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Pain pump, I have one, how about one for you?
Chronic Pain | Last Active: May 4 11:25am | Replies (319)Comment receiving replies
You would have to test the meds orally before knowing how they will work. Dilaudid is powerful stuff, much more so than Morphine or Oxycontin. I'm not sure what long term side effects you're talking about. The dose is tiny. I have no problem with constipation. The does would never be enough to get you high so I wouldn't worry about addiction although my Doctor say if my pump failed, I would know it had failed because I would experience withdrawal. I not sure that I would. I gone off meds and had big big decreases in med overnight and never experienced withdrawal. Increased dose level. We turned my pump up several times to get the right dose but are not increasing it anymore. One thing you don't need to be concerned with is the fog that comes with high doses of opioids. Is this the last resort? If you have back issues that a surgeon cannot fix, if you are going to be in pain for the rest of your life, I would say this is the first choice. It was the last resort for me because I had done Thousands of hours of PT, I had taken many different drugs, narcotic and non narcotic and my back was too bad for surgery. I was taking the equivalent of 320 mgs. of oxycontin a day and getting little relief, my life was not really worth living. I was tested for the electrical stimulator and that was ruled out so the pump was the next step. I am not experiencing any side effects that I am aware of. My pump will have to be replaced approximately every 5 years. Who knows by the time I get the one it may be one that lasts forever. More questions? Just ask.
Replies to "You would have to test the meds orally before knowing how they will work. Dilaudid is..."
I also have a pump, But am not finding the relief you are. Plus the pump is in my stomach and is VERY uncomfortable. Doc says I am the only one who has ever complained about that. Is your uncomfortable?.
I have been using a pump for about 20 months. First morphine could not feel it then switched to dilaudid still nothing. Previously I had been using Fentanyl patch 25mcg/h and 4 10 mg oxycodone for many years. I get no relief from the dilaudid and I am at 1.39 mg per day after almost a year. Totally unhappy with this doctor. Had a fentanyl patch left over and it was applied and it was a miracle I felt the best I had in the last 10 years, when told doctor he got mad said it was illegal to use fentanyl with dilaudid and he could be thrown in jail, live in CT. Now I am back in hell.
After 5 years of being on the Medtronic pain (implant) pump I have to have a stimulator implanted in two weeks because the drug caused call shallow breathing and has reduced my lung capacity. It worked great for years but now I am dealing with other issues.
You have the same story as me except I now have to use a catheter a few times a day and have dementia so they are lowering the dose and added the Metronic’s stimulator (no worth it). I am not sure what the long term choices will be.
I misspoke. You must have the meds tested via spinal injection directly into the spinal fluid. Almost all the meds you swallow are lost to the digestive system. The spinal delivery skips the digestion which is why there are no adverse digestive issues.
I am scheduled for my pain pump trial, have had 10operations on my spine, first spinal fusion the neurosurgeon fractured/collapsed L3 and fractured L5.
Last operation 2020, the L3 nerve was cut, now have horrible hip, leg and knee pain along with spasms in my leg,. My question is this: will the pain pump at least lower the pain where I can function? I am on oxycodone orally now 5 mg 3 times a day, any higher and I’m banging into walls.
Also, did you get a spinal headache after surgery?
Did you have to get an evaluation before you got the pain pump sugary?
I have had my medtronics pump since April. After 4 or 5 adjustments of dosage (hydromorphone), I had excellent pain relief for about a week. Then, the pain in my buttocks, lower back, and burning in feet returned. I have had dye test that showed that the pump is working properly. I have had 3 or 4 more adjustments and may be getting slight relief, but nothing like that one week, or the trial.
Have you had your pump readjusted? My pain Doc says I am at a high level of dosage, so, how can I know how much is too much? I was really hoping, like you, that after several years of drugs, spinal fusion, spinal cord stimulator, PT, etc, the pump would help give me a good portion of my life back. Anything relevant from your experiences would be appeciated. Glad that someone has had success with the pump.
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I have Arachnoiditis and do you know of anybody it has helped with that condition? Also I have pain all the way up my spine to my cervical area and does the meds reach that far? Is there any testing involved with this? Thanks, Don