Has anyone else experienced issues with a newly implanted pain pump?

so sorry for your pain. I have a psych eval thursday and dont know what to expect. did you go thru an evaluation?

I had a psych evaluation for my spinl cord stimulator in 2018. I don't recall having another one for the pump. The one I had was in person. Pretty straight-forward. Nothing to get excited about. Good luck!

My pump is implanted in front on the right side of my abdomen, just to the right of my navel. It jiggles around like a big, old, stale bagel. It helps about as much help as a bagel. I can understand completely why you want this thing removed. I just had my old spinal cord stimulator removed two months ago, The replacement battery stuck out on my left side like a big, old, rock. It had stopped working about three years prior. I may be wrong but there must be a healing period before any such removal surgery can be performed. Ask your doctor (the neurosurgeon) if that is the case, and when can you have it out.

LOL I laugh because I had a zoom (computer) meeting for a psych eval. She asked a lot of questions and I answered all honestly. She missed that I had been in an institution for suicidal thoughts and depression. She didn't notice that I'm on 3 different psychotropic drugs. But then again neither did my pain doctor. You couldn't pay me to get another one of these things!!! It has been a nightmare and does not help with pain. As a matter of fact I have had more pain since having the pump put in than ever before. If you have other options, please consider them because the consequences of having one removed just isn't an option really. I'm seeing an ortho, having an MRI and then a second opinion from another pain specialist. Probably end up at the spine institute to have something done to fix this huge mistake!!

Live in Indiana, so that's not an option. And yes I do have a Medtronic Pump w/morphine

Thank you for your input. I think its a damn joke that I have to have a psychological evaluation when I have been on pain meds for 14 years. Just tired of chasing meds every month. My pain doctor says they do a 24 hr trial to see if it will help. If it takes 50% of my pain away I would consider it a success.

I pray something helps...but ask for the pump to be placed in your tummy area if you have back pain.

Unfortunately, I also had good success with the trial. It was done by direct injection into the intrathecal space. First injection was morphine. No relief at all. Just fit of vomiting that evening. Probably five or six times. Until there was nothing left to throw up. Went back two weeks later. Had another injection, this time it was hydromorphone). Within about ten minutes I could feel the pain dropping from an eight down to about a two. Felt great until that evening when the same round of vomiting occurred.
Anyway, I decided to have the permanent implant on April of 2023. They started at a very lower dose that did not do anything. They kept upping the dosage until I asked them to check the pump since I still was not getting any relief. Pump checked out okay. Kept upping the dosage, even after moving to a new state in August of 2023. SStill no relief, even to today, Pain has become worse. Pump still checks out okay...believe it or not. I wish that I could have had the trial with the temporay pump taped to the outside of my back for about five days. The pump is supposed to have a success rate of about 87%. Just my rotten luck to be in the 13% who don't find relief. My advice? Try to get a trial with a temporary pump taped to your back. May get a better idea of how it will work for you.

I had a questionnaire to complete and then it was followed with a in-person interview with a Psychiatrist/Psychologist.

Hello, does the Morphine help? My pain is so bad my dr. tied fentanyl, I think it's making me dizzy. He's calling me this evening. I can always count on him.