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I had a Medtronic spine pump with hydromorphone for 15 years.

Posted by ndial81959 @ndial81959, May 13, 2025

My pump was not helping with the pain but was making me fall and be very drowsy. I was driving off the road and I had several falls causing broken bones. I had it removed in August 2024. I went through 8 weeks of opiod withdrawals and wanted to die. My body is now clear and I feel better. But I have degenerative bone disease and more. Had 3 fusions. A stimulator but removed due to getting surges of zaps. I am still having chronic back pain without meds. ER visits often and no relief. It still hurts where my pump was. Need answers and help. I'm 66 and have no kind of life and cannot sleep. Horrible way to live. Any advice?

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rockon79 | @rockon79 | Jun 10 4:46pm

I was on a Medtronic morphine pump monitored by a anesthesiologist for 20 years. I was overdosed several times due to sloppy unprofessional procedures (why else would it happen). I decided to gamble that it was no longer necessary, triturated the morphine dose to as low as the pump would accurately deliver and had it removed. The anesthesiologist sent me home with some 15mg morphine pills and that was that. The horrible withdrawal lasted many months not just weeks (realize- years on strong opiates causes tremendous mental and physical dependency) and this "anesthesiologist"(notice the quotes!) either didn't care or didn't know enough to guide me through that type of withdrawal which by any level of competence demanded medical supervision! I think his whole practice was eventually based on servicing Medtronic pain control devices. I have also had negative experiences with some Medtronic field personnel, many who wear scrubs and are in active operating rooms-giving rise to "wanna-be" doctor attitudes which greatly limit any value they might bring by their presence. Sorry about your bad experience with Medtronic-but I am sure we are not the only ones. It is bad enough to deal with chronic pain, but then to have this type of" quackery" foisted on top of such life-changing affliction is simply inexcusable and flies in the face of any providers' medical oath and integrity.

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Profile picture for lae65
lae65 | @lae65 | Jun 21 8:39pm
In reply to @rockon79 "I was on a Medtronic morphine pump monitored by a anesthesiologist for 20 years. I was..." + (show)
Profile picture for rockon79 @rockon79

I was on a Medtronic morphine pump monitored by a anesthesiologist for 20 years. I was overdosed several times due to sloppy unprofessional procedures (why else would it happen). I decided to gamble that it was no longer necessary, triturated the morphine dose to as low as the pump would accurately deliver and had it removed. The anesthesiologist sent me home with some 15mg morphine pills and that was that. The horrible withdrawal lasted many months not just weeks (realize- years on strong opiates causes tremendous mental and physical dependency) and this "anesthesiologist"(notice the quotes!) either didn't care or didn't know enough to guide me through that type of withdrawal which by any level of competence demanded medical supervision! I think his whole practice was eventually based on servicing Medtronic pain control devices. I have also had negative experiences with some Medtronic field personnel, many who wear scrubs and are in active operating rooms-giving rise to "wanna-be" doctor attitudes which greatly limit any value they might bring by their presence. Sorry about your bad experience with Medtronic-but I am sure we are not the only ones. It is bad enough to deal with chronic pain, but then to have this type of" quackery" foisted on top of such life-changing affliction is simply inexcusable and flies in the face of any providers' medical oath and integrity.

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@rockon79 said perfectly! I am still going thru withdrawal. Dr gave my a rx of hydromorphone which is one of the meds that was in my pump. Dr turn pump of a few weeks ago. He never weaned anyone off pump before or so he said. I have read research explaining how to do, wish I would have read prior too. I have CRPS in L knee/leg. Thankful the constant pain hasn’t returned. Just red and sensitive. The bupivicaine -numbing med- actually caused so much swelling I had no clue it was from that med. My leg is actually back to skinny normal leg. Sure have different thoughts on pain pump now.

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