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I KEEP READING ABOUT MANY PEOPLE HAVING MORPHINE PUMPS PUT IN. I LIVE ON MORPHINE BY TAKING AVINZA [SLOW RELEASE 24 HR CAPSULE. ] I TAKE 480 MGS PER DAY AND ALSO MSIR [MORPHINE SULFATE] 60 MG EVERY 4 HRS FOR BREAK THROUGH PAIN.
WHAT ARE HOW YOU ON THAT YOU ARE SWITCHING TO THE PUMP.
THANKS
SHARON
Hello Sharon
golly it's good to see you again.
I don't know all the criteria for the hows or whys of the pain pump, but I do know that it's been of amazing benefit for many people and many have really been able to reclaim their life back, which is a wonderful blessing in it self.
I hope you get some more great responses like Kellianns. It's seemed to me that there have been alot of people who are either going through the trial or approacing their day for inplant surgery. I'v noticed that too.
I've been working on catching up on my correspondence, so I'll talk to you soon dear heart.
Take care, it's always wonderful to see you around and activily posting
Gentle Hugs
Betty
Hi Sharon,I just got the pump last Nov.They gradually bump up the medicind that in it.For me Dilaudid is the best.I now take a small dose into my spine,and my pain is none.My Pain Dr.don't give oral meds.He said the pump at the right amount,you won't need it.I Love it.My Thoughts and Prayers are with you.I will be More than Glad to talk or answer your questions anytime.Your Friend,Debbie
Hello Sharon, I read your message. I read about your medical condition and the medications that you are on, and I have wrote this one is for you! I am a 50 year old female that was healthy except for migraines before i herniated a disc in my neck in 2000. I had surgery in 2002, and the end result was titanium screws had somehow up broken and I was in terrible pain. I was unable to hold my head up or get out of bed by 2003. Even though pain relief from medications were at times inadaquate, thank god for pain relief! Without it, I would not be here today to tell my story. I was in fact suicidal, the inadaquacy of my relif from paim made me feel as though I were sitting on the fence waiting to fall off! I was not on the medications that you take, but I had tried them, and know what strong medications you are on and how high your doses are. I of course am not assaulting your pain medications, as I too was on a very large dose of fentenyl, (duragesic patches) 2 /100 mico patchs every two days and 4 actiq suckers of 1200 mics every day. I had been to a doctor to discuss both a stimulator and the pump. I was very discouraged when he said I was not a candidate for either! There came a time about two years later that my father almost died and I went to Texas to be with my other brothers and sisters to do what I could do and to be with my father. I ran out of medication while there, and was terrified to see another doctor even though my doctor at home told me to go and he would send my information to the doctor to treat me while I was there. I was terrified knowing the large doses of medications I was on, and afraid that they might not give me what I needed. I had problems in this area before! Little did I know that it would be my good fortune for a doctor to tell me I was on medications that were terribly strong and in doses that were terribly high. He did write me for my medications and said if I was going to stay for a while he would do some testing to see if there was something more that might help me! He did radiofrequency, which did not help. He put me in the hospital and did a test to see if a stimulator might help! (Even after discussing this with a doctor earlier, I was never told that there was a test to see if I might be a candidate. Unfortunately, I was not! He then put me in the hospital again and did another test for the morphine pump. (Again, I did not know that there was a test to see how sucessful it might be, this was never told to me on the earlier visit to another doctor while discussing the pump.) Well, the test showed from what medications that they were giving me in my spine that I was a good candidate. Two months later after ten months in Texas, almost a year ago, I had a pump implanted
When doing tests, he took me off of my fentynl for 24 or 48 hours before the tests because my medications were too long lasting and would give me something that was short acting! The truth is that I feared the pain that I was afraid would come during these times much more than I suffered from pain during those periods!
Once you have the pump implanted, you have some periods of pain while the doctor is adjusting the pump for your needs. My pump gives me a little more medication between the hours of 5:00 and 10:00 pm.
The results of my pump have been wonderful. I take NO fentenyl AT ALL, after about five years of using it. I do take 30 mg. of loratab a day for break thu and I take clonazapam whch is for anxiety but also is wonderful for muscle spasms. Besides that, I get less than 6mg of morphine which is pumped directly into my thecal sac which delivers it to my spine. Besides taking much less medication, my pain relief is much better. I feel as though my relief is about 50% better than before the pump. I do not feel as though I am sitting on that fence any longer.
It is my opinion, and others that I have talked to, that this is not something that many pain specialists will consider. One of the reasons I believe is because I no longer need to see a doctor every month. I have eliminated atleast 10 doctors visits, and dont know how many more than that, as I would have to go when I felt myself falling off that fence remember? I need my pump filled about every six months, and the doctor that I see now back at home calls in my medications for my break thru meds.
I did much research on this before I had it implanted and know that there is one major complication with this pump. However, I feel that the relief that the pump has given me outweighs the risk from the pump, or the risks I would be taking if still on the high doses of oral or patch medications.
You might also check out metronics site, the makers of the morphine pump for more information, I do know if you call them they will tell you if there is anyone in your area that implants the pump or who refills them!
Sharon dear, I hope this has been helpful to you. I am fairly new here, and am wondering if there is a way I can get my e-mail adress to you or yours to me!
If not I wish you the best and hope you and everyone else get the best medical treatment that is available for you. May god bless you and ease your pain!
Sincerely,
Patty
It was nice to see that you all posted something positive about the pump because that is my next step.. I too am on Fentanyl and Oxycodine for break thou pain. What I was wondering is how big is the scare I mean every 7 yrs they have to go back in and change hte batteries so I was wondering how big it is was.. I know not that big of a deal but just the same and too how does it feel to be free and have a life again your all so lucky I hope I will be also
Diana
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Hi Sharon - i was just walking by my computer and saw your msg. pop up (i have the website set on my desktop). Anyway, i tell everyone that i speak to on this website to please read my bio because there is soooo much information in that about myself (and my children). it gets hard to repeat it all the time - i'm sure you know. Actually, i am in the process of saving ALL medical information for my self and both daughters so that when they are adults, they will have all their medical history (accurate) to share with the pertinent doctors. OK, back on track here...
lately (the last several years) i have been on methadone with percocet for breakthrough (and ultram) - i take zanaflex at bedtime and small dose of remeron to help with sleep(anti-depressant). I say a small dose because what a lot of people don't realize is that if you take too high of a dose of something that should help you sleep, it actually has a paradoxical effect which is the exact opposite of what you are trying to accomplish. Usually people get so frustrated because they aren't ablet sleep thru the night (like myself) due to pain, and they find something that helps them a little - so they think if a little helps then a higher dose would be better! NOT TRUE! (with all meds). After being in the pharmaceutical business now for a while (i am a compounding technician - i make the drugs that a lot of us depend on), i have learned a great deal about the side effects and exactly how they effect our bodies. Every time i end up on methadone, i have to keep increasing my dose and then it makes me much to tired and puts me in a fog - then i can't function daily. I have been on numerous other medications and they don't work well for me for various reasons. i have an extensive medical history with many allergies and complications so it has been tricky. i have been seeing my pain specialist for 8 1/2 years now, so she knows me very well. Like you, i am sick of being in pain and i am not ready to "give up" and resign myself to being a couch potato - because my kids need me due to their medical issues (although sometimes that sounds really good). i am only 40 years old, and thru the grace of God, i am still here. I have cheated death 3 times - and his power has kept me going and he continues to be my support. By switching to the pump, the medication goes directly into your spinal cord and then travels to the pain receptors that are constatnly "firing" when we feel pain. The beauty of it is this - the medication(s) we take doesn't need to be "processed" by our stomach and liver etc. it cuts the middle man. Therefore, it gives the rest of your organs a better chance at staying healthy. You only get a tiny dose as well, they say you won't have to take nearly the amount of medication (strength wise) we are taking now. People say that they don't get in that "brain fog" mode and sleepy. Many people in my clinic, work normal jobs, drive around - and half the time i never even knew they had a pump! So, i am looking forward to mine (on most days) - i am still nervous about another surgery, but i am willing to take the chance now. I believe God is giving me this opportunity, so i have to at least try it out! I would love to keep chatting with you, but i have to go right now - i actually have to give my daughters their infusions today. Again, please read my bio and i look forward to speaking with you again - god bless - take care!
kelliann
Kellianne
Thank you for your participation and very helpful replies here with us.
I've added you & your girls to my prayer booklet and hope & pray your new pain pump is going to give you great relief, so you can concentrate on being a mom & not be burdened with the extra pain.
You take Care
May his Peace be with you always
Betty