I'd been prescribed Butrans pain patches to help transfer from one Biological therapy to another (Enbrel to Cimzia) by my Rheumatologist. I cannot tolerate co-codamol or tramdol - I vomit. My kidneys say no to NSAIDS of any sort these days too leaving me somewhat short of pain relief.
I found the Butrans patches one of the best methods of delivering pain relief. Not having to remember to pill pop every 6 hours was a blessed relief. My GP changed the prescription from Butrans to Butec a generic, and I assume a lot cheaper. I checked it on line and found it was meant to be identical to Butrans.
Unfortunately about 2 weeks after starting Butec I started getting a skin reaction under the patch. Week 1 was mildish, Week 2 lifted the skin off after removal of the patch and week 3 lasted 36 hours before I hastily removed it.
Nothing had changed prescription wise apart from the change from Butrans to Butec.
Anyone else suffered this reaction?
They are effectively identical, not just in buprenorphine but also matrix delivery vehicle and the other (inactive) components - adhesive and other chemical entities. I think you've just been unlucky; are you rotating site of application. It may be that you have developed a contact sensitisation which can occur with repeated application of almost any therapeutic patch - I've seen it develop on several occasions with Butrans in the past, in some case after weeks of use but in others after a year or more.
Yes i am on butects n was on butrans i have awful skin reaction from them and just when i found sumthn that was starting to give me a bit of psi relief my skin goes mad with itch n i itch all over too .
yes i chamge my patch sites every 7 dsys .
my skin u der the patch becomes all small blister like .
Hi - tried 1 further Butrans patch, I had one left, with the same result. As you say Butec is virtually identical. I don't tolerate morphine products well by any delivery system unfortunately. Great pity as the patches worked best of all.
I'm now retrying pain relief pill mixes previously discarded as the intolerance grew. Usually started vomiting abruptly, out of nowhere. Very difficult to cope with. My kidneys no longer tolerate NSAIDS either! Not good news.
Yes , I had the same problem , the buyer patches after day one gave me a burning feeling , I ended up not taking them told my gps and they said I had to continue on them , so I contacted my pain relief consultant at the hospital and they told my gps to give me butrams so after 2 weeks of being extremely uncomfatable they also never helped with my pain main point yes the hospital sorted it out so glad but had no relieve for 2 weeks actually several months never had pain relief this is totally unexceptionable
I have been using BUTRANS for 18 months ,however my prescription this month was BUTEC. Within 30 minutes I found that my arm was itchy ,then removed patch to find a red rash . I had not been told about the change !!
Yes! The GP did discuss the change from the patented to the generic drug - indicating it was exactly the same. I checked this on line - exactly the same but maybe not quite.
I developed a skin reaction that worsened rapidly and had to stop. I went back to Butrans but I had the same skin reaction. Coincidence or something in the adhesive thats different?
The result was the same, a great pity as the patch was the best pain relief delivery so far. I vomit with most forms of codeine..without warning, out of the blue. YUK
I have been on the same patch. I’m scar for life. I am terminal but they do harm. Yes they work. My doc said spray the site 1st with Flonase over the counter sinus spray. Make sure it is dry before applying the patch. I am terminal patient at age 55. All f these meds drive me nuts.
yes!!!
ive been on them for 18months ans suffering severe reactions. they started mild, now pulling my akin off undetneath, the skin is red raw after 3 days ans smells like dead flesh 
it also leaks fluid due to the skin underneath reacting.
i have shown my pharmacy this week and have a Gp app for monday. the pharmacy told me to ask for raltrans patches as the adhesive isnt as harsh
YES , MY DRS CHANGED MINE TO BUTEC AND I KEEP SCRACTCHING AND COULDNT STOP , so went to pain management dr and she wrote a letter to my drs telling them to change me back to butrans , my drs explianed they was told to give them instead of butrans , but my dr done as requested my personnel opinion is they are cheaper and more harmful , but i know some gps wont change ,
Interesting! Ill ask my gp for it
Ii went back on Butrans but alas the same reaction occurred.
GP didnt have a problem with that
ALSO , they do not have the same ingredients as my skin was really bad after using butec , AND the pain was worse with butec
did you give your skin time to repair before putting butrans on , that could be why ? but all our skins are different whats ok for one might not be ok for another but personally had no problems with butrans , the original and im only on 20 will not up it because i want to drive again
Hi Im new to this site and realise the original post is 3 yrs old.
I got refered to the pain management team because of long term chronic pain(13 years)
i was managing ok on cocodamol and tramadol but PMT decided to take me off almost everything including my antidepressants.
to cut a long story short my pain level and shot through the roof.
I was initially given butrans for the first month and had no skin reaction, i did have the initial nausea, vertigo, headache etc because of the change of meds. once that settled I was great.
Then just as Okapis said i was given butec and told it was the same. But I also got the same reaction. The itching , burning and blistering raw red under the patch until i could take it no longer . I was told to continue and that it should settle. So I did as i was told, partly because the patches worked on my pain and had no other side effects other than the itching and blistering. 4 months on and I have ended up with scarring on every patch site Ive used. I kept a diary of what time and date the patches were changed and the site of the patches so that I did not use the same site for 6 weeks. (The dark scarring left was also a good indicator)
I do not want to take pills again as tramadol made me hyperactive and I also think my concentration/ mental alertness etc.
Has anyone been given Fentanyl patches. ?
Ive been reading quite a few studies and one suggested it as a viable alterntive.
My practice nurse said its only for cancer or terminal patients but studies say it has been used as an alternative to butec?
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Im actually going through a change from co-codamol and tramadol over to buprenorphine patches. At first the cheaper NHS generic patch starting at 20mcg and a couple of weeks later adding a 5mcg. The first four weeks was great, effective pain relief after being on pain pills for over two years, (covid),. Unfortunately as soon as the extra small patch was introduced, (coincidence?), I started having trouble keeping both patches on for 7 days due to fluid leakage. They became very hot during the week and keeping them on has been a real challenge using stickytape etc. I’ve had to use replacement patches when they do come off completely and getting them replaced has been difficult, a few times leaving me to go cold turkey over a long weekend as the control aspect of these patches is a bit too extreme. I’m now trying Butrans on the advice of the local pharmacy. The problem continues and is actually worse because the quality of the butrans patch enables it to withstand the fluid leak and therefore stay on longer but continues to fill up with fluid almost acting like a layer of skin. this creates a blister like effect which lifts the medicinal part of the patch away from the skin before bursting out of the sides all at once. At the end of the 6/7 days I find my skin to be burnt off in a square at the centre of the patch about an inch and half in size and very sore, this is identical with the 5mcg and I get two chemical burns. I think this is about week ten. Very low mood over this as I don’t believe I can continue with these patches and it will probably mean back to pills..
Thanks for allowing me to post this.