Fentanyl is about 80-100 times stronger than intravenousmorphine.:fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. Thewording is extremely important. 100mcg/hr of fentanyl is a patchand before you can compare it to morphine you have to convert it tothe same dosage.100mcg/hr of fentanyl is about a daily dose of 2.4 mg offentanyl.
Mylan manufactures FENTANYL TRANSDERMAL SYSTEM (Duragesic) in strengths of 12 mcghr25 mcghr375 mcghr50 mcghr625 mcghr75 mcghr875 mcghr100 mcghr. Fentanyl abuse occurs by a variety of methods, among many types of people. For example, some individuals abuse the prescription they've been given for a Fentanyl product such as: Duragesic® transdermal patches Mylan generic Fentanyl patches Actiq® lozenges or lollipops Fentora® buccal tablets IV (intravenous) Fentanyl injections. Currently on 12 mcg duragesic/fentanyl patch roo1177. I have been trending down for six months. W/D's on the patches are horrible and can take forever to feel normal. If you have the mylan patches you can cut them in half or quarters, if they are the gell filled ones you can't cut them. The highest dose I was on was the 75 mcg patch.
The conversion then becomes 2.4 mg of fentanyl = 200 mgof morphine. You can't compare two different measurement sizes whendoing this type of math and just apply the math directly to thediffering measurements, this is grade school math. They have toboth be mg or both be mcg before you apply the math.Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than all types ofmorphine not just intravenous.
Fentanyl is more potent thanHydromorphone/Dilaudid which is only 5 to 8 times more potent thanmorphine. Fentanyl is the most potent legal pain medication on themarket. If you are thinking of taking this drug or already takingit do not go by the math of the user before my name or any userhere.Please consult a doctor to find out if you need narcotics and ifFentanyl is right for you.
I have been on it three years and I havebeen trying to find a way to get away from it. Think about itthough if you or others attempt to use the horrible math done bythe previous user than you could have suffered withdrawal if youalready take narcotics or god forbid overdosed somehow.
It is thedoctors job to help you decide your dose with your input on whatworks.I have just talked to my pharmacist at the VA in MPLS, MN aboutchanging my 75 mcg patch to long term oral morphine. My patch saysit has 12.6 mgs of Fentanyl in it which is 4.2 mgs per day. Shetold me that the equivalent to morphine would be 160 mgs - whichproves your answer correct since 200 times.75 equals 160.
I am notsure how you came up with your answer though so I personally do notknow how the answer is derived at. I started with 75mgs ofmethadone per day but they took me off because of a low heart rate.I have always had a low heart rate and the methadone worked wellfor my pain and the patch did not - so that now brings me to tryingthe morphine. I cannot see how it will be different. Thank you foryour answer. Since my doc seems angry with me because I augmentedmy patch with some leftover methadone once, I just wanted to verifythe equivalency with someone else. Fentanyl originally was developed as an anesthetic, and is still widely used today for surgical procedures where the patient needs to be conscious (relatively) and able to respond to commands (e.g., bronchoscopy). Fentanyl is 100 times more potent than morphine (100 micrograms of Fentanyl is equivalent to 10mg's of Morphine).
Fentanyl patches (Duragesic, e.g.) use concentrated doses of Fentanyl delivered to the bloodstream transdermally over extended periods, which make them ideal for long term chronic.