The Duragesic patch can leak and cause an overdose of fentanyl into the body. Leaks have been known to cause serious side effects. If you or a loved one have been injured by Duragesic side effects you may be entitled to compensation.

Duragesic

The DURAGESIC® (fentanyl transdermal system)CII patch is a strong medication for moderate-to-severe chronic pain, available only by prescription, that can provide long-lasting relief from persistent pain.

Through its unique patch technology, DURAGESIC delivers fentanyl, an opioid pain medication, slowly into the body through the skin where it works to relieve pain for up to 3 days (72 hours).

DURAGESIC is strong medicine for serious pain. The DURAGESIC patch should only be used when other less potent medicines have not been effective and when pain needs to be controlled around the clock.

Duragesic Side Effects:
Typical side effects include:

• Abdominal pain, anxiety, confusion, constipation, depression, diarrhea, dizziness, dry mouth, euphoria, hallucinations, headache, impaired or interrupted breathing, indigestion, itching, loss of appetite, anorexia, nausea, agitation, mood swings, shortness of breath, sleepiness, sweating, urinary retention, vomiting, and weakness.

Less common side effects include:

• Abnormal gait, abnormal thinking, abnormal dreams, agitation, amnesia, chest pain, coughing up blood, fainting, gas, hiccups, irregular heartbeat, paranoia, poor coordination, rash, reactions at the application site, sore throat, speech disorders, tingling, tremor.

Rare side effects include:

• Asthma and breathing disorders, bladder pain, bloated abdomen, blurred vision, depersonalization, diminished or frequent urination, failure to understand words, flaccid muscles, hostility, pustules and peeling skin, slow or rapid heartbeat, stupor, swelling, tense muscles, vertigo, vision loss in one eye, weight loss.
• Overdose

Fentanyl (the pain relieving medication in the Duragesic patch) is an opiate derivative. Opiates are controlled substances because they are highly addictive, sometimes to the point of dependency. The Duragesic patch is designed to deliver a controlled dosage of fentanyl to the body over a specific period of time while it is worn. If the patch leaks the medication’s controlled delivery is disrupted and the entire dose is received into the body at once. This can cause serious health problems, the most serious of which is an overdose. Symptoms of a fentanyl overdose include slow breathing, seizures, dizziness, weakness, loss of consciousness or coma, confusion, tiredness, cold and clammy skin, and small pupils. Continued exposure to uncontrolled amounts of fentanyl can lead to addiction and dependency

A new recall was issued by PiCara and Sandoz Inc. of their 25mcg/hr Duragesic Patches in the U.S.

On February 12th, 2008 PiCara, Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Sandoz Inc. have voluntarily recalled all of their 25 mcg/hr Duragesic CII patches. The recall comes as a precaution because the patches may have a cut along one side of the drug reservoir which may result in the release of fentanyl gel. The patches recalled all have expiration dates on/before December 2009.

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If you or a loved one have experienced Duragesic side effects you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the Duragesic attorneys of Ennis & Ennis today for a free confidential case evaluation. Our on staff nurse and lawyers are standing by to answer any questions you may have regarding Duragesic side effects, a possible Duragesic class action lawsuit, or any other type of Duragesic litigation.

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