What should I avoid while using a fentanyl transdermal patch?

This medication is for use only on the skin. Avoid touching the sticky side of a skin patch with your fingers. Do not allow the medicine to come into contact with your eyes, nose, mouth, or lips. If it does, rinse with water. Do not use soap or other chemicals. Fentanyl can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert. Avoid drinking alcohol, which can increase dizziness or drowsiness. Tell your doctor if you regularly use other medicines that make you sleepy (such as cold medicine, other pain medicine, muscle relaxers, and medicine for depression or anxiety). They can add to extreme drowsiness or breathing problems caused by fentanyl. Do not expose the skin patch to heat while you are wearing it. This includes a hot tub, heating pad, sauna, or heated water bed. Heat can increase the amount of drug you absorb through your skin and may cause harmful effects.

What are the possible side effects of a fentanyl transdermal skin patch?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Remove the skin patch and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

weak, shallow breathing;
severe weakness, feeling light-headed or fainting;
cold, clammy skin; or
pale skin, easy bruising or bleeding.

Less serious side effects may include:

nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, constipation, gas;
dizziness, drowsiness, anxiety, sleep problems (insomnia);
muscle stiffness, back pain;
itching, blistering, redness, or swelling where the patch was worn; or
increased sweating, urinating less than usual.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

What other drugs will affect fentanyl transdermal?

Before using this medication, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:

carbamazepine (Tegretol, Carbatrol);
phenytoin (Dilantin);
diltiazem (Cartia, Dilacor, Tiazac);
St. John's wort;
rifampin (Rifater, Rifamate, Rimactane);
antibiotics such as clarithromycin (Biaxin), erythromycin (E-Mycin Ery-Tab, E.E.S.), itraconazole (Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral), or troleandomycin (Tao); or
HIV medicines such as amprenavir (Agenerase), tipranavir (Aptivus), indinavir (Crixivan), saquinavir (Invirase), lopinavir/ritonavir (Kaletra), fosamprenavir (Lexiva), ritonavir (Norvir), atazanavir (Reyataz), or nelfinavir (Viracept).

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with fentanyl transdermal. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about fentanyl transdermal.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

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