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I have a Pain pump with Morphine, I'm still in so much Pain
Chronic Pain | Last Active: May 22 10:45am | Replies (57)Comment receiving replies
What I told them that I thought it wasn't working but I clarified saying I'm not getting real relief Then they had to check out the catheter with a CT scan and then a minor surgery to make sure the pump is working, I asked them to change to something stronger and again they said you need a higher dose, I don't use the boluses anymore because they don't work, I went with the pump because I didn't want to take oral pain meds, I feel really stuck with this whole situation and I do feel they should have said we are going to change you to a stronger medication, it's hard to function, I hope I don't have to switch to another Doctor.
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@sox6281 It is very important that you have an ideal placement of the
catheter in order for these pumps to work. As another poster here said, these pumps will not work without a proper placement of the said catheter. If the pump doesn’t deliver the medication to the right place inside your spine you will not feel anything. Moreover you say you stopped using boluses? My doc explained to me that the boluses are kinda the whole point of these pumps: boluses are supposed to flush your nerve with medication in order
to reduce the pain, ideally before it spikes. If you have chronic constant pain like I have then it makes sense to get your doc to preprogram your pump to send 6 boluses at specific times in a 24 hour period. I picked the times when I normally feel the most pain, but you can always change the times at your next appointment if it doesn’t work as planned. And when it comes to medication in the pump I would strongly suggest you ask
your doctor about a second medication to be mixed with the opioid you use. This will make it more effective. Also just know that morphine is not the most effective medicine in these pumps. It is a pretty weak opioid for intrathecal use and it also has many side effects, like incessant itching. I would suggest you maybe inquire about hydromorphone instead and also ask for a second medication such as Clonedine or Bupivacaine. But please get the placement of your catheter
checked, this might be the reason why you feel nothing as
the meds aren’t being discharged on the right nerve. Sadly many of us “pumpers” need a revision surgery down the line in order to make it work properly. And it helps to have an experienced pain management doc to maintain and fill your pump too. Also, I think it is rare for a pump to work so well that you no longer need orals. I know that I still need orals even with an optimal placement of the catheter. I just know there’s no way the pump alone could deal with all my crps pain and symptoms. To me the pump is one more tool in my toolbox against my chronic pain, and it comes in addition to my orals. I even have a spinal cord stimulator for the pain too.
There are so many aspects to consider when talking about intrathecal pumps, but the most important aspect is to ensure the medication is added to where it is needed. These pumps will simply not work at all if it the catheter tip is placed wrong