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Pain pump at T12, filled with morphine then diarrhea!
Due to Regional Chronic Pain Syndrome in my lumbar and all other procedures used failed, a pain pump injects morphine into the T12 and now diarrhea starts. An opioid usually causes concern for constipation and the morphine used during was selected with 50% improvement. But at 17 days starting after the pump was filled and dosage turned on, I have gas with diarrhea daily. This varies but between 3 to 5 times per day. With this medication staying inside the spinal sack is not supposed to affect anything systemic, but I had unpleasant experience with morphine after my first lumbar fusions. They switched to Demerol and I could keep food down. This was late 1987 and things have changed. I’ve had 6+ years of hydromorphone 8mg then the opioid epidemic stopped that. If my system doesn’t tolerate morphine then, but other medications did not cause intestinal distress, my thoughts are my Dr needs to consider something different. He was going to call others for advice but so far nothing. Strange but each person is different and I can’t leave the house or get far from a restroom. Help! Has anyone heard this? Strange but it’s not getting better.
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I’m in Wi. I have had Morphine mixed with Bupivacaine first put in Pain pump in 2002. I could not walk legs were so weak. Then they took Bupivcaine out and added clonidine. Still had to much pain. Then they went to Fentanyl were I had some ok days at a 6 on the scale instead of a 10. They would not raise it saying I was Al ready getting to much. I told them I feel like I have road rash in my legs, hip, and toes. They would raise it and then lower it until I didn’t even know where I was anymore. They even could not confirm it when I asked. Depended on the PA I would get when I got there. Doctor that already put me on my forth pump since 2002 still will not see me unless I get a shot or it’s time for a new pump. Ridiculous. So then they changed me to methadone. Some burning pain relief the last three weeks as long as I give myself a bonus shot three times a day. But now at times I have to run to the bath room with diarrhea. Also gives me a little sick stomach. So now that for the first time I have been able to give myself bonus shots I am going to be changed again and put on Dilaudid in mid June. I hope this is beneficial for me. What I was getting at was you should not have a problem trying other drugs in your pump. My problem was constipation before Methadone. I hope this helps answer some questions for you. I never had all this pain before two back surgeries and all their shots. Everyone else that reads this stay away from their shots and surgery if you can. Most of them all fail and if you go into a pump they will own you. As desperate as I was in the beginning I am worse of now. Wish I would of never had surgery. With all the screws and rods I have now they tell me I need another one. But they don’t want to correct my stenosis because I have a pump and they push me away. There answer is either it’s got to come out and then what will we use for your pain after surgery. These surgeries mostly all fail and lead to another one. The more Nero Surgeons you see, the more different answers you will fine. Quite a headbanger. Wish you the best.
Thanks for the info. The pain pump is great once dialed in. That is not me. It has to be the right and correct dosage. The default medication seems to be morphine from all post I’ve seen. But like common sense tells me, they should ask questions and fill the pump part way. Perhaps half, turn on, set dosage then wait a week, report. Adjust as needed. Like a radio, find the right station then adjust the volume. I have almost 7 years with hydromorphone and no G.I. issues but 28 yrs ago, morphine did. I couldn’t keep food down. This habit Dr’s get into, varies greatly as some implant the pump, fill, turn on before you go home.
I am truly sorry for those like you Jeff not getting relief. Mine helps with 4-5 physical activities but not so much with the pain, walking, distance and loosing the Cain. My elbow hurts, at 6’+ I don’t think it’s dialed in yet. I don’t understand why so little information is discussed or questions ask of the patient. It’s like a habit, man lumbar pain, morphine and “X” micro-grams, see you in 3 months for refill. WTH?
I have low back muscles damaged, that Dr. said were scar tissue. No fall off ladder, no car accident and no growth issues. The Dr’s need to adjust the Rx & Dose to each person. This not a Ford Model “A”, any color you want, as long as it’s black. They should plan on 4-5 changes in the first one to two months! The odds of having G.I. distress, bloating, huge gas issues with diarrhea the day after having the pump filled & turned on, then last 3 weeks is none. They are taught the spinal cord epidural cover can not allow fluids to leak which maybe true, but what nerves are affected to the intestinal/digestive tract because of one medication. If they replaced the morphine with hydromorphone and the problem went away, then try! I believe to reduce pain from the human condition is envoled somewhere in this! Why to I have report problems, pay a copay, then hear reasons why my problem doesn’t require their help. 3 weeks of gas/diarrhea/bloating is crazy as 44+ yrs of never having this issue. I don’t understand as I spent my entire adult life looking for the root cause on vehicles, then fixing it! Yes, they are not the same, but common sense tells me everyone is different.
Lord, please be kind to us and help guide learning hands to help us ease the human condition! Amen…