Patient was educated on how to take Fentanyl lozenge as follows:
- Fentanyl lozenges are mostly used for breakthrough pain in cancer treatment along with other medications for pain management and relief.
- Open the package just before using the lozenge.
- The medication in the lozenge gets absorbed through the mucosa in the oral cavity and so, have the lozenge between your cheeks and the gums.
- Continuously suck on the lozenge and frequently change the sides you have the lozenge in your mouth.
- Using the handle, move the lozenge along the buccal mucosa of your cheeks frequently.
- Do not drink water, while sucking on the lozenge. This medication is meant to be absorbed from the buccal mucosa and drinking water, while sucking on the lozenge, can wash the medication down into the stomach, thus leading to wastage of the drug and compromising the therapeutic effect.
- Drink 6 to 8 full glasses of water daily, at other times of the day, when you are not sucking on the Fentanyl lozenge. Liberal intake of water helps prevent constipation, which is one of the major side effects of Fentanyl.
- Evenly space out the doses of Fentanyl lozenge and take the dose at the scheduled time every day.
- If you are taking Fentanyl lozenge on an as needed basis, do not wait for the pain to peak to have it. Pain medications work best when taken at the first appreciation of pain, before the pain peaks.
- Do not crush or chew the Fentanyl lozenge. Breaking the pill may cause too much of the drug to be released too quick at one time, thus leading to toxicity and fatal respiratory depression.
- Maintain strict compliance with intake of Fentanyl lozenge as ordered, with regards to dosage and frequency, to derive the benefit of the medication. Noncompliance with recommendation on Fentanyl intake can result in ineffective pain control.
- Do not change the dose on Fentanyl lozenge without consulting your doctor.
- This is one of the most commonly abused drug. Do not share your Fentanyl lozenge with any family and friends. Keep a regular track of the number of doses left in your order, to prevent a chance for abuse.
- Do not use Fentanyl lozenge with alcohol intake. Both alcohol and Fentanyl depress the respirations. When taken together, their effects on respirations can get added up and lead to severe respiratory depression and can even be fatal.
- Do not abuse Fentanyl lozenges by continuing to take the medication, even after the pain resolved.
- Watch out for any continuing or worsening pain, to report to your doctor immediately, so that, a change in plan could be considered.
- If you are ordered a second dose of Fentanyl lozenge for an episode of breakthrough pain, wait for 15 minutes after completing the first dose, before taking a second.
- Do not use more than 2 doses for each episode of breakthrough pain. This can result in toxicity.
- Space out taking next dose of Fentanyl lozenge for another episode of breakthrough pain, by at least 4 hours.