breakthrough pain
"I have used fentanyl for about one year for breakthrough pain when using Embeda or 120mg of oxycodone as the primary medication. Actiq works extremely fast and quickly takes down the pain and related panic. I can also easily moderate the amount of fentanyl by removing the lollipop once pain relief has been achieved thus avoiding overuse. I do not get the typical drowsiness of narcotics from fentanyl. My only complaint is that it is relatively short acting and usually worn off at about 2.5 to 3 hours. As a result I often have to use a less effective medication for breakthrough pain and need to ration the fentanyl."