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Pain pump, I have one, how about one for you?
I have had an implanted pain pump in my abdomen for about 18 months. It is a miracle. I get a total of 4.764 mgs. of Dilaudid, If I administer all of the 10 extra micro does I can have in 24 hours. If I don't use those extra doses I get 2.74 mgs. over 24 hours. The effect is 300 times more effective than if I took the same dose orally. I go to my doctors office every 3 months to have the pump refilled. I'm there for about 15 minutes. The actual process of refilling the pump takes no more than 5 minutes and is painless. No prescriptions to worry about, no one wondering if I'm misusing or selling my pain meds, no one making me feel like a drug addict or a criminal. In our current climate this is even more important than it was two years ago. Many Doctors want nothing to do with pain patients or writing scripts for pain meds. I know many of you have been there. This method is especially good for back issues as the drug is delivered via a catheter which runs up my spin. Yes, I still have pain but it's pain I can live with. If your Doctor doesn't know about this or doesn't want to do it contact a pain clinic. The Doctor who put mine in is a Neurosurgeon. If you have any questions please respond.
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Can a pain pump help any type of pain, or is it limited to certain areas of the body? I use moral dilaudid now for intractable lower leg pain that is caused by activity and is related to a lot of nerve compressions/entrapments. If it continues after I heal from my recent nerve decompression surgery, I want to do the pain pump next and have that option available.
I'll ask my Doc when I see him Dec. 3rd but I know what he will say. "If dilaudid helps now it will help even more delivered by the pump". How much do you take now? Yes it does help the whole body but it is not 100%, it's just way better than oral without the side effects.
This was just suggested to me by my new pain management doctor. The thought of not having to swallow pills thrills me. How difficult was the implantation itself, as this is coming after two FUSIONS?
I have one, it's great. Search this site under me, wsh66. I've had a lot to say about the benefits of the pump. For me it's the end game.
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1 ReactionWow! You make me want a pain pump. It was mentioned to me years ago but I was afraid to have one put in. My doctors keep thinking about offering me a spinal cord stimulator. Do you know anything about the pros & cons of each?
Why yes, yes I do the pain pump works and as far as I know the electrical stimulator does not at least for me.
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1 ReactionI've been offered it for unrelenting pain after two spinal fusions at L4L5 (2nd successful we think). Sounds too good to be true. ANY AND ALL COMMENTS APPRECIATED. Thanks so much.. I'm 65 and pain has taken over my life. Nerve pain not the issue.
My husband had a Medtronic pump implanted at Mayo in 2016 for late-stage cancer pain involving pathologically fractured ribs. The medicine they chose for him was morphine. The surgery was terribly hard on him and was to be a simple outpatient procedure, but he spent 4 days in the hospital, unable to recover from the general anesthesia. The morphine gave him little if any relief and finding a practitioner outside of the Mayo network to manage the dosage was nearly impossible. His health declined rapidly after the surgery and he lived for less than two months after that. I deeply regret putting him through that and have nothing positive to say about his experience with the pump. I hope others are having better results. The concept is good, though, but it's not for everyone.
I had one implanted about 2 weeks ago.
For reference I also have 2 Stim units implanted (6 surgeries - due to doctor issues and one due to mechanical failure).
This surgery was outpatient and was the least painful recovery than any of the other ones.
In 2 weeks I already love the unit. They titrate up slowly but it has already given me more stable relfief than the pills, stimulators, or medical cannabis ever did. Plus I don’t have to carry pills around or worry if I forgot them at home.
I’d be glad to talk more if you want. I’ve been fighting chronic pain (as a result of Lyme disease) for more than 10 years now. Tried many different things.
So far this is the best hands down.
Carl
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2 ReactionsThe patient ambassador I talked to has had a Medtronic Pump for about 25 years and still loved it.