Lidoderm (Lidocain) Patch?

[Spirithawk]

I've been having serious chest pain and the doc's ruled out my heart and lungs, well kinda. Since I had Shingles a couple months back they think that might be largely the cause. Wide spread nerve pain. Anyways, they put me on the Lidoderm patch today. It seems to help but reading about it,  man the side effects are kinda scary! Particularly since I have a  Left Ventricle Hypertrophy, valve damage and a stent after a tripple bypass. Anyways anyone every had to wear one? I'd sure be interested in knowing if it helped or if you had problems with them. Reading about it's one thing but I'd sure like to hear from someone who's had first hand experience if possible. The doc scheduled another Nuclear Stress test too. Lost count of how many of them I've had. They are loads of fun. Oh well, keeps life interesting I guess. Kinda nervous about that too while being on this patch. The patch can cause arythmias on it's own.

[Heather]

I am VERY wary of patches of any type that dispense medicine.  My mother was killed by a pain patch that busted.  All of the medication that was supposed to be dispensed over three days was pushed into her system all at once.  It stopped her heart within 30 mins of applying it.  I would make sure that the dosage in the patch isn't lethal if it is dispensed in that manner.

Heather

[BUGEYE]

Ask your doctor about tramedol. stops nerve pain, non addictive, few side effects.
I discovered it in a mexican drugstore and my doctor prescribed it.
also got my BIL using it.

edited to add. google it, you'll like what you see. for me it's a miracle drug.

[TribReady]

Lidoderm patches work very well for the right type of pain (nerve induced such as shingles). They can only be worn for 12 hours on and then 12 hours off---because lidocaine is absorbed into the bloodstream and can affect heart rythym..

The patches are placed at the pain site, lidocaine is "pushed" thru the skin to "numb the nerves". The lidocaine is then dispersed from the area and eliminated from the body--thru the blood to the kidneys. 

Lidocaine is an antiarrythmic, which also means it could also cause/trigger arrythmias, especially ventricular arrythmias.  Since your pain is in your chest, the patch would be applied there, absorbed into the skin and then into the blood, in close proximity to the heart itself. Even these small amounts could trigger a problem for you.

Long story short, I would not recommend this patch for you.  It is a great resource for a lot of people, though.

[Spirithawk]

Lidoderm patches work very well for the right type of pain (nerve induced such as shingles). They can only be worn for 12 hours on and then 12 hours off---because lidocaine is absorbed into the bloodstream and can affect heart rythym..

The patches are placed at the pain site, lidocaine is "pushed" thru the skin to "numb the nerves". The lidocaine is then dispersed from the area and eliminated from the body--thru the blood to the kidneys. 

Lidocaine is an antiarrythmic, which also means it could also cause/trigger arrythmias, especially ventricular arrythmias.  Since your pain is in your chest, the patch would be applied there, absorbed into the skin and then into the blood, in close proximity to the heart itself. Even these small amounts could trigger a problem for you.

Long story short, I would not recommend this patch for you.  It is a great resource for a lot of people, though.

Thanks bud. I'm kinda thinking the same thing. I called my cardiologist to ask him but of course I just got t talk to the receptionist. Still waitng to hear back. Untill then I'm not using the patch, just the grit your teeth and bear it method.

[TribReady]

Another option in addition to Tramadol would be Gabapentin.  Gabapentin is used for nerve pain but would be somewhat limited for nerve pain in the chest since it "blocks" pain transmission as it comes into the spinal column from the body to the brain.  There's not as much distance from the chest to the brain so the pain blockage would have that limitation. 

That said, it is very effective, it can be used with traditional pain relievers like the tramadol, and it will not have any interaction with your heart.  May help some if the pain truly is in the nerves from shingles.

[Spirithawk]

Another option in addition to Tramadol would be Gabapentin.  Gabapentin is used for nerve pain but would be somewhat limited for nerve pain in the chest since it "blocks" pain transmission as it comes into the spinal column from the body to the brain.  There's not as much distance from the chest to the brain so the pain blockage would have that limitation. 

That said, it is very effective, it can be used with traditional pain relievers like the tramadol, and it will not have any interaction with your heart.  May help some if the pain truly is in the nerves from shingles.

Thanks again. I tried Lyrica to no avail and Gabapentin is one I'm still trying. I personally think the pain has more than one source. Agents Orange, Brown and Pink, along with many other toxic chemicals, pretty much has wrecked havock with my insides. I've been told that the tendons and cartilage in my chest are all inflamed as well. At this point, other than morphine, tramadol and such, I think there isn't much hope of being pain free. I just hate to rely on such meds.

[littlecanoe]

Spirithawk,
If the pain is really localized a TENS unit might help. 
A knowledgeable Physical Therapist could set you up with a couple protocols to control pain.
Works on a couple theories.  When it works it can work very well causing release of your
bodies natural pain killers.   You can use it multiple times a day and it is not habit forming like meds.
In your case you are likely looking at short term use while nerve healing occurs.
lc

[lrs]

I'd be cautious with the lidoderm patch b/c of the location of your pain, and lidocaine is an antiarrythmic drug.
Tramadol is indicated for chronic severe pain, but has no specific indication for neuropathic pain.
Lyrica and Neurontin ( gabapentin ) are used for neuropathic pain, with varying degrees of success.
There is another class of drugs, called tricyclic antidepressants, and these are commonly used for neuropathic pain.  They do interact with some medications, so they might not be for you.
Another drug, Cymbalta, is commonly used for neuropathic pain, and does have an FDA indication for neuropathic pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
Because of your heart condition, I would strongly urge you to discuss the use of lidoderm patch with your cardiologist.
If he advises against the lidoderm, your best bet would be to seek a referral to a pain management specialist.  This is probably the most qualified MD to help you.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

[Spirithawk]

I think you all are very right. After wearing a patch for just a short while I had a serious increase of chest pain. It really pays to know your medical history. Including all meds, side effects and interactions yourself. You just can't rely, nor trust, doctors nor pharmacies. My primary care doctor should never have prescribed the patch to begin with due to both my meds and heart conditions. Then the pharmacy should have caught the drug interaction with my heart med. If not the pharmacist himself then the computer. Trying to reach my cardiologist all I got was his nurse who hadn't a clue. The lack of care is down right scary. Particularly when you have multiple serious ailments. Thanks folks, I got better advice from you than those whos job it is!

[lrs]

Your feelings are valid.
I am a pharmacist.  I worked in retail for 12 years, 5 of which I owned my own independent pharmacy. For the past 8 years I have worked as a clinical pharmacist.
I am shocked no one caught this.
I can honestly state, if you were one of our customers ( patients ), I would have seen red flags all over the place.
It did not happen often, but there were times I got VERY crossways, with some MD's.
I absolutely intervened in a physician's care twice during those retail years.
Once was on a misdiagnosed spider bite, the other was on a thyroid replacement for an infant.
I'm not bragging, I'm just stating this as fact.
In those 2 instances, if I had not taken the actions I did, those patients would have died.
In both cases, I caught holy hell.