@kayejen
Answer: Yes, it definitely helps. I’m on my second pump. In 2018 I walked into a referral doctor’s office. I had been taking 6, 30mg oxy, 2, 8mg Dilaudid and 225mcg of Fentanyl patch’s. It all stopped working.
Six weeks cold turkey opiate dry out. That sucked, but I survived it. I was desperate. It took almost 9 months to titrate the proper dose, but ultimately got my life back. And a better life at that. I just had the original pump replaced(battery lasts 7+ years)last September.
I was living in level 8-9 from a combination of FBSS of Thoracic and FBSS of Lumber spine, RSD, CRPS and degenerative disc disease. Now I live at level 5. That’s lousy for Jane Q. Public, but for level 9 to a level 5(hit level 4 once !) is a Godsend. I highly recommend the pump. But with advice. 1. Insist on getting the 40ml pump. You will most likely need the space in future years. More importantly, have it filled with Dilaudid(Hydromorphone). Mine has morphine, The Hydromorphone was not an approved drug for the pump yet. Is now. I’m at 12.1 mgs a day with the pump. And doc says that’s the limit. Now, in order to get the hydro, I need to get as close to Zero “0”, morphine before the switch. I don’t want to live through that again, but will ultimately have to. My pump is in my left abdomen, you can see it and my SCS in my hip replacement X-ray. The other pictures are my totally fused and/or stabilized back. I know pain.