Feitas Patches in Japan: Feitas, Z Premium or Warm?

Looking for Feitas 5.0 or Zα on a Japanese drugstore shelf, but seeing different names? Start with the two current tape-patch families: Feitas contains felbinac; Feitas Z Premium contains diclofenac sodium. Each has cool-feeling and warm-feeling versions, plus a larger sheet size.

Before choosing: the patches covered here are for ages 15 and over. Do not use them if you have ever had asthma, are pregnant or might be pregnant, or have had an allergic reaction to the product or its ingredients. Check with a pharmacist if you take other medicines or have a medical condition. Being applied to the skin does not remove medicine-related risks.

Product information checked: 12 October 2026. Japanese-market tape patches.

I’m Irene, a Taiwan-born, Japan-licensed pharmacist working in a Japanese drugstore. Let’s match the name on your shopping list to the pack in front of you, then check the directions that can change with the size.

A quick way to narrow the choice

• Replacing Feitas 5.0? Look for Feitas, written フェイタス, and match your previous warm/cool version and size. Hisamitsu says the active ingredients and approved uses are unchanged by this renaming.
• Looking for the current Zα successor or once-daily directions? Look for Feitas Z Premium, written フェイタスZプレミアム. Its formula has changed, and it has more medication and medical-condition cautions to check.
• Prefer a warming sensation? Look for 温感. Choose this only after checking that the medicine is suitable for you; warmth does not establish stronger pain relief.
• Need coverage over a broader area? Look for 大判. Check the sheet limit again: Z Premium large allows one sheet per application, rather than the regular size’s maximum of two.

Neither the name Premium nor a bigger ingredient percentage tells you which medicine is right for your pain. Severe, unexplained or worsening pain deserves assessment rather than repeatedly trying another pack.

The main difference at a glance

The same age, asthma, pregnancy and allergy exclusions above still apply. This overview does not replace the product-specific precautions below.

What happened to Feitas 5.0 and Zα?

Feitas 5.0 → Feitas: this is a name change with the same active ingredients and approved uses. The change also applies to the large and warm versions.

Feitas Zα Dicsas → Feitas Z Premium: this is a formula renewal. Z Premium adds tocopherol acetate and glycyrrhetinic acid, bringing the cool version to four active ingredients and the warm version to five.

Hisamitsu marks the old 5.0 and Zα tape products as ending when stocks run out. That does not tell us that every shop has already sold out. If you find an old pack, check its expiry date and follow the leaflet supplied with that exact product. Do not identify the formula by the brand name alone.

Compare the two current families

Feitas: the renamed 5.0 family

• Main anti-inflammatory ingredient: felbinac 5.0%.
• Other actives: l-menthol 3.5% and tocopherol acetate (vitamin E) 2.3%.
• Warm version: adds nonivamide 0.0085%.
• Directions: remove the liner and apply to the affected area no more than twice a day, for both regular and large sizes.
• Sizes: regular 7 × 10 cm; large 10 × 14 cm.

The leaflet does not give this family a numerical maximum sheet count or a fixed hourly wear limit. That is not permission to cover many areas or leave a patch on indefinitely. For several painful areas or uncertainty about how much to use, ask a pharmacist; do not borrow Z Premium’s directions.

Feitas Z Premium: the renewed diclofenac family

• Main anti-inflammatory ingredient: diclofenac sodium 2.0%.
• Other actives: l-menthol 3.5%, tocopherol acetate 2.3% and glycyrrhetinic acid 0.19%.
• Warm version: adds nonivamide 0.012%.
• Regular, 7 × 10 cm: once a day, one or two sheets; never more than two per application.
• Large, 10 × 14 cm: once a day, one sheet; never more than one per application.
• Wear limit: no more than 24 hours for any one application. Check that the skin is free of irritation before applying another patch there.

While using Z Premium, do not use other external pain-relieving/anti-inflammatory medicines. Its directions also prohibit other external products on the same area. Show the pharmacist any pain gels, creams, patches or oral medicines you already use.

All percentages above mean grams of ingredient per 100 g of the adhesive medicine, not grams in each patch. Felbinac and diclofenac are different medicines, so 5.0% versus 2.0% cannot be used as a strength ratio. Extra ingredients also do not prove that one product will work better for every person.

Cool, warm and large describe different choices

Cool versus warm: both families contain menthol. The 温感 versions also contain an ingredient that produces a warming sensation; they are not heat-generating sheets. Avoid assuming “more tingling” means “more effective.”

With either warm family, do not heat the covered area with an electric blanket, kotatsu or similar source. Remove the patch at least one hour before bathing and wait about 30 minutes after bathing before applying it. People with sensitive skin should not keep using the warm patch on the same spot.

Regular versus large: the sheet is 7 × 10 cm or 10 × 14 cm in both families. These are the patch dimensions, not the outer package dimensions. A larger sheet covers more skin; it does not let you use an extra sheet beyond the directions.

Current listed pack counts:

• Feitas cool: regular 10, 20 or 50 sheets; large 10 or 20.
• Feitas warm: regular 10 or 20; large 10 or 20.
• Z Premium cool: regular 7, 14 or 21; large 7.
• Z Premium warm: regular 7 or 14; large 7.

Some current products are sold in pouches. A pouch without an outer cardboard box is not by itself a sign that you have picked the wrong product. Actual store stock can vary.

Applying a patch without rushing the liner

These patches relieve symptoms such as muscle or joint pain, low back pain and shoulder pain associated with stiffness. They do not treat the underlying cause, so use them only when symptoms are present.

1. Check the skin first. Do not apply around the eyes, to mucous membranes, eczema, irritated or broken skin, fungal infections or areas with pus.
2. Dry off sweat and water. Peel back the centre section of the liner, position the patch, then draw off the remaining liner sections while applying it.
3. Remove slowly while supporting the skin. If it is difficult to remove, Hisamitsu advises moistening it with water or lukewarm water first. Keep the warm-patch bathing precautions above in mind.

For shoulder, back and knee demonstrations, see Hisamitsu’s application guide.

For sensitive skin, the leaflets advise testing an approximately 1–2 cm square piece on the inner arm for at least half a day before normal use, checking for a reaction. Do not use this test to override an allergy, asthma or pregnancy prohibition.

When to ask, stop or get help

Ask before use if you are receiving medical treatment or have had a medicine-related allergic reaction. Z Premium additionally calls for advice if you use other medicines, have reacted to adhesive patches, are older, or have been diagnosed with a peptic ulcer, blood disorder, liver or kidney disease, high blood pressure, heart disease or influenza.

Z Premium’s leaflet specifically flags fluoroquinolone antibiotics, triamterene, lithium, methotrexate, NSAIDs, steroids, diuretics, ciclosporin and SSRIs. Bring your complete medication list instead of trying to check only the brand names. If breastfeeding, ask a pharmacist or clinician for individual advice.

Stop and ask for advice if you develop a rash, redness, swelling, itching, blisters, skin pain or burning, roughness, pigment changes, scaling or other irritation. Seek medical attention immediately for breathing difficulty, hoarseness, hives or altered consciousness after use. With Z Premium, severe contact dermatitis or a light-sensitive skin reaction also requires immediate medical attention. Warning signs include intense skin inflammation, blistering, spreading reactions or symptoms that appear or worsen in sunlight.

If symptoms have not improved after 5–6 days, stop and consult a doctor or pharmacist. Do not continue either family for two weeks or longer. The two-week restriction is not a reason to wait when the earlier stopping rule applies.

Questions at the shelf

Can I use a warm patch on one shoulder and a cool Z Premium patch on the other?

Do not combine them on your own. Z Premium prohibits other external pain-relieving/anti-inflammatory medicines during its use, even if the other product has a different name.

Is “24 hours” a reason to keep a patch on when it stings?

No. Remove it and follow the stop-use advice if skin symptoms appear. For Z Premium, 24 hours is the maximum wear time per application, not a target you must reach.

Is Feitas Shippu the same as these tape patches?

It is a separate product type in the brand’s range. The gel, cream, lotion and シップ products are outside this comparison; do not transfer the tape-patch directions to them.

Before paying, check four things: the family name, 温感 if wanted, the sheet size, and your medicines/medical history. If you are comparing other brands too, see my Salonpas guide and Roihi patch guide. Their directions are product-specific as well.

Official sources

• Hisamitsu: current Feitas lineup, brand FAQ and 5.0 name-change notice.
• Current Feitas leaflets: regular cool, large cool, regular warm, large warm.
• Current Z Premium leaflets: regular cool, large cool, regular warm, large warm.

Read the leaflet supplied with the product you buy. This guide helps with Japanese shelf identification and does not replace individual medical advice.