Fentanyl is about 100 - 150 times more potent as pain relief than morphine or oxycodone and the other "dull your brain into oblivion " narcotics. I have been using the 25 mcg size patch for 9 years now and still getting the same pain relief as I did at the beginning. My arachnoiditis is severe, so any benefit is appreciated.

Several years ago there was research on a pain medication based on a synthetic neurotoxin from cone snails. I followed that for a couple of years but it didn't seem to go anywhere.

The patch lasts for 3 days, comes in various sizes and works on nerve generated pain which is what causes the intense, never ending burning pain characteristic of arachnoiditis.

I use Tylenol 3 as a breakthrough and a topical pain cream that looks like blue toothpaste. It works almost as good as the fentanyl but for 3-5 hours hours at a time instead of for 3 days.