How long does it take the fentanyl patch to start working?

I am curious as to what you were on before and how much as well as the strength of the patch u r using. Johnson & Johnson used to give away a box of 50 of the transdermal covers which you really have to use to keep the darn things stuck to your skin. when you run low I would just call for another box. Be careful in the sun because if you let it (the sun) beat down on the patch for to long it will cause the fentanyl to be absorbed way to fast, likewise a heating pad will do the same. Those issues and some others caused me to give up on the patch alltogether but it is a good solution for chronic pain control. I have used narcotic pain relievers along with other meds and self hypnosis and guided imagery to combat my pain. No one " thing" will be a magic cure. It takes a lot of work and you need to be sure that if you are not getting relief that you tell your doc. Most doctors have a habit of starting off people at a lower dose that they will probably need and just wait. I used to just think that was the way it was you are going to hurt, untill I did some reading and got myself educated. Now I give a new med a few days and if i am not getting the relief I think I should I am on the Doc like Peanut butter on bread!! If you look at the conversion charts that the Docs use when they change from one med to another you will see that they start at a 25% reduction and can go up to 75%. Some of the reason for this is that when you change meds most people do get the benifit of your system receiving a different type of narcotic and it is like resetting your tolerance levels. The thing is it doesnt always happen so it is up to you to speak out. Otherwise you will suffer. It takes different amounts of pain killers for different people to achieve the same results, so they shoot for the low end so you don't get over dosed. Unfortunatly that process leaves a lot of people in more pain than they need be because they are afraid to speak up. Thats not "drug seweking" that is looking out for yourself and you had better because no one else will :)
Sorry for the novel. I hope you get some relief and if you answer some of the questions I asked I will try to give you a better answer
Steve