I am a pain management patient for endometriosis, intercystial cystitis and arthritis. I’ve had at least five major surgeries. Years ago my pain management doctor (PRN) prescribed actually lollipops. Contrary to some opinions, Actiq does not taste sugary. I, like many others now need dentures. I was supposed to start school today to study for my Masters but I have to get my teeth fixed first. I deal with very educated and wealthy people everyday. I am horrifically embarrassed by my appearance. HELP! I’ m on disability and cannot afford this!

I am only 25 years old, I was prescrbed Aqtic/Fentyal sucker’s by a Doctor who didn’t care about his patients, I was only 21 years old when I went to his pain managment clinic for my back and a tumor on the back of my neck. My Doctor never told me that this medication would make my teeth crack, have a ton of cavities, and eventually cause a horrible amount of pain. My Doctor ended up getting fired or his liscense suspended, I am not exactly sure which, the amounts he was prescribing me and other patients caught the attention of the DEA. But as far as I know he is still prescribing at his residence to a select few patients or so ive heard. If anyone knows any dentists that help people that dont have enough money to fix there teeth please let me know, im in an extreme amount of pain, and the side of my face is swollen from my teeth. I have a hole in my heart and am high risk for a stroke, and everytime ive ever even been to the Dentist had to take antibiotics. I think this Doctor I used to have should pay for my teeth to be fixed considering he did not tell me my teeth could have problems because of the sugar in the suckers, he told me absolutly nothing, and im now 25 going through so much more pain on top of what im already going through. Please if anyone has any information on this please contact me. Thank you, I truly hope the best for all of you. Tahnee Hart

I also used the Atiq suckers for breakthrough pain when my fentenol patches were not enough.I used these for several years, At times I would just fall asleep with them in my mouth. . My teethe are in horrible condition. I am no longer on any pain medication. I have had three disk replaced & am able to manage my pain without narcotics

I can sympathize with everyone dealing with the Actiq dental issues. If there is a class action lawsuit out there, count me in….my health is suffering greatly. I would appreciate any info.

My ex-wife has been on Fentanyl Oral / Actiq lollipops. All her perfect teeth just turned to rubber and broke off. It took years of searching to figure out as to why?? Dentists and doctors have told her it was a vitamin deficiency and a host of other unknown causes. One day I got online and looked up lawsuits and found the answer. She is in constant pain from the infections in her mouth caused by all the damaged teeth. Just broken jagged pieces are left now. No one seems to want to help her. She is treated as if she is an evil drug addict and deserved it. Brush your teeth?? hahaha…What a joke…she did. Everyday til they all broke off. Triple read all the warnings and not one word on all your teeth turning to rubber and breaking off without any notice…..Not even the doctors or dentists had a clue about this…..

I too have had 7 teeth removed in 2010 after years of break-through pain for RSD/CRPS II and back surgeries, extensive on going pain conditions. I struggle to deal with everything now. Special Tooth paste must be used.

I’m 32 years old I have epilepsy earlier this year I lost the last of my teeth due to the medications I take for my disibility, in which a couple of them are dilantin and deprokote in which they would swell up my gums, push my teeth out of place causing my gums to bleed and my teeth to losen and ache. So over the years I have lost all my teeth due to medications I take for my disibility and I have ask doctors about this problem and they would act like they didn’t care they would just tell me ask your other doctor about that problem. Earlier this year I called one of my doctors because four of my bottom teeth were hurting at the same time, the doctor never returned my call so I ended up going to the emergency room for the terrible pain I was having. I just don’t like how I’m 32 years of age with no teeth and can’t afford dentures and dealing with a lot of depressions. So I would like to know can I file a lawsuit for medications damaging my teeth and again doctors when they act like they don’t care?

I wanted to offer a solution to some of us dealing with the Actiq issue. I am 37 and had been on the 1600’s 9-12 a day for almost 5 years starting in 2004 for chronic pain from herniated discs and other health issues – NOT CANCER. My teeth all began doing the same thing and I had braces for cosmetic reasons as an adult and only had one cavity before it all began. I live in SE Florida and after finding out at a cleaning went to several dentist locally, only to leave in tears after being told to “pick a tooth” bcuz my dental insurance I’d been paying for years did nothing for the damage I had. It literally didn’t cover one tooth!! After 4 local dentists and being told I’d be looking at 60+K in bills to save my teeth, I went to a dental school here in Florida. It was 4 hours away but since Medicaid would only pull the teeth not care about replacing them, I didn’t know what option I had. This worked for me in several ways. It obviously only cost me a sixth of what I would have paid locally (which I didn’t have either of those amounts!!) I lost 7 teeth before they were able to stop the progression of the decay. Every single tooth in my head had to have work done on it. But I wanted to tell everyone also that I was told by both my pharmacist and the dental staff at Shands, that NO AMOUNT OF PREVENTATIVE MEASURES WOULD HAVE SAVED MY TEETH!! I saw in the beginning of these posts some ass said why didn’t we do something to prevent this. These things melt the enamel off our teeth like lava and enamel can not be replaced. So not only did I end up with implants and teeth back (after several years of work) it also taught the new students that are going to be our dentists in the future, what Actiq and other medications can do to a healthy mouth with good oral hygiene. The dental schools only charge a fraction of the cost and though they take longer than a regular dentist, if your only other option is to have no teeth at all-it’s a good option!!! Hope this helps someone & I hope the makers of Actiq all lose their teeth!!!

Where were the lawyers 7 years ago when I needed them? After two spinal surgeries for spinal stenosis I was put on Actiq. They started me on, honestly, 32,000 mcg (that’s HUGH), plus I was also on Morphine. It was only due to my unusually high tolerance that I did not overdose. However, I lost all of my teeth. I was literally pushing them out by the root with my tongue, this was about 2 months after I was weened off of Actiq. going down in micrograms by half every month. I am now at NYU and they are trying to return to me a suitable mouth of teeth. I was only 53 when the teeth started to fall out. I have been so miserable since, I cannot remember the last time I enjoyed a meal. I could not sue because at that time the window of opportunity to sue was very narrow, less than 2 years since the time I started. I hope dr. surban is sued to death.

I WAS PRESCRIBED FENTANYL PATCH 150 MG BECAUSE I HAD 24 LEG SURGERIES AND 7 SPINE SURGERIES. I WAS ON THE PATCH FOR 5 YEARS. I COULDNT UNDERSTAND WHY MY TEETH WERE FALLING OUT I HAD LOOK ONLINE TO SEE WHAT WOULD MAKE YOUR TEETH FALL OUT AND WHEN I SEEN ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WERE GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING I KNEW RIGHT THEN IT WAS FROM FENTANYL. DOESNT MATTER IF IT WAS LOLIPOP FORM OR THE PATCH IT MADE ME LOSE MY TEETH. THE SIDE EFFECTS NEVER SAID YOU WOULD LOSE YOUR TEETH BECAUSE I WOULD OF NEVER OF PUT THAT FIRST PATCH ON. I NEED SO MUCH DENTAL WORK AND IM ON SOCIAL SECURITY AND THEY DONT OFFER DENTAL AND I SURELY CANT AFFORD ALL THIS WORK THAT IM GOING TO NEED ON WHAT LITTLE TEETH I HAVE LEFT DUE TO FENTANYL. I DONT LOOK IN THE MIRROR TO OFTEN BECAUSE I CANT THAT MY BEAUTIFUL TEETH ARE NO LONGER THERE. SO PLEASE IF SOMEONE CAN HELP PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO READ MY COMMENT AND ALL THE OTHERS. MY HEART GOES OUT TO EVERYONE THATS GOING THROUGH WHAT I HAVE AND STILL AM.

You can get sugar free Actiq at a drug store that does formularies. Medicare won’t cover formularies, but all other insurance co do.

I am yet another person who has had ALL of their teeth destroyed by Actiq. I was prescribed Actiq for breakthrough pain due to RSD (while on Workers Comp). They even supplied the first prescription to me for free! the 38 years prior to the Actiq, I had a few cavities and one cap. WIthin a year of starting the Actiq every single tooth had decayed. I DID pay attention to the need for increased dental hygiene, brushed after every meal, water pic’d every night, used dry mouth aids as well. Workers comp paid to have virtually all of my teeth capped as they admitted to the connection between the drug and the decay, but the caps were short lived as well (even after stopping the Actiq) and I lost every cap and every filing that was tried save one. I am having my last (rotted) tooth roots pulled out this month so I can have full dentures made, but the dentist advises me that at my young age I am likely to lose a lot of jaw bone over time (even to the point at being at risk of Jaw fractures from eating or mild trauma as I get older), but at least with the dentures I will be able to eat. The correct treatment would be full implants or implant secure dentures, but there is no way I can pay for the care that is needed. I cant describe the pain, constant dental infections & abscesses, as well as the social humiliation that this has caused over the last few years.

I also have severe tooth loose and decay from Actiq. When prescribeded to me in 2004, I had no idea of these side effects. I assumed the sweetness was sugar free as at that time there was no sort of warning for tooth damage. I am also on SS Disability and cannot afford the 5 figure estimate from my dentist. Where is the class action lawsuit? Plus, I just read a CBS News article that stated the drug company paid a $425 million settlement. Who got all that money?

I have tooth loss from a different drug, M.S. Contin. I,am only 35. A doctor rxd this drug after I was dx with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, but he failed to tell me that it would cause my teeth to rot above the gumline and then need to be extracted. This happened in 2007, but I only found out about the side effect in 2011 July. Also, the manufacturer does not list drymouth syndrome in its drug insert, so how do you know. My teeth were beutiful before this happened and so was I and i have the pictures to prove it. I have to work with the public every day to support my daughter and I ,am humiliated . Can you help me?

Same problem as above teeth decay, because of Actiq suckers. If anyone knows of class action suits please contact me. Thanks David

Was diagnosed as epileptic one year ago. Prescribed Dilantin. Used it. In one six month period, 7 teeth are so decayed that they need to PULL them. My neuro never said a word. Never. One simpole Google search gave all the info I need. Dilantin+tooth decay. Not exactly medical science or computer science. HE SHOULD HAVE DONE IT! “Knew or should have known” is the standard of care in this state for negligence of doctors. There are a bundle of other meds he could have given me! I need a lawyer!

Same thing happened to me. At the beginning, there was no warning on the Actiq info. My dentist put in my records that the decay was caused by Actiq lollipop. I am 55. I have a full set of dentures I can’t seem to keep in my mouth or eat with. I had huge white smile! Maybe with practice it will come back with dentures. Cephalon had a patient assistance program that paid for 800 MCG of 4 boxes every month no fee. I am now disabled, so I have medicare (doesn’t cover fentora or actiq) and cold turkey they cut me off. You can have NO insurance andmust be very low income. I used my back pay from disability to have my teeth pulled and dentures, but did not have enough to get the implants in lower denture as I have a problem with “small bones”? I contacted a personal injury attorney (One I almost married) and left him a message. I will keep you updated. My insurance co. will only pay if I try methadone, morphine Sulfate RS, and duragesic patch and fail. My understanding is the patch is long term and the lollipop is for BTP. You cannot trade one for the other. To the gentleman who asked if I would have ather lost my teeth or lost the pain? When your teeth ache so bad it goes into your neck, jaw, head and even your shoulders…I would have chosen a different pain reliever. Do you know you can die from infected teeth? Infected teeth can cause a bundle of serious diseases from all the infecton you are constantly swallowing. Had I known in time….I would have quit the actiq. As soon as my doc and I saw the corelation he put me on fentora, which is sugar free. It was far too late,though. They say Actiq causes dry scoket and that is where the problem ls. Who knows.I will keep you updated when and if my atty calls back.

Kind of shocked to read all of this, b/c I thought maybe it was just happening to me. Chronic Pancreatitis for 13 years, too many surgeries to count, teeth now breaking off every few weeks. Prior to taking Fentanyl and Fentora almost five years ago, I had only had four cavities in my life. I just came off of them, and yesterday was actually the first day in many years without pain meds. That’s scary in itself, b/c CP is no joke. It’s scary thinking about facing an attack without the meds, but they were ruining my life. I’m 37, and I look like I have meth mouth now. I ordered Imako teeth just so I wouldn’t be embarrased to go outside. All that does is cover a problem that I don’t have the money to fix. I spent $3,000 two years ago trying to fix the issues. Everything that was fixed is destroyed now. I used to be a paralegal and have family members who are lawyers, so I think I’m gonna check on the possibilities of doing something about this. I see these posts go back to 2009. Has anyone had any success with class action suits regarding the subject during that period of time? Also would be interested to know if anyone has gone ahead with filing their own civil litigation suit against the company. Thanks for any information you can provide me with. It’s unfortunate that this has happened. Sorry to everyone.

My teeth were destroyed due to this medication. I am looking for a class action suit to join. I have all of my dental records from 09 and 2010 where my teeth were perfect and now they are destroyed from 3 years of this medication. If anyone is joining it, I will be in!!

‘@ Joe- go see your doc about the continuing withdrawal symptoms. They can last up to 6 months, trust me. My doc put me on a med called Suboxone to help with the withdrawal and I am now off that as well. For the people saying “would you rather have pain or teeth?” I would rather try to control my pain with any other medication than actiq. I went 25 years, never a single cavity, went on Actiq for 13 months, brushed and flossed religiously, saw my dentist every 3 months. I am now having surgery on Monday to remove my remaining teeth due to the actiq. I received opinions from 4 different dentists and all agreed it was the actiq. For the people saying that we are “poor people who had dental issues to begin with and are looking for a free ride”- really, are you that ignorant/stupid/discriminatory? I not only NEVER had a dental issue in my life before starting the actiq, I am also not “poor”. I may not be rich, but I am not looking for a free handout- I am looking for Cephalon to do the right thing and help the people who had so much damage done due to their product, it’s the responsible thing to do. When I went on Actiq, I read the info sheet- at that time there were NO WARNINGS. I know that they now do have warnings, but don’t feel they do justice to the severity of the dental side effects this drug can cause. Yes, it helped my pain tremendously, (I have a soft tissue disorder that has resulted in 30 orthopedic surgeries in 17 years) but I would rather have found ANYTHING else, even if it meant less pain relief. But, until you are put in that position, I don’t feel anyone has a right to judge. No one has a right to judge your pain, so you don’t have a right to judge anyone for not wanting to lose their teeth.

I would like to respond to shells comment : there are other meds. That can manage pain. The fact is that actiq was made for terminal patients not for us it is meant for short term use. I am a chronic pain patient with a history of spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, and cromic arthritis of the joints. I was on 12 1200mcg suckers a day, 2 100 mcg fentanyl patches, 60 klonapin, 60 zanaflex, 150 norcos, 60 liderderm patches a month. My teeth are done. I only have 3 left on top that need pulled and the ones on the bottom are all needing a lot of work. I transitioned off all that to 6 oxicodone 30ml a day 6 months Ago I would have defended actiq with my life it is designed to make you crave it and I did. after being on it for 12 years my tolerance is so high that the most suckers I had in one day was 92 1200 mcg lozenges and they didnt even phase me. I finally admitted to my self that I had a serious addiction to fentanyl and choose to lay in a room for week and gave the fentanyl up the suckers and patches both. It has been 3months. The after effects of the drug are horrible it messes with certain receptors in the brain. I cant sleep, I have no energy, I am withdrawn around people, I am depressed, I have no drive, I am having panic attacks which I have never had till now after 54 years. What about the potentional damage it does to the liver and kidneys. And the sexual side effects it has on us men which is a lack of intrest and premature ejactulation which has completley changed since going off of fentanyl. My wife of 33 years left me for another man due to both the sexual side effects and the addiction. I lost my buisness, cars, home everything. You may think actiq is the answer for you. Dig down deep and ask yourself do you really need to be on this or is it that you crave it the taste, the smell, the high. Whatever. The fact is it may be working for now but believe me after being on it for12 years you will suffer long term side effects. Get off of it is is designed for terminal patients with cancer. It will effect your longterm health

I have the patches (which I love), then the Actiq for breakthrough, and then Dilaudid if the Actiq doesn’t cut it. My docs have even told me to take the Actiq first every time, even TAKE A SECOND one if the first doesn’t help within an hour, before going to the Dilaudid. My teeth started breaking off the day before my wedding- I’m not able to fully smile in any of the photos. I even lost my wisdom teeth. I stopped brushing and flossing, because every time I did, more chips came off. I just had my front teeth crumble and break away in my mouth a few weeks ago, and it is going to cost me $6K to get the minimum fix! I saw a new doc 2day who looked at my meds, picked up the Actiq, and said “If you put one more of these in your mouth, I’ll break your neck. Didn’t anyone tell you they rot your teeth out?” He has now prescribed Exalgo, and you should all go and talk to your docs about it- not only am I away from the Actiq, I’ve been able to go down in the patch strength, and moving toward getting off Fentanyl for good. Exalgo. go get it! Actiq- bad. Exalgo- good.

I am so disappointed in this drug and Cephalon. I have lost all my teeth and I brushed my teeth and rinsed my mouth during the day. But when you take it at 2 or 3 in the morning how can you get up up and brush??? I lost all my teeth. Had to get dentures and now I have bone loss so I can’t wear the bottom denture. I am so devastated and depressed over this whole thing.. No money for implants…go figure… Why isn’t a law firm willing to take this cause on. There are so many people who have been effected by this product. Took me a year to drop down to 200mcg’s after being up to 1600 every 3-4 hrs!!!

I have to agree with Steven’s comment- would you rather be in intense pain or have your teeth?? They could have big huge red lettering across the box that said-“may cause tooth decay” but truly- how many of you/us would have opted to live with the pain? Not I. When I began taking/wearing the patches 10 yrs ago I was ready to end my life. Fentanyl has given my children back their mother. And yes, my teeth are suffering. My smile will never be what it was. But-before you jump on the lawsuit bandwagon and make someone else responsible for your choices-THINK. WOULD YOU LIVE WITH THE PAIN?

WOULD YOU RATHER BE IN INTENSE PAIN OR HAVE YOUR TEETH?

I as well was given atiq and fetynal for back and neck pain due to several car accidents and not only did it rot out my teeth I had seizures and I took my self to a rehab so i could safely get off that stuff. I still till this day have broken teeth and missing teeth and was told they were going to have to cut my gums open to remove what peices of teeth i have left and i have no money for this . I became disabled due partialy from the atiq. i had 2 of my friends that sucked on them so much because it tastes like candy as i did to, not knowing what the affects were going to b. Both of my friends were found dead with a lolipop in the moth, which brings me 2 another point, and that is scheduled narcotics should not taste like candy. I need a lawyer desperatly.

I, too, have basically the same story as many of you on this site. I have a rare disease that causes my bones to infarct and die…the word pain can not describe how this feels! I am on lots of Oxycontin and my dr put me on 1200mcg, 4xday approx 8 years ago. I have 3 bottom teeth left, and 1 natural tooth up top left…my husband recently left me, and I am only 42 and college educated. It was embarrassing enough for me to have to go on disability, but how am I supposed to meet and date looking like some meth user? I wish there was something we could all do! P.S. I read your story Kimberly and I pray for your daughter, Jasmine.

Also, on Actiq now for about 8-9 years. I have great teeth. Recently it has started to affect my teeth. But the conspiracy theory is that the fentanyl causes the decay, not the sugar. If they had marketed the sugar-free product then it would have been obvious that the sugar was not the cause. People using the sugar-free actiq would have noticed decay with their teeth as well.

I had great teeth, now I have so much damage to my teeth and no dental insurance anymore. I lost my daughter and gave up my business, and am affraid of what it is going to cost me to continue to get dental care. All of my teeth have damage except maybe a few in the front, I have been so distraught over the whole thing and about what to do. I’m so affraid I’m going to lose all my teeth that were once beautiful, and affraid of the work and expense it will cost now that I have no insurance to help pay for it.. This is nothing compared to the loss of my 24 year old daughter, because the doctors over dosed her with medicine and they are getting away with it. I also know that my liver was effected and I have MS, but after the loss of Jasmine I didn’t care about anything anymore. I’m just shocked that nothing is being done about all this damage being done to all of us. But then like I said they killed my precious daughter and got away with it, so what would make me think they care about all of us that are suffering. I’m sorry you are all going through this, maybe something will be done if more of us come out. Thank you all, and God Bless, and be with you all. Kimberly

We have excellent attorneys in this country of ours. You would think at least one oe two firms would step up and help all of us that were led to believe Actiq would help our pain but not at the expense of our teeth. I have always been complimented on my smile. That is all over now due to the incredible tooth decay I experienced in such a short period of time. Not one of us would have even considered Actiq if our pain doctors would have told us we were exchanging pain relief for all the teeth in our mouths. I was prescribed this medicine orginally for chronic back pain after 8 back surgeries left me with the arachnoditis or failed back surgery syndrome. I have to now use it for a severe liver disorder called NASH. I am waiting to be listed for a liver transplant. Fentanyl will do a number on your liver if your not careful. I didn’t realize this until my liver was destroyed. There are no symptoms, so I recommend that all my fellow suffers due to Actiq get a blood test of your liver enzymes and you will instantly know if your liver is damaged beyond repair. This is extremely serious and life ending. You think you have problems now with tooth decay wait until you find out what the toxins in Fentanyl are, you will be shocked. If you want to know more just google liver damage and fentanyl. I hope none of you are going trough what I am presently with liver failure. There just isn’t that many livers available to transplant all those that took fentanyl in either the lollipop form or with the Durgesic pain patch. We are talking about life ending not just massive tooth decay. Some of you will find out very soon if you have been on fentanyl for any time period whatsoever that it is irreversible. I pray God spares all my fellow suffers the agony of which I am dealing with right now. So many of you have NASH and simply don’t know it. If caught early enough you might have a small chance. God Bless all my fellow suffers Greg

I too have this problem. I presently have one crown left in my mouth and one molar. The rest of my teeth have all crumbled away. I contacted Cephalon about three years ago and they told me that the drug was never supposed to be prescribed for back pain. They did mention that it was to be used for cancer pain, I asked them about the decay and they kind of hinted that when used for cancer Pain they didn’t have to worry about the tooth decay. My response was “is that because you count on patients dying before they run into dental problems, their response was–you said that, we didn’t. They then told me that I should have been brushing my teeth regularly (which I had been doing). After that I noticed that they changed the instructions in the drug info sheet that they give you with the drug. They then added that there was a small amount of sugar in the drug and that you should brush your teeth after each use. The funny thing was that on my very next visit to my pain doctor he asked me how my teeth were, ( he knew all along that they were crumbling away because I always told him about them) he then told me that I was suppose to brush well after each actiq. Being i gave I Cephalon my name and doctor info they must have contacted him to tell him to give mevthe warning about the drug. Now my dentist wants $38,000 to pull all of the teeth that are decayed and under the gum line. It’s been about three or four years now that I haven’t been able to get my dental work done. Where does some that is living on disability get $38,000.

major loss of tooth structure and it has cost me thousands to repair my teeth from what Actiq has caused.

I’m 48 and am having all my remaining teeth pulled and getting dentures after years of trying to keep up with the rotting. All my problems started two years after being prescribed the pain killers for chronic back pain. I stopped taking it after they changed the formula to be more chaulk like and was less effective. They would not give a reason for changing it but i believe they new it could cause dental problems. I have had numerous crowns break off and my remaining teeth are not worth saving.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011 I do not have cancer, never have. Actiq was prescribed to me by Mt Sinai Pain Clinic after surgery for spinal stenosis. I was put on a very high dose, first box for a month was 2 lollypops, 1600 micrograms each. I later found out that it was remarkable that I did not overdose. I only found out about what this drug does to teeth 1 month after I was off the drug, by a fellow passenger in an ambulette. This young man was in the end stages of some awful cancer and asked me if I was given the protective prescribed toothpaste. I had never heard about any toothpaste and wasn’t sure I completely believed him when he said that I might start to loose my teeth. About 2 months later was when I pushed my first loose tooth, root intact, out of my mouth with my tongue! You can imagine my panic. All my top teeth were the first to go. None could be saved. I was given a first really bad denture. Then I went to NYU and told them my story. They gave me a new denture but it is ill fitting now too since I have only 4 bottom teeth, and they are not enough to support the top denture so it is lopsided. The 4 remaining bottom teeth are so loose that I cannot chew, one is now giving me horrific pain that I am ready to yank it out myself, it is that loose. I am on a waiting list to be scheduled to have the rest pulled by NYU, and have a bottom denture fitted. I am only 53. It has completely changed my face, I used to be pretty and now I cannot recognize my own face in the mirror. I am on SSI due to becoming disabled after surgery and cannot afford fast and good dentures to restore the shape of my face. I don’t smile anymore, I am so self-conscious that it has altered my personality. How could informed doctors due this to a person? Was it because I was a Medicaid patient? Why wasn’t I prescribed special toothpaste? Or at least informed about what may happen using this medication. Why was I put on this medication when I do not have cancer? Can anyone suggest what I can do? Are there lawsuits I can become a part of? Are they still doing this to people? Thank you for letting me rant.

I also have been on actiq for five years and its the only painkiller that even touched the chronic pain I have in my back. I have already had two fusions and am only 34. My feet and toes are numb all the time and I have way too many problems too list but my teeth terrify me. I am so embarrassed to go to a dentist and I know that they would say I need all my teeth pulled. I don’t see how their can be so many of us and no lawyer to help??

My 30-year-old autistic chronic pain patient daughter was on Actiq 800 mcg. suckers for what I would estimate to be the majority of time from 2002 until about a month ago with her last prescription for them being in June 2011. She is now on Duragesic 100 mcg. During the years of lollipop usage she had to have all of her teeth surgicallly removed because they were dying. She hasn’t had any teeth in over 6 six years. I’m trying to afford dental implants but they’re costly.

I am a 42 year old male in chronic pain. I have had a 5 total back surgeries. I no longer take Actiq for pain. The damage has been done. The bottom line is that I was prescribed a medication by a Doctor. I used it as directed. As a direct result, my teeth are in such bad shape, that I am in need of over $20.000 in dental work. I have never filed a law suit in my life. I am not a lawyer but it seems that this is exactley why we live in America and have the ability to use the judical system to make me “whole again”. It only fair that they pay for my dental work and pain and suffering. The warning should say, use this product and you will lose your teeth. I need help with this.

I’ve been taking Actiq and now the generic form and for all of you who are complaining about dr, pharmacy or company not telling you about the sugar in it, how do you think they make it sweet tasting so you can suck on it? Obviously it’s got sugar in it. I’ve been on it for 10 years and no problems so far. If I did have a problem, it wouldn’t be the Actiq, as I’ve had poor gums prior to starting the Actiq. Also, have any of you people read the large pamphlet that comes in every box of Actiq? I did when I got my first prescription and it clearly states it has a certain amount of sugar in it and to brush after each use. Also, my prescription printout also lists the possible tooth problems, among the normal problems that every drug seems to list nowdays to prevent from people wanting to sue. I bet half the people wanting to sue had bad teeth and no money to begin with and are now finding out they can blame it on Actiq and make them pay for some new pearly whites. It pisses me off that I’ve actually got my life back because of the Actiq and now it too, just like the Oxycodone, could be pulled off the market because stupid people abuse the drug, leave it out for kids to take causing death, etc. The people who left their Actiq out and a child injested it should be sued or charged with manslaughter, not the company that makes Actiq. The packaging clearly states to keep it away and dispose of any leftovers so children can’t take it. I will be deeply depressed and ready to end my life of suffering from Lupus, chronic and acute pancreatitis and degenerative disc disease, along with biliary stenosis. All these things cause serious pain and before I started taking Actiq I was in the ER at least once a month for pain control, which cost my insurance company more in the long run (and me too). Please don’t sue the makers of this drug…to me it has been a God-send. I would put up with missing teeth if I had to choose between than and the pain I am constantly in. Yes, I am once again in constant pain, because ObamaCare has decided that Medicare won’t allow Actiq for anything other than cancer pain. Yet this same plan that I was on last year approved it…now that Obama wants to take from the middle-class and give to the poor, I’m getting screwed. I pay for my premiums to get the Actiq (and now can’t get it), and I pay taxes for uninsured people to get Actiq for free since they are on Medi-Caid. It’s a bunch of BS. I think anyone that feels like I do should get together and form a lawsuit to sue our government for playing God and deciding whose pain is worse, someone with Cancer or someone with Pancreatitis, Lupus, Vasculitis, etc. Who knows what anyone’s pain is like unless you have the same thing. I bet the people working for the insurance companies and the government that are denying my preauthorizations don’t have a clue what kind of pain I am in. I’m bedridden and can only sit up for 10 or 15 minutes at a time. Life sucks and I wish I was dead. I’m tired of fighting to get prior authorization for the drug that was already approved last year, but Obama’s plans apparently are now requiring Medicare to deny Actiq in all cases except Cancer. I realize it was marketed for that, but 90 percent is now prescribed for other pain, because pain drs see their patients and the agony their pain has caused them….the government and insurance companies don’t see us and don’t care.

i wish to find a lawyer that would take on my case i was on actiq for six or 7 yrs for back pain and no where does it say you will loose all your teeth i can even go on a date because of it its just embarising is there any lawyer out there will to take the case if so please email me

I too have extensive dental damage, and being on SSA disability income only, there is no way I can afford the extensive dental proceedures required to correct my mouth after using this medication.

I was prescribed Actiq for chronic pain. Took the medication for several years. My teeth began breaking and I was in constant horrible pain. I would not have realized it was related to Actiq back then except for the fact that my wife was also perscribed Actiq and the same thing started happening to her teeth. Being 100 % disabled and forced to live off meager SSI income made it impossible for me to get dental treatment. I always had beautiful teeth and brushed and flossed several times per day… apparently this didn’t help while I was taking Actiq. I had all my teeth removed by a caring dentist who performed the treatment for free but I am unable to wear the dentures that were made. So I am finally pain free from tooth decay but only able to eat soft foods and now my face has caved in. This is a horrible way to live on top of having pain syndrome. I notified Cephalon of my problems way back in 2004. They denied that the Fentanyl Actiq could be the cause and said I probably had poor dental hygiene to begin with. What an insult. Everyone who knows me also knows I had a beautiful smile and healthy teeth prior to taking Actiq. I won’t tell you that the medication was not affective for pain control because it was! At the time I took Actiq…. there were no warnings of tooth decay on the insert. They knew the side effects long before they were made public because me and my wife both contacted Cephalon and MedWatch to report the adverse effects once we connected it to our use of Actiq. It was just to big of a coindence for both of us to be taking the prescribed Actiq and both have broken and decayed teeth occurring at the same time. Coverups and lies. I believe they knew all along but there was alot of money at stake.

I’ve been using Actiq for several years. I’ve refused several times to add any further strength in my dosage, I am still using only the 200mcg. I have had no teeth incidents due to the medicine and am truly grateful for the pain relief I am given by the medication. My physician that prescribed the medicine did inform me that I would need to see my dentist at least 4 times a year. Which I have done religously. I am saddened to see so many having adverse reactions to the medication. However of all of these posts I have not seen ANYONE say that the medicine did not take away their pain. All medications cause some sort of reaction. It’s always been in bold print on the inside packaging to take care of your teeth while using this medication. I’m not sure I see a lawsuit here.

I feel like a record to the other people that have had tooth and gum problems caused from ACTIQ. I’m in the midst of getting dental work done that I CAN NOT AFFORD. I’m on Social Sec. and it is VERY DIFFICULT to find a dentist that will accept Medicare for dental work. I’ve tried. I have a dentist that is REALLY interested in this problem for he see’s my teeth and gums being destroyed! He and I would like MORE information to follow-up on the best way to prevent any more problems. My teeth have been in pretty good shape since I’ve been an adult with many cleanings and checkups showing nothing. Now, all of a sudden I have all kinds of problems. PLEASE HELP MY DENTIST COME TO THE BEST CONCLUSION AND FOR ME TO KNOW HOW TO TAKE CARE OF MY TEETH while on Actiq. I take 1200mcg up to 5 suckers a day. This has been prescribed for (approx/) 7 years. Also, if there is a Class Action suit, I would like to be advised of this also. In the instructions that come with the suckers,” seek dental care if you have question.” The dentist can only give you a PAT answer as with other ‘sugery’ items, Rinse your month after use and brush your teeth often just isn’t enough preventive care and the dentist are not informed or aware of how to treat patients with RSDS, as a lot of doctors are not either.

dear beth , i assume from your question that you probably have not been using actiq or the patch for long. i would suggest stopping use of these meds and going back to using pain pills. the patch is a medication that dispenses narcotic 24/7 and should only be dispensed to terminal patients as originally intended. pharm reps for the maker of this product have pushed its use onto people in pain who should not be using it. these reps did this for their own profit. i did not noticed problems with my teeth until i had stopped taking this product for over a year. i stopped taking fentanyl and fired my pain management doctor after i forgot one day to change my patch after 72 hrs and awoke feeling ill.i immediately knew i was dependent. it was very hard to beat the addiction of being on something so strong 24/7. i should never have been prescribed this medication but put my faith in the hands of a doctor, a so called medical professional who probably was being compensated to push this new drug. i was only on fentanyl less than a year. good luck, beth

i started using actiq for break thru pain several years ago. i had never heard of a pain patch, fentanyl or actiq when my pain management specialist recommended it to me. he never warned my about how addictive product was or what would happen to my teeth. my mouth is in crisis as i write this and expect to have another tooth pulled today. manufacturer of actiq failed to mention anything about what would happen to teeth from using this product. i even undestand that they thought about making actiq without all the sugar but decided it might not sell as well if it didnt taste good. this is criminal behavior from a company pretending to want to help people in pain.

I too suffer as many of us do and echoe the same above comments.. I just pray we all can get our lives back because life is so precious and we all deserve to have those special memories…. Please help us to get the justice we deserve… Thank you

In 1975 I had a car accident where I was half-way ejected threw a sun-roof of a VW and the car rolled over on top of me. I worked for my Family business for 18 years where if I had surgery or pain I could lay down in the office. In 1996 due to the weather I moved to Florida from Michigan and got on Total Disability in 2000. The pain from 33 surgeries,78 wire’s removed, the degeneration of my body from many different diseases my Dr. put me on Actiq moving me up from 200mg to 800mg a day. Then I noticed my teeth were getting very sensitive. Went to Dentist and was told that I needed over $5000 worth of work done. I could not afford that and my teeth started breaking off at the gum line. Gold Crowns even broke off. After having braces and finally being able to smile again, now this was taking that all away from me now. I am so tired of Dr.’s and Drug companies making money off of US and we can’t even have good day’s anymore for who would notice because we can’t even smile anymore without looking like we were in a bad fist fight and lost. My parents spent a lot of money getting me a wonderful smile. Now, a Multi-million Dollar Company has taken it away from not just me but so many others. I have tried to hire two other Law firms and both said that they could not proved that it was the Actiq because I have been on and still on many pain reliever drugs. I think they are just afraid of the Cephalon Corps. Lawyers. Is there no Law Firm with enough back bone to take this company on for ALL OF US? What seems to be the problem? Are they really that scary? Well, try looking at me smile if you want to see something scary. I use to smile all the time. Now it’s even led to Depression and more medication. Won’t some Law Firm grow some brass one’s and stand up to these people? Oh, our Family business was a Motorcycle Shop so pardon my language. No, don’t because if you can’t stand up to a few pip-squeak lawyers, then you can take my language. Try looking like Marilyn Monroe for most of your life and then end up like Mike Tyson.

Can people share with me how soon these dental problems emerging after starting Actiq or Fentora? Weeks? Months? thanks very much, beth

Like all the above comments I am reading I have had severe dental issues with cavities starting under fillings at the gum line etc and have lost 6 teeth in the past year. I am in need of additional extractions and much more work and will now have to look at dentures of some kind. I have been on ACTIQ since 2002 and am only 50 years . Too young to loose teeth like this. I was put on it for back issues etc since I was not able to take any NSAI. I have recently been diagnosed with something like celiacs – as I am having allergic type reactions. the Actiq makes it worse. IF I am gluten sensitive does anyone know what the “food starch ” is that is one of the ingredients besides sugar? My doctor never told me about the sugar and when I finally asked, the response was “I don’ t think there is sugar in those is there? ” I had asked repeatedly about a stronger or RX toothpaste however no one seemed too concerned at the time. Now it is way to late and I am facing some other digestive complications!! I am out of money, and can not afford any further dental work. I can’t chew on on e side and have limited chewing on the other. I am so embarrassed at my appearance and bad dental issues.

I have used Actiq since 2001 when a patient injured my shoulder and back, leaving me unemployable, managed by a pain clinic and losing 3 molars…documented by my pain specialist and dentist. Thankfully, last year, I was transitioned to fentora with less dental fears, but the need for titanium screws and porceline crowns…big dollars, I don’t have.