Hello,
Can I ask is this your first implanted pain pump? How long have you had it in? What they don't tell us is that after years/decades of having one implanted, you're basically setting up your body for life so my recommendation is to never get off it especially after its been in you for more than 5 years. Even though the docs take you down very slow should you want to try something else, like for me, 20 years and I had Marcane/Morphine, then Prialt, then Morphine, and then Hydromorphone these past 6 years. The makers of these pumps-Medtronic and Abbott don't tell you this, but your body gets to where it can't do without it as I found out recently when I shut the pump down (Feb 4) and tried medical marijuana (month of March). That did't help at all, just made me high so I told the doc lets replace the dead pump this past April. But I need to tell you what happened: Last Dec 6 I was rushed to the ER for severe withdrawals (reason is we went down too much on pump earlier that day: I felt freezing cold on my skin, burning hot on my back, ears hot, my feet felt like they were in a bucket of ice water 24/7 and I was violently shaking over my whole body), they gave me a shot of Dilauded (hydromorphone) and the symptoms went down to about 25% which slowly decreased over the next 5 months until the new pump was emplaced april 18 and hydromorphone put in couple weeks later May 5. May 6th, the withdrawal symptoms totally disappeard-finally. Now I'm slowly going back up. I was contemplating Fentanyl but from what horror stories I've already be advised of through this forum, I plan to not try it- as I've already experienced that hell. I really hope that if this is your 1st pump, I hope it works for you, just remember please, after 5 years your body gets depended on it. I"m currently at 0.1399mg daily and will probably go up to around 5-6, but the constipation will be worse than what it is now. I'll pray for both of us,
sincerely,
Arkynut