Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion Helpful Tips flector patches

thanks chris!

love the good practical, from experience advice!

will see how it goes, but so far, so good,

thanks again,

i have used this once, a sample from gp, wrapped a big patch around each wrist before bed and ....nothing, so i told gp no thanks on the script, but now i understand it may take more than one go to become effective, hmmmmmmmmmmmmm should try again.

so theres the patch and the gel...........hopefully one day they will have a whole body plunge for me!

thx for the info!

-donette

when something is really bad, really inflamed, the flector patches, the gels, really don't seem to do anything that i can tell. or at least things like ice and ultrasound are far more effective. but when things are less of a problem, then i can notice the flector patches working, slowly, over a few days, but yes, have been able to tell a difference, first with my trapezia, now with my SI. still not a perfect solution, but another good tool for the toolbox.

do ask for a prescription and try them, can't hurt anything. a bit pricey, don't remember the exact price, but turning out to be useful.

i could change my mind, do have a habit of jumping to early conclusions, but so far, so good.

My GP gave me 3 patches to try when I first started to have lower back pain. Now I'm guessing that it wasn't enough. I guess I will ask about it. It is not on my insurance preferred meds. I will have to pay extra for it. That seems to be the story of my life.
Donna

the patches are one of my higher tier drugs ($40 for the month's supply) but not as expensive if no insurance, an besides, they are helping me

if my SI is really bad, then i need something stronger than the flector patches, need almost constant 24/7 ice then, but when its lower level, its a good preventive measure from things getting worse, at least that's how it seems to be.

What is a flector patch????

i think its time for an update!

i came here to link this for lisa as she asked the question about flector patches.

its been 5 months now. i think that's long enough to be pretty confident in its affect.

in desperation 5 months ago, i started wearing a flector patch over my SI (right where the spine connects to the pelvis). since then, other than trying to go without which never lasts for more than 12 hours, i've been wearing one there 24/7, changing it out every ~12 hours. it takes a few days to see the difference and took even longer to completely calm down my SI joint. my SI had gotten so bad i couldn't sit without ice. any walking completely irritated it. it was essentially becoming disfunctional without cortisone injections maybe every 6 months or so, and honestly, it took longer for the cortisone to do its thing than it took the flector patch.

i've been nervous about side effects. but thus far, no edema, no gastritis. i hope it doesn't affect my liver enzymes, hadn't as of june, will get them retested this fall. i so hope i can continue to wear it because if i can't, my life goes back to becoming a nightmare again without some strong medication to keep it from being inflamed.

last week, i screwed up my rhomboid area again, it was starting to feel the way it did last fall when it kept me out of work for 6 months. i was icing it like crazy, but was afraid that wouldn't be enough. in desperation, i cut my flector patch in half and put half over the rhomboid area and the other half over the SI.

after a few days, the 1/2 over the SI still seems to be enough, i have more butt spasm now, but otherwise, still pretty good.

as for the rhomboid area, feels exactly like when i tore my rotator cuff, and hurts the same way when i raise up my arm as a rotator cuff would, just slightly over from the rotator cuff. so thinking if it helps this, molly, it would help a torn rotator cuff.

this rhomboid thing is healing. a combination of the flector patch and ice is winning, for now.

it takes a few days, and longer if its really inflamed and really messed up, and it requires wearing the patch 24/7, and changing it every 12 hours. but if that is done, it really really seems to help me.

honestly, i was at a loss as to what to do prior, as the LDN heals up inflammation faster, but doesn't prevent it, and wasn't enough for my SI joint.

i did contemplate using my pred pack that i have in the cabinet for emergencies instead of putting the flector patch over the rhomboid area, but thought i know how i respond to the patch and it would be a safer thing to try first. if i had ever taken pred before and knew i could, i would probably gone for that instead, but with school starting in a week and a half, was afraid of those side effects.

hey sue,

great update! sorry your having a problem at the moment though
i was thinkin about asking for the flector patches.
Q: can they cause liver damage?

hope you feel better soon!

can they cause liver damage?

don't know? do know this type of nsaid can after awhile, but topically? how much gets into the system?

but to be on the safe side, i'm already getting a metabolic panel done every ~6 months, ordered by my endocrinologist. it includes liver enzymes.

i'm on zanaflex that should be tested for at least once a year.

so, if any of my drugs cause any liver issues, i should know pretty quickly.

if you go on them, may not be a bad idea to have a metabolic panel or liver panel done every so often.

Any one on any amount of drugs should have there liver and kidneys checked at regular intervals mine are usually done every 6 months.

Kevin