiness (euphoria)
- •Reduced sense of touch or sensitivity in the skin
- •Memory loss
- •Blurred vision
- •Slow heartbeat or low blood pressure
- •Bluish skin due to low oxygen in the blood
- •Lack of bowel movement (ileus)
- •Itchy rash (eczema) or other skin disorder at the patch site
- •Flu-like illness
- •Feeling of changes in body temperature
- •Difficulty getting and keeping an erection (impotence) and problems with sexual intercourse
- •Difficulty swallowing
- •Constriction of eye pupils
- •Pauses in breathing (apnea)
- •Lack of male hormones (androgen deficiency)
- •Delirium (a state of severe confusion that can include restlessness, disorientation, fear, seeing or hearing things that aren't real, sleep problems, and nightmares)
Important Warnings
- Durogesic can be life-threatening if you haven't used opioids before, and it's very dangerous for children; even used patches can be deadly if a child gets hold of them.
- If a patch accidentally sticks to another person's skin, especially a child's, remove it immediately and contact a doctor, as this can cause serious problems.
- Do not use Durogesic if you have breathing difficulties, such as slow or shallow breathing.
- Do not use Durogesic if you are allergic to fentanyl or any other ingredient in this medicine.
- Do not use Durogesic for short-term pain, such as sudden pain or pain after surgery.
Show 5 more warnings
- Do not expose the patch to direct heat (e.g., heating pads, hot showers, saunas, direct sunlight), as this can increase drug absorption and lead to overdose.
- Do not drink alcohol while using Durogesic without first discussing it with your doctor.
- Durogesic can cause drowsiness or dizziness; if you experience these effects, do not drive or operate machinery.
- Do not breastfeed while using Durogesic or for three days after removing the patch, as the medicine can pass into breast milk.
- If you notice unusual drowsiness or slow, shallow breathing in the user, remove the patch immediately and seek urgent medical attention.
Use in Elderly Patients
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)