It makes me very sad to read all the reports about people who’ve lost their teeth after using Cephalon’s Actiq lollipops. I too have had a very bad experience with Actiq. Over the years I’ve spent tens of thousands of dollars repairing my teeth. Last year, 2024, I spent over $12,000 for crowns on my remaining teeth of which now I am down to 12. How sad as I used to have beautiful teeth and a beautiful smile. I still have a beautiful smile now but it has cost me thousands and thousands of dollars not to mention the pain and suffering. Cephalon should be held responsible. I’ve been in contact with them for several years, submitting lots of information and not even receiving an apology or financial settlement. Shame on them and Big Pharma!!!

I took the fentanyl stickers for many years and it rotted my teeth. I now have dentures which I despise!

I’ve had 18 back surgeries and procedures since 1998 went out of work 100% disabled. Was prescribed Actiq and now I have 8 rotten teeth left.

I was given the fentanyl pops for three failed back surgeries as well as adult scoliosis that set in afterwards I went through the whole gamut of pain medication and ended up on the pops 1600 micrograms four times a day and needless to say I have no teeth and what’s left is pretty much garbage as it sits right now and after having a pain pump installed but the damage was done from the pops they put fentanyl in along with beaupivacane which works wonderfully I still have no teeth I got them all caped which was a fortune and it didn’t take long before they all rotted out from the inside out which is horrible one of the major contributors was lack of spit not a whole lot I could do about that but I got my life back because now I can move which is really saying something I was basically stuck in a bed but it definitely makes it hard to chew on anything. And now I have to pay another roughly 18 $20,000 to get plastic teeth ie dentures. The worst part is I have it’s thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms which I can’t get fixed until they pull out my rotten teeth this really sucks and I haven’t quite figured out how I’m going to stop taking my blood pressure medication along with the anti-clotting medication my really big fear is when I stopped taking my blood pressure medication I’m going to run into the same problem I had before pain’s too high runs up the blood pressure 220 over 130 and I’ll probably croak so there you go not trying to sound morbid but just telling it the way it is so if you’re thinking of taking those pops you might want to rethink it but if you have to they work but don’t expect to have teeth afterwards.

I used Actiq for 19 yrs. for severe post -op cancer pain, after receiving a modified radical neck dissection due to squamous cell carcinoma of the throat & tongue. Started me out on the patches and they worked effectively but due to my active lifestyle and exposure to elements the Lollipops became a much more practical solution. I was on 600 mcg 4 times a day when could no longer take them. The drug itself worked great for me it did destroy all of my teeth and left me with only dentures. The Dentist just could not keep up with the destruction caused. By the time I realized it was the Actiq doing the damage I was well into much oral surgery and prosthetics. Now I have no teeth left and useless dentures.

I was squeezed out of the lawsuits because they failed to contact me in time for court, still suffering the total loss of teeth and cannot afford implant over dentures. It ruined my life, I used to get boxes of these horrors for post spinal surgery pain. No one warned me of the total loss of teeth.

I too was prescribed the actiq lollipops 4boxes a month to control the break thru pain of my Severe RSD by my pain management doctor he/we had no clue how bad they were for our teeth I am now paying the price like many of you my beautiful teeth were destroyed. I am very lucky not to be taking that med anymore. I am game if an attorney can help me get the company to pay for my dental work. It would be great for all of us to get together and acquire an attorney

I was an nurse for 25 years in ER. A patient attacked me from behind and broke my back. I declined back surgery since I knew the odds on a success was 5%. Workers comp said, “No Surgey, no compensation”. The surgeon told me “Dont worry, one surgery and 30 days rehab and you’ll be back working ER in 3 months”. After 3 surgeries i knew I knew I was screwed, 18mos. later and more back surgeries, they finally put a stim implant that made the pain worse. 2 weeks later they put a Medtronic pump in. After the Permanent and Stationary report was done, my career was over. I would recommend the pump to anyone with severe back pain. I still had pain off and on but I was prescribed pain meds for break through pain. At first, I was given Percodan, then codeine, and in 2013 I was started on Actiq 400mics every 4hrs. That didn’t work so they went to 800mics, then 1200, t0 1600mics 3 times a day. They dispensed them individual packs and no instructions, the doc said”Put it between your cheek and gum and spin it till gone. Some time passed and while having lunch, my upper incisor flew out. My brother looked and said my crown popped out. I told him, Your my dentist, how many cavities do I have? None he stated! And after closer inspection he couldn’t believe how clean it snapped off at the margins. He made me a flipper then noticed that every tooth was hollow. The dentin was gone but the enamal was intact. Within days they popped out 1-2 s day until my lower molar fractured ito 4 pieces and i had a bacterial infection that required IV antibiotics. I saw an oral surgeon and he recommended surgery for every tooth to be pulled and roots from the teeth lost. It was going to cost me $24,000 for the surgery and $38,000 for dental implants. Medicare pays $500 at that time. When I happened to see the on a search that hundreds of others had the same, I promptly looked for an attorney. We filed a claim and only asked for compensation for the dental procedures. After they bitched and moaned for weeks they finally agreed to pay but that I had to sign a waiver, to not hold Cephalon responsible. I asked” if your not responsible, then why are they paying? Out of the kindness of their hearts. Well, what happened next blew my mind. I needed the 1st surgery then wait 4 weeks to heal and then the implants. My attorney gave them my dentist name to be on the check. Ok, now on the 4th week I went back to get my other check, but my lawyer was closed. So then I called and left a message. 3rd time I show up at his office and im greeted with police tape on his door and an 800 number to call get our files. When asked they said they could not give out information. A courier brought my file and when I asked whats going on? The courier stated that its in the papers. They caught him at the airport trying to skip out of the country. He had defrauded millions from his clients. When I read my file, I could see he doctored everything in the file. So he goes to prison, how does this help? I was screwed and didn’t get a dinner with that screw. I don’t see how there is no class action lawsuit? So many of us have had the same issues.

Wife & I to another state to take care of my ailing parents. I have a pain pump that needs a filling every 5-6 weeks by a pain management Dr. (this was over a decade ago). I’ve had 2 neck & 2 lower back surgeries & need more now. He changed my RX for pain with this EVERY month (I wish it was a bad joke or a case of inflating a story, but I’m not) Each month he’d prescribe me: 4 boxes of 1200icq (each box had 30 suckers in it) 4 boxes of 800icq, 240 Lortab & 90 Soma (how I didn’t die is beyond me! I can accept the fact I’m an adult & should’ve known better but the amount I was given wasn’t even the issue, it was the sugar content in the Actiq Lollipops. I’ve worked in/on radio for 3+ decades & Fentanyl suckers was part of the reason I retired from the only dream career I thought of growing up. Every last tooth has fallen out of my mouth, I can’t go out to do a live broadcast in front of listeners because I have issues talking & I’m very embarrassed to see ANYONE! I went to see what kind of money & oral surgeon would charge to take all the roots out & get dentures or implants. Implants … I might have been able to afford to have 2 put in! I read that a class action suit was filed in 2009 but have no idea what happened. Considering I didn’t know about the suit until 2018 left me out in the cold. I’m now 60 on SSDI and leave the house maybe 3x’s to make a quick run to the store. I’ve always fought depression bur since this it is way out of control, so much so at least 3x’s a week I consider suicide. Someone needs to be held accountable. I know they had a formula to make sugar-free suckers but it wasn’t a “sound economic decision”. Basically telling patients, too bad for you!

I was never told Fentanyl patch would cause my teeth to rot and fall out.

Most of my teeth have also been destroyed by the Actiq Fentanyl suckers/lozenges that I was on for many years for chronic pain conditions. I have dental records and statements from dental professionals of this. I was told will cost at the very least $50,000! I don’t have that kind of money to fix my teeth! My teeth have always been very important to me! I haven’t been able to chew food now nor do I feel able to talk to people or smile! it is so very embarrassing to me! It has caused me significant distress and affected my life greatly! I was so outraged and upset to hear that a judge in 2009 had sided with its manufacturer Cephalon! I read that Cephalon claimed in their defense to the hearing judge that although they did not put anywhere in their product’s accompanying written literature of warning for patients that they did however tell doctors and that the patient’s doctors should’ve been the one to tell of this warning. Really…that’s a defense that is acceptable?! This is not something that should be instead of having in a medicine’s accompanying written warnings! I’m not aware of any drug manufacturer that it’s okay to not provide necessary known problems in their medicine’s accompanying written information under warning/side effects or of such anywhere! What proof anyhow can there be that Cephalon verbally told to every prescribing doctor of this consequence to their patient’s teeth? I had also read that it was claimed that only a small percentage of those who used the Actiq suckers/lozenges and had their teeth damaged from was less than 1% or less! I don’t believe that! Look at the amount of people stating of the damage from their use of on this sites alone! Firstly, in order for the necessary lawsuit information and true representation of how many actually have had dental damage because of the sucker/lozenge, was every prescribed user contacted by the company to inquire of any problems with their teeth because of the sucker? I wasn’t. I was not made aware about the lawsuit period! I wouldn’t be surprised that many others have never been made aware of, let alone that there was a damaging amount of sugar in the suckers/lozenges! Why didn’t the company or anyone involved with the suit make all users aware? There is certainly a record of all who had been prescribed the sucker/lozenge, especially being they are a highly controlled substance. I called several times and made complaints to Cephalon and never heard anything more back from. Did the judge hearing the case in 2009 actually receive every one who had even complained to Cephalon about? What about all those who never knew why their teeth were being damaged or those who didn’t know at that time, or those who were too ill to do much anything with such stressful illnesses as cancer and severe chronic pain conditions to know what was happening to their teeth or to discover what was going on with or why or what to do or who to call or to do anything during such a difficult and painful time of their life along with all the hardships that go with, especially as there was nothing about this warning about in their drug’s accompanying info! Perhaps a new suit is needed with the real numbers of users who have damage done to their teeth, as well as dental experts to state of the very real damage that is known to be a consequence of this sugar loaded fentanyl sucker/lozenge that users were instructed in the medicine’s accompanying papers to let completely dissolve between the gums and cheeks. It took at least twice as long to dissolve than what Cephalon’s instructions stated it took. For me it took anywhere between 30 to 45 minutes to dissolve, and then take that times 3-4 times a day! Many times waiting to dissolve I would fall asleep and wake up hours later with it still not completely dissolved! The first teeth to go bad were the ones located where I had most commonly held the suckers/lozenges. It is known and in the dental literature about the damage caused by these suckers/lozenges! Yes, there may not be a case for those who have been prescribed and used ‘after’ Cephalon finally added to their warnings about the amount of damaging sugar and great risk to users teeth but certainly all of us should who had damage before Cephalon added this in their warnings!

I have suffered tooth decay from taking the medicine suboxone. I had to have surgery to remove top teeth in 2013 and at that time my bottom teeth was fine. But now they have slowly decayed and broken away. I am waiting for another surgery to remove my bottoms soon. It’s so hard for me to look at myself because I always cared for my teeth and to have lost them like this is horrible. I can not afford dentures either. But I do feel suboxone is responsible for my teeth decaying away. And I am definitely interested in a class action lawsuit against makers of suboxone.

I’m deemed Perm-Total Disabled with a Severe Back injury (14 herniated discs with nerve impingement/damage), 5 compression fractures & more.., that keeps me in excruciating pain 24/7. I was previously using 8+ 1600 Mcg. Actiq per day since 2004 after becoming Morphine Tolerant, used since 2001. My teeth have been a horrible mess over the past few years. I’ve probably had over a dozen root canals & too many cavities to count. I’ve lost 5 or 6 teeth and have multiple implants. This serious Dental Damage, my Dentist is convinced was caused by the use of Actiq Fentanyl Lozengers, I had to use daily for Severe Chronic Pain(Intractable). I currently need more Dental work, even after 14 crowns, multiple cavities & implants. It will cost almost $20,000 more to fix the damage caused by the use of Actiq. Not only have they destroyed my once beautiful teeth, they have caused me additional Severe Pain & Suffering. As a person in Severe Chronic Intractable Pain, I need the stronger pain relieving effects of Fentanyl, because the Morphine I am on (was up to 800 mg. per day) was no longer effective alone & I have tried multiple other medications that just don’t work. (I’ve since switched to Fentanyl Patches & Morphine Sulfate over 1 yr. ago) No where in the Actiq’s documentation did it Warn About it destroying all my teeth!! Cephlon could have used a Sugar Free Alternative like Xylitol, Truvia, Splenda, Ect., However Profit $$ meant more to their extremely GREEDY Corporate Executives!! I am definitely looking to hold them to account for their negligence & GREED, in putting their profits before consumer health. They need to compensate me and anyone else who has been severely injured by their product.

My wife used Actiq for four or five years for chronic pain. Her teeth are rotten and falling out now. She just went to a dentist who said it’s going to cost around $40,000 to get post and dentures. We both are living on small pensions and Social Security. There is no way we could afford that. She doesn’t even want to go out in public now days due to missing teeth. I believe her insurance was paying close to $10,000 a month for these suckers. The makes should be paying for dental work for users of there drug.

I lost all of my upper teeth I need help to get implants. I was using Actiq Lollipops prescribed by three different pain management physicians because of severe neuropathic pain. I used Fentanyl Patches and Actiq Lollipops for breakthrough pain. Please Help Me get Implants Please. Thank You Mary Anne Tanner I live in San Jose, CA

I went years with teeth breaking off till I only had three teeth left .It was 8 years before I found a dental plan I could afford .I had to have every tooth pulled .I had over 6 infections ,sinus problems not to mention financial disaster ….

I have had the same things happen to me as all of the above comments about the use of Actiq. I have lost all of my teeth from the use of this medicine. I have gone to at least 4 Dentists to get prices on how much it would cost to replace my teeth and what the best solution would be. All 4 gave me different prices for different options. They all start at 15,000-46,000 dollars. Unfortunately, I lost all of my money in 2008 when the big market crash took place and I cannot afford to pay a dentist. I believe that the pharmaceutical company Cephalon should pay for my dental work and everyone else. I had beautiful teeth and a great smile before my teeth starting falling out and now I get infections and have all kinds of gum problems and I cannot eat anything I have to chew on. Please help me, I am begging you. Thank you, Sharon We should get everyone from these past comments online together and brainstorm on how we can handle our situation the best way.

As many other users I was taking this medication for chronic pain in my lower back after taking this medication for a period of time I noticed my teeth were becoming very brittle and later started falling out I have already spent approximately $2,500 on dental work just for my upper and now my lower is completely gone with no money in hand cannot fix

I have gone through the same thing losing almost all of my teeth.

I had a brain bleed in 2000. This has left me with a constant intractable pain headache that never stops. Actiq was a god send for someone like me who had uncontrolled pain under different medications. But like you I had only had one cavity before I started taking Actiq. Now I have no molars all broken off at the gum line. Eating is very difficult and ssdi doesn’t cover dental. I now am on a different type of fentanyl rapid release that works better than Actiq and doesn’t effect your teeth. All I want is cephalon to replace the teeth that are gone from use of their product.

I am also a victim of the dental damage caused by the Actiq lolly pops. I was taking them for about 4 years. I stopped taking Actiq after it was clear that it was ruining my teeth. I had no dental problems before I started Actiq. Within less than a year of taking Actiq, I was in the dentist chair for my first root canal and several small cavities. I have been suffering for the last 4 years from dental deterioration. I now need bridges, implants, and more crowns. I am disabled now and have no money to help save the rest of my teeth.Have not heard of a single successful lawsuit to help repair the dental damage caused by this medication. I am 47 years old and my beautiful smile is gone. Good dental hygiene does NOT stop the damage from this medication.

My wife was on the loli pops also and has lost all her teeth. The cost is too great to get her teeth. She has to have all roots removed before she could get implants and they want too much money…..

Wont regular lollipops do the same thing without proper oral hygiene? Can I sue the makers of the tootsie roll pop?

Nothing new here I’m sixty before fentanyl I never had a cavity! I had great teeth nice witte smile, then as time went on I started to get little holes forming in side of my teeth! This was strange to me because of always having great teeth. Well here is where the story remains the same, next thing I know I lost a front tooth next I have several other teeth fall or break off at gum line! Im now looking for help because the dentists are telling me thirty tof eighty thousand to pull the rest clean the gums out the put new teeth in! I’m needless to say happy nor am I able to find that kind of money my insurance basically said tough luck no help what do we do, you mean to tell me there is ant a law firm or someone out there that can all of us?i don’t believe this for a minute, PLEASE some one stand up and FIGHT for us!!! It is truly a crime that the drug companies can do this to us and simply walk away knowing good and well our teeth will rott out!

I also have decayed & rotten teeth due to Actiq. Does anyone know if the Class Action against this has been approved or gone thru? I can’t figure out how to get some help with saving the teeth I have left. I am also on disability & can’t afford to pay for dental care. Is there anyone that is looking into this? I appreciate any response.

Same story…been taking lollipops for over ten yrs for severe RSD/CRPS pain. No teeth. All pain patients who have used Actiq have no teeth. Actiq reps actively went after pain patients vs cancer patients. Pain patients live where as sadly cancer patients may not be a money drawing customer for long!

Actiq causes DRYMOUTH no defense against this. So much that you can feel and people can see and feel the drymouth. Its undenyable that Actiq directly CAUSES SEVERE TOOTH DECAY. LIKE TOBACCO. ACTIQ WILL SOON LOSE BIG TIME. LETS GO AFTER THEM HARD!!! WE ARE RIGHT. LETS ALL CALL LAWYERS OVER AND OVER!!!!

I have been using Actiq for a very long time. it had to have just come out, I’m fifty seven and I’ve had severe rheumatoid for over thirty five years. Every joint has been effected, and I can barely walk any longer. The Actiq has helped but the last six months has been a nightmare. My teeth started breaking off at the gum line one after another. Over half of my upper teeth are gone and the bottom teeth just started to crack off. Whats complicated the problem is that I can’t get my monthly infusions of Orencia for my rheumatoid if I’m having dental issues. It’s really effected the RA, but I can’t afford the dental work I need. I am embarrassed to see anyone looking like this and I can’t find an an answer.

I’m in the same boat as everyone above. Over a period of just a couple of years I lost every molar in my head. The front teeth stood up a little better because they were all crowns but eventually they went too. I now have to get a full set of choppers, upper and lower. I’m Also disabled and this is going to kill me financially. Thank you very much Cephalon.

I, like the rest of the people that have made a comment here have lost almost all of my teeth do to the use of the Actiq fentanyl suckers. What teeth I do have left are all decayed and broken off to the gum line. It is so difficult for me to eat that I have lost 60 lbs.over the past year. I had just spent thousands to save my teeth do to a periodontal disease. I had been seeing my dentist every 3 months for cleanings and we had been successful in saving all of my teeth but three. Immediately after starting the Actiq I went in for a 3 month check up and I had 8 new cavities, I couldn’t believe it. I now have lost all of my teeth except for two on the bottom and 8 on the top and these are all severely decayed and broken off to the gum line. I had the doctor stop giving me the Actiq after finding out what it was doing but it was too late the damage was too great. I now have to live with the awful mess in my mouth because I’m disabled and don’t have the money to get what’s left of my teeth cut and pulled out so I could get dentures.

I was born with a congenital heart defect which causes pericarditis type chest pain. From 2001-2005 I was prescribed 15 / 400mcg Actiq lollipops a day, yes 15 a day. After the first year of use, I began to experience horrific tooth decay. I have spent $40,000 to date on dental work. However the worst part of my Actiq use caused a tooth infection that went straight to my heart causing bacterial endocarditis. As a result of this infection I underwent immediate open heart surgery which I nearly died from. I was in a comma for two weeks. I’m 40 years old now and completely disabled from that infection. My total losses are $40,000 in dental work, $500,000 open heart surgery, and $1,000,000 in lost wages. I’m 100% disabled since the dental infection in 2009. Actiq has destroyed my life.

Besides posting on this site about Actiq (fentanyl citrate suckers) _**see comments under Rich** I also experience a near death experience from what my pain management physician of 14 years prescribed for me. I was using Subsys 1600 mg, Morphine (injectable) Oxycontin 80mg. I never had a difficulties until the Subsys was prescibed. I ended up being hospitalized on 3 occasions in 2013 for a total of 55 days. All were for drug overdoses. Most surprising is that the prescribing physician never once sat me down and advised that maybe we should change my prescriptions. The last incident landed me in the hospital for 45 days and included the attending physician advising my family that I would never breathe again on my own and I should be disconnected from the ventilator. They pushed the forms at my wife to sign and she would not. She felt strongly that I would recover and within two days I was already showing marked improvement. I’ve spent hours consulting with attorneys and their para-legals and cannot find representation to save my life. I believe my doctor was negligent in prescribing all these medications, that the attending physician was irresponsible and plain wrong (obviously) for wanted to bury me, and, to bring this full circle, believe the manufacturers of the fentanyl suckers should pay for the (just an estimate) $45,000 additional dental work I will require to restore my dental work. Like everyone on this site I am irate and incredulous that there isn’t an attorney that will represent me in these issues. Isn’t there any recourse and justice for all of us that have suffered so terribly?

I’m not that interested in a class action suit, but I’m definitely interested in litigation against Cephalon, the maker of Actiq Lollipops, asap. I’ve included the details of my situation in the confidential area of this page, and would like for an attorney to contact me. Thank you.

Same story here…both my son and I have a genetic bone condition which causes severe pain. Both of us were prescribed actiq for breakthrough pain. He started the lollipops about 2 years before I did. He is now 30 and has a brand new set of dentures. I have so much damage to my teeth I cannot eat. I’ve lost 10 lbs! I was skinny to begin with! The dental costs are astronomical! Who can help us? All anyone has to do is look at these comments that span YEARS! Do we have any recourse? We are both disabled so rely on social security, and now this? I don’t know what I’m going to do!

I also lost ALL MY TEETH and also on SSDI which will pay for no dental work. I had to have surgery to have remnants of the roots removed. I did win a lawsuit but my luck MY ATTORNEY WAS ARRESTED FOR FRAUD AND WAS IMPRISONED. When I received my files both he and Cephalon conspired and altered the dates and the addendum for the cost and implant document were missing. I have NO ONE TO GO TO. NO LAWYER WILL TOUCH THE CASE. TO ALL WHO ARE GOING TO HIRE A LAWYER RECORD ALL YOUR CONVERSATIONS REMEMBER TO DOCUMENT TIMES AND DATES.

I was on actiq lozenges for approximately 5 years due to sever back pain after my surgery. I was in so much pain I never realized that it was rotting my teeth. When I read the side effects it never mentioned anything about a chance of tooth decay or tooth loss. Now I lost all my teeth I look like I have meth mouth. I have a full denture plate for my top teeth and now I have to have all my bottom teeth surgically removed cause they all broke at the base of my gums. I am hoping someone is responsible for this and will foot the bill for all this dental work and the pain and suffering.

There isn’t any question that actiq CAUSES dental problems including infections and tooth decay. Denying this is worse than the idiots that use to deny that smoking caused lung diseases. The truth WILL come out. LIKE SMOKING DID!!!!!!!!

Ditto. 1) has anyone successfully sued the makers of actiq for dental damages? 2) does anyone know if there is a class action suit pending?

I was in a car accident back in 1998 and I was diagnosed with a herniated disc and degenerative disc disease along with stenosis both cervical and lumbar as well as Fibromyalgia. I was put on MS Contein 900mgs per day which was way too high a dose. I went to a different doctor and was put on 60 mgs 4 times a day with 15 mgs 4 times a day for break through pain.Then due to stomach surgery I could no longer be on any time released medicine so they changed it to Morphine sulfate immediate release and I have been on morphine for over 14 years and now they have changed it to 8mgs of Dilaudid 4 times a day because the morphine was no longer controlling my pain. I went to the dentist twice a year for cleanings and brushed my teeth after every meal and at bed time and flossed everyday. I carried a gallon size jug of ice water with me everywhere I went because the medicine caused dry mouth,which was one of the side effects written on the leaflet that came with my prescription, but it never mentioned that it could cause tooth decay. I had beautiful strong teeth, never once did the doctor, dentist or pharmacist warn me about tooth decay and it was never on any information or side effects from the pharmaceutical company. then they started to rot away where my back tooth started to crack piece by piece till I had to have it pulled. Then I noticed that I was getting a black spot on the gum line and I went to the dentist and it was at that time 13 years later I was told that I had 16 cavities and they pulled 4 teeth and several fillings were done,but my insurance only covered 2 filings per year and so I paid to have 4 filings done but then my husband was killed in a car accident and being on disability I could not afford to pay to have any more work done on my teeth. Even with constant brushing and flossing my gums are always swollen and get infected constantly causing pain and bleeding.I am only 48 years old and my Mother is 73 years old and she still has all her teeth and they are extremely healthy and if it wasn’t for the narcotics mine would be the same way. I have a picture of my teeth from back in 1999 from my dentist which show how beautiful they were and now I suffer everyday with mouth, teeth and gum pain. I use the Biotine spray and mouth wash but that has not slowed or stopped the decaying. I take additional medications, and one of them that I was on for just a short time had a list of side effects and it listed dry mouth which can lead to tooth decay. So the pharmaceutical companies know that dry mouth can cause and will cause tooth decay after prolonged use, so why are the companies that sell narcotics not listing it on their warnings and side effects? I need thousands of dollars to fix my teeth so that I can smile again and try to repair and replace my missing teeth, but as long as I am on the narcotics which I will for the rest of my life, I don’t see a solution other than implants for all my teeth or dentures. I want the pharmaceutical companies to pay for implants and the other costs to repair my teeth, plus I want them to pay for all the pain and suffering I have been through, and I want it made mandatory that they put warning labels on their medications so people can try and prevent tooth decay from the start. I live in SC and I am willing to file an individual claim against the companies or a class action suit, either way I want them to be held responsible for what they have put me through and others like me.

I started using the Actiq suckers so long ago I don’t remember, but at least seven years ago. I then started on the 1200MCG but soon escalated to 1600MCG which I took 12X daily. I took this dose for five years and then my doctor said that the FDA said that these meds could only be prescribed by Pain specialist or to people suffering from Cancer. I then took Oxycontin 80MG 12X daily for my pain and Dilaudid 8MG 10X daily for breakthrough Pain. My teeth started crumbling at the gum line as everyone has said. I have had $10.000.00 in dental work done and this is really just a bandaide on the problem. I have some teeth with implants which are loose now. I have called several dentists about getting the dental work done and the possibility of litigation and needing them as an expert witness and all declined to become involved. Most probably I’m going to have to have my remaining teeth extracted and wear dentures for cosmetic reasons. I’m 59 and not too concerned about anything but the health ramifications of having rotting teeth. I have contacted several personal injury lawyers about this problem but Texas enacted a $250,000.00 cap on awards unless your damages were fatal under the guise of tort reform. The insurance companies and large corporations were behind these bills being passed. What was really done was to get them off the hook for their misdeeds past and future. Trial lawyers were vilified as thieves and robbers and shown to be getting unfairly large judgements for their clients. I am always reminded of Ford Motor Co. and the decision not to correct a $.50 part on the Ford Pinto which caused the car to burst into flames when struck from the rear. Ford decided that it was cheaper to pay the costs of litigation and damages than to rectify the problem. So if you were a passenger or driver in the car and were burned to death “TOUGH LUCK”. This is why there should be punitive damages of a magnitude that these corps. are dissuaded from making purely economic decisions based strictly on the bottom line. Of course if you can buy the courts, why worry. This unfortunately has become the case in most states and certainly in the federal civil courts. Covidian has certainly made the decision

As it is time consuming to read these, I’ll simply add that it is the same story. Major traffic accident. Prescribed Actiq. Got off of it after about 3 years (the withdrawal was a four-day ticket to Hell-on-Earth), subsequently watched my teeth begin rotting as if I were using acid for mouthwash. They are ALL gone now (cut off at the gumline as if by a chainsaw), but not the infections, the extreme difficulty in eating anything solid & the overwhelming pain my mouth puts me through day after day. One other MAJOR similarity to so many here is the inability to locate a lawyer or lawfirm with the skill, the smarts and the determination to file a class action on behalf of everyone here and anyone else who have been victimized by the makers of Actiq. There was NO WARNING that severe tooth decay was a guaranteed side-effect. Not even a hint. Getting $100k per victim should be a piece of cake, and if this were only for the 100 or so people who posted here, that would put $5M in the lawyer’s pocket if he/she demanded 50% of such a settlement, leaving each viction $50k to get their teeth fixed. I actually think a jury would award a great deal MORE than that(!) once informed of all the facts. $100k per victim is truly peanuts in a case like this. So where are the brave, smart and justice-seeking attorneys? Where are you??? We may not have been killed by an overdose, but we ARE slowly being KILLED OFF by starvation, stress and the oral diseases we are now experiencing.

same story re; Actiq use and extensive tooth decay. have also had problems with fentanyl patches and breathing and loss of consciousness causing falls and broken shoulder and ribs. am no surprised at number of problems associated with these meds, just with lack of response from attorneys. good luck to everyone and God bless.

I just called the company to ask what could be done. They told me to write a letter to explaining everything to: The Legal Offices TEVA North America 4251 Privet Road Horsham, Pa. 19044 Don’t know what will happen, but if they receive enough letters they might think twice about doing something. I’m not asking for pain and suffering just to get my teeth repaired so I don’t look like a homeless person which I will be if I have to pay out of pocket for this dental care. Good luck to all of you. Shara

I am yet another Actiq/fentanyl citrate user that has spent over $50,000 over a period of 7 years on dental work due to this product. I have suffered from severe chronic cervical pain from an auto accident in 1977. The 1st of 2 surgeries to remove and fuse discs at two levels was a miserable failure due to the surgeon using methromethacrolate (plastic) to fuse the vertebrae. It didn’t fuse a one level and took me 3 1/2 years, and exactly twelve specialists, to diagnose the problem. Those 3 1/2 years of non-fusion left me with permanent nerve damage and severe chronic pain. The Actiq’s helped were very effective for the pain but the costs for dental repair have been financially devastating. I still need 5 more extractions with bone preservation material ($1,500) and a partial (bridge) which is an additional $1,700.00. I,ve also started suffering renal distress that adds to the problems of pain meds effecting the body over a period of long time use. I’m not “sue-happy” but I wish there the folks like me could start a class action suit against the drug manufacturer over the damage this product has caused to our teeth. If anyone has a good idea I hope they will voice it.

I have been on Actiq for several years due to chronic pain from a modified radical neck dissection as a result of throat & tongue cancer.The 400mcg lollipops have been a God send as far as relieving the breakthrough pain when nothing else seemed to work.Like most others virtually all of me teeth have been destroyed. I have spent over $10.000 out of pocket besides hat my insurance has payed. I pray that a medication that doesn’t have this horrible side effect will soon come to market.

same story, tooth loss . had it for breakthrough pain. I believe and if someone can varify, when they first came out the brochere that came in the box was different. they later realized about the tooth decay and added a clause to the brochure to try to protect themselves. the addded clause said something about use other then cancer then cancer.

I am only 34, a senior staff nurse in ITU in the UK, I was born with a defect to my bone marrow which results in an inability to produce adequate antibodies to fight infections and everyday pathogens. I was diagnosed with the disease at the age of 9 at Great Ormond Street Hospital for children, London, UK and have received antibody replacement infusions (white blood cells), one per week since diagnosis. As I went 9years with recurrent infections to my lungs and ears, I have suffered much damaged to my right lung in particular and severe ear drum damage which was repaired by an operation. I was first prescribed Actiq once a week in 2000 by the hospital for pain relief during the 5hour injected infusions of the blood into the subcutaneous tissues. My script was then increased to 5 times a day in 2010 for chronic lung pain on every inspired breath. By feb 2011, large pieces of enamel had started to fall off, and a quick decline of the loss of 9 teeth occurred despite specialist dental treatment twice per month. I have had over 40 deep fillings, several dental dressings, x-rays, impressions made and to my horror, disgust and anger at Cephalon Ltd, have lost 9 teeth in total, due to Actique causing rampant decay at the gum line and even to back / u derides of the teeth. I have had to undergo the making of a full upper denture and am currently awaiting extractions of the remaining 7 teeth on my upper jaw, most of which have only the retaining roots remaining. I will be left with less than 50% of my natural teeth, a full upper denture, and only front and right sided teeth to my lower jaw. I am currently ringing as many no win no fee lawyers as I can find to sue Cephalon for their failure to highlight the damage that the lozenges often cause when used regularly. In the UK it costs £15000 (almost $30000) to replace my upper jaw with implants which I simply can’t afford, & that isn’t including any bottom teeth replacement either! My dentist prescribed a high fluoride toothpaste and rinse, and says the Actiq is responsible. An article is written by a dentist in the British dental Journal highlighting a case of a 24yr old who lost all her teeth to Actiq whilst also suffering terminal cancer, terrible! The article holds weight for anyone wanting to claim for damages, please email me if you need it. The Cephalon leaflet does not mention regular dentist input let alone prescription toothpaste and rinses. It should be block highlighted in the leaflet so patients on the medicine are able to give their informed consent to the use of Actiq for their pain. I am now on a liquid diet, and prescription drink to keep my weight stable to prevent previous rapid weight loss due to severe difficulties eating now, which in turn caused malabsorption of my weekly blood due to too little fatty tissue. I am also undergoing counselling and CBT for anxiety and tearfulness which is down to the mental trauma of loosing my teeth and facing an upper noticeable denture at the age of 34, especially as a front line intensive care nurse being with the public every day. It is so hard, Cephalon have so much to answer for as far as I am concerned. I believe it is not the fault of doctors or pharmacists as they can only advice what Cephalon disclose to be advice! Shame on Cephalon for ruining so many people’s lhappiness, confidence and smiles.

I agree with Sally–shame on them(Cephalon).I\’m in same boat with all teeth bad from Actiq and it costs a fortune to fix. I am shocked to read all of this and still no class action law suit? I will be calling lawyers this week. Anyone with info on class action suit please let me know! Warning to all Actiq users: Actiq is a powerful drug and your body will become tolerant to it if on it for any length of time and you will become physically dependent on it. We all know NOW that it rots teeth. There are many other negatives to this drug. I thank God I no longer take it.

I was prescribed them for back pain bc I had adverse reactions to long acting timed realeased oral pain medication. I too never received any notification any where regarding what it does to your teeth. I hv seen the same dentist since I was 5 and he too blames the fentenyl. He said my teeth were in great shape as did two other dentists I saw during military relocations. All my front teeth are perfect not one cavity, but I now need 8 crowns on all my back teeth. I struggle as a single mother of a child with Autism to barely afford to do lil tiny bits of dental wk done here & there. I took my self off of it bc of all the other effects it had on my body. The physical dependecy your body devolps to this drug is so bad they may as well hand you some needles and some heroin and tell you to have at it. No one told me it was 100 times stronger than morphine. With all of this proving the obvious to even the simplest of minds, there should be a lawyer that has enough confidence to file a class action requiring them to pay for every ones dental work at the very least. Especially when my insurance paid them over $7000 for a 30 day supply at only 4 per day. There was no psychological addition it was completely physical, the drug nearly killed me, destroyed my teeth and they got rich. Shame on them, like I said this should be a class action that doesnt go away until it is settled. Maybe if we all scream loud enough they may hear. Best wishes to you all…

I join the others with the suffering and damage done by use of actiq prescribed for severe pain secondary to Lyme Disease. I developed some heart issues as well as numerous dental problems requiring thousands of dollars of expense, pain, suffering….am still in the process of correcting, or attempting to have all of the dental issues corrected…too much suffering to delineate on this page.