My Life with Fibro

Fibromyalgia and the Flector Patch

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Per my chiropractor’s advice, I went to visit a medical doctor Friday morning… except mine was out until today, so I saw the nurse practitioner.  Long story short, she thinks I’ve rapidly developed scoliosis.  And she thinks this rapid change in my lower back is causing my mid-to-upper back to pull to the right.  Or something like that.  She says it’s hereditary (even though none of my family has it).  And she says nothing can be done (even though she recommended two treatments).

The first treatment is one my chiropractor recommended nearly a decade ago, for another ailment with similar symptoms.  It’s herbal, helpful and heavenly in its effectiveness.  But I’ll talk more about it in a later post.

The second treatment is the Flector Patch.  And it seems to be working.  Best I can tell, and based on what she explained, it’s an anti-inflammatory patch for injuries, sprains, gnarly bruises, and the like.  It’s super sticky on one side, fuzzy on the other, and about 4″x6″.  You simply put it over the inflamed (or, in this case super-painful) area and it works its magic.  You wear the patch for 12 hours, then take if off for 12 hours, and so on.

The first day I didn’t notice a significant impact… Jenni Prokopy, the Founder and Editrix of ChronicBabe, had a similar experience.   I did, however, notice it felt kinda warm and a bit tingly.  The second day I felt more flexible and less stiff in my mid back.  Initially I thought this may have happened anyway, that perhaps my back had decided to get better.  But, during the 12 hours between wearing the patch I notice my back grows more stiff and the pain increases.   So I know the patch is providing relief.  Today was the third day, and I am officially a fan of the Flector Patch.  It is convenient and side-effect-free (thus far), but I am worried about the cost.  The nurse practitioner provided me with over a week’s worth of samples, and each came with a $30 off coupon.  Apparently these suckers are pricey.  But I’ve learned, and continue to learn, no price is too high for mobility.  And I continue to be grateful for my HSA.

Stay tuned.  I will let you know what my final verdict is regarding the Flector Patch.  As for Jenni, she said short-term use of the patch solved a tricky pain issue.  I hope my experience is as effective as hers.  And I pray the Flector Patch improves my condition quick enough to prevent a fibromyalgia flare.

8 responses to “Fibromyalgia and the Flector Patch”

  1. Georgette Gorey

    Please let me know if this patch works. I also suffer like you with fribro. My body (skin) cannot tolerate biofreeze or begay or anything else that goes from hot/cold or cold/hot

    thank you
    GeorgetteGodeu
    Ljett@comcast.net

    Reply
  2. Cheryl Kincaid

    I had a ski accident many years ago, and developed a lot of pain in my neck and shoulder. After having neck surgery,I still suffered from very bad headaches. I found a wonderful pain clinic in Salt Lake City Ut. I had some nerves in my neck deadened, which helped my headaches, but still had a lot of shoulder pain. The Doctor gave me Flector patches to try and they have really helped. I also have been told that I have fibromyalgia, so was glad to hear that these patches have helped that problem.

    Reply
  3. HeaNut

    Very interested to know if you found the treatment useful. Keep us posted 🙂

    Reply
  4. Cheryl Kincaid

    I too have been given the Flector patches. I have chronic pain in my neck and shoulder from a bad ski accident years ago.. Working on a computer all day dosen’t help either.. I have had a lot of pain relief from using the patch.

    Reply
  5. Kaci Berardi

    This is a fantastic article. I learned a lot. Thanks so much for writing! Hope you have a fantastic day!

    Reply
  6. Morgan VS

    I have just started using Flector patches recently. I am 32 and I have severe cervical disc degeneration that causes extreme stiffness in my upper body and neck (since I was 25!). So far I have nothing but good thoughts about the patches. I even gave one to a friend who has a slipped disc. It is nicer than taking 800mg of Ibuprofen several times a day. I like the 12 hour aspect to it.

    My gripes are: I think I have developed one small area of reaction (swollen, red, raised, small) and the patches don’t stick well enough. I move my shoulders and it is sticking to my shirt or they fall off when i put them on my neck.
    Overall I give them a B. Let me know how you get along with them!
    🙂

    Reply
  7. Nurse Practitioner Salary

    All the best to you, Kate. Your positive attitude is inspiring!

    Reply
  8. Sally

    I guess this is considered an ‘old thread’, but maybe my 2 cents will help someone. I used the Flector Patch for a while, but when my rheumatologist wrote me a script for the Lidoderm Patch, I found it more effective, especially on my lower spine. Interestingly enough, for the price, you get a heckuva lot more Flectors in a box than Lidoderms (30 Lidoderms per box–I can’t remember how many Flectors, since I used them up a while back. But you can also cut them up if you want. Since then, my husband’s insurance co. (U.S. Healthcare) recently said they wouldn’t cover Flector patches any more–gave no reason. Maybe the phone rep had pms that day, or her cat was sick. I think they make up denials as they go along. And they were much less expensive than the Lidoderms were! But anywho, if you like the Flector patch, stick with it. Turtlenecks seem to help them stay in place, or mock turtles, if you have the flexibility to even get them on. (My problem is getting pullovers off without pain.) If Flector seems to poop out on you after a while, maybe you can try Lidoderm patches (5%). Have you tried the small green patches, “Salonpas,” from the drugstore (over the counter)? My fibro doctor, also a fibromite, likes those, and piles them on all over, if it’s a large area of pain. I think the wintergreen/spearmint smell and the tingling takes your mind off of the pain temporarily. But I’ve found them effective when I get the dreaded “knife in the buttock” pain because I can pinpoint exactly where the “knife” is wedged. Hope this helps

    Reply

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