Matrifen
Matrifen patches are used to relieve very strong and long-lasting pain in adults and children over 2 years old who are already on opioid pain medication.
How to Use
Dosage
Apply one patch every three days (72 hours), unless your doctor tells you otherwise.
Method
Apply the patch to a clean, dry, and cool flat area on your upper body or arm, avoiding joints. For children, always apply to the upper back where they cannot reach it.
One patch is designed to release medicine for 3 days (72 hours). Do not use more than one patch at a time unless your doctor tells you to.
Possible Side Effects
- •Nausea, vomiting, constipation
- •Drowsiness
- •Dizziness
- •Headache
- •Allergic reaction
- •Loss of appetite
- •Trouble sleeping
- •Depression
- •Anxiety, confusion
- •Seeing, feeling, hearing, or smelling things that are not there (hallucinations)
- •Muscle tremors or spasms
- •Unusual skin sensations, like tingling or prickling (paresthesia)
- •Feeling faint
- •Fast or irregular heartbeat
- •High blood pressure
- •Shortness of breath (dyspnea)
- •Diarrhea
- •Dry mouth
- •Stomach pain or digestive problems
- •Excessive sweating
- •Itching, rash, or red skin
- •Inability to urinate or empty the bladder completely
- •Feeling very tired, weak, or generally unwell
- •Feeling cold
- •Swelling in hands, ankles, or feet
- •Feeling agitated or losing sense of time and place
- •Strong feeling of happiness (euphoria)
- •Reduced sensitivity to touch, especially on the skin (hypoesthesia)
- •Memory loss
- •Blurred vision
- •Slow heartbeat 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 problems at the patch site
- •Flu-like illness
- •Changes in body temperature
- •Fever
- •Muscle twitching
- •Difficulty getting or keeping an erection (impotence) and problems with sexual intercourse
- •Difficulty swallowing
- •Narrowing of the pupils (miosis)
- •Temporary stop in breathing (apnea)
Important Warnings
- Matrifen patches can be very dangerous for people who are not already taking opioid pain medicines regularly.
- Matrifen patches, even used ones, can be deadly for children. Keep them out of reach as they can attract children, and if a child puts one on their skin or in their mouth, it can cause death.
- Store this medicine in a safe and secure place where others, especially children, cannot reach it.
- Only apply the patch to the skin of the person it was prescribed for. If a patch accidentally sticks to another person's skin, especially a child's, remove it immediately and contact a doctor.
- Do not use Matrifen patches if you have severe breathing problems, like slow or shallow breathing.
Show 3 more warnings
- While wearing the patch, avoid direct heat sources like heating pads, hot water bottles, heated beds, sun lamps, sunbathing, long hot baths, saunas, or hot tubs. This can increase how much medicine you get from the patch.
- Do not drink alcohol while using Matrifen patches unless your doctor says it's okay. Alcohol can make you more drowsy and slow your breathing.
- Do not stop using this medicine suddenly. If you want to stop, talk to your doctor first to avoid withdrawal symptoms like restlessness, trouble sleeping, anxiety, and fast heartbeat.
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)