Duragesic Mat and Nicotine

• Generic Name: fentanyl
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names: Duragesic, Abstral, Fentora, Subsys, Actiq, Ionsys, Lazanda, Onsolis, Sublimaze

Fentanyl skin patch is used to treat severe pain, including acute pain following surgery. Ionsys® is applied by your healthcare provider in a hospital setting after surgery for the short-term management of acute pain. Duragesic® is used for pain severe enough to require around-the-clock pain relief for a long period of time. Fentanyl is a strong narcotic analgesic (pain medicine). It acts on the central nervous system (CNS) to relieve pain.

The Duragesic® skin patch should not be used if you need pain medicine for just a short time, such as after dental surgery or tonsil surgery. Do not use the patch for mild pain or pain that occurs only once in a while.

When a narcotic medicine is used for a long time, it may become habit-forming, causing mental or physical dependence. However, people who have continuing pain should not let the fear of dependence keep them from using narcotics to relieve their pain. Mental dependence (addiction) is not likely to occur when narcotics are used for this purpose. Physical dependence may lead to withdrawal side effects if treatment is stopped suddenly. However, severe withdrawal side effects can usually be prevented by gradually reducing the dose over a period of time before treatment is stopped completely.

This medicine is available only under a restricted distribution program called the Opioid Analgesic REMS (Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy) program.