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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
Every patient is very different, but my husband did not get any benefit from his pain pump, implanted for cancer pain, at Mayo Rochester. The medicine in it was morphine. So I don't know if the choice of medicine was a poor fit for him, but he did not get pain relief in spite of several attempts to adjust the medications. He would complain of feeling "out of it" so mental sharpness was degraded. He was on other medications as well and as caregiver I found it nearly impossible to be an effective advocate and share with doctors what I though was bothering him from a medication perspective. Combining medications is a huge challenge, because it is impossible to know what meds are helping and which ones are hurting. The surgery was supposed to be a simple outpatient procedure, but he stayed in the hospital for 4 days, unable to wake up and stay up, nearly unable to walk, not eating or drinking well, unable to use the bathroom. Again, I don't know if the surgery and its effects were the culprit or the morphine and perhaps a unexpected reaction to it. Needless to say, my views of an implantable pump are negative and clouded by my husband's very poor experience with his. The theory behind the pump is awesome, but in reality for us, none of that materialized. I do hope others are faring better, but a pump is not for everyone.
Replies to "Every patient is very different, but my husband did not get any benefit from his pain..."
That's not good. Did have testing done to determine what med would be best for him? Morphine is useless to me. We knew that before I had my pump. Mine has Dilaudud in it.
I can't imagine getting a pump as an outpatient procedure. It's fairly tricky surgery. A large incision and then having a catheter threaded up the inside of your spine.
When I had cancer, which is why I have a pump (the lasting effects of neuropathy combined with the need for extreme compression on one leg), I opted for the U of M instead of Mayo. They, (Mayp), have come very late to the game of gene testing to determine what meds one should take. Arrogance I assume. There has been a good bit of that in regards to using an analysis of ones genes to replace the Doctors opinion about what drug you should use.
Dilaudud is much stronger than morphine and at least for me, far fewer side effects. It sounds like your husband was getting too much, the groggy and trouble walking etc. yet was getting no pain relief. The worst of both possibilities. I would blame the choice of morphine, a very old solution. Gene analyses might have revealed the poor fit for your husband. I'm very sorry he had the experience that he had.
I only get 4mgs of Dilaudid every 24 hours which I assume is why I have no side effects. At the same time that gives me the effect of 400 to 1200 mgs if taken orally.
Obviously no one solution fits everyone. Your husbands experience is only the second one I've heard of where the pump wasn't effective. I met a man at the pain clinic who wanted his removed when he learned that he wouldn't be continuing his oral meds which he preferred. Not that I'm in a position to be aware of the larger picture.
I'm very lucky to have the Doctor I have who is the one who did the implant. He is a brilliant researcher in the field of deep brain stimulation and I was very lucky to land on his operating table.
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@lisakuehl Thank you from a caregiver's perspective. You are absolutely correct, not everyone can tolerate or find relief in the same way others might. Our bodies are the same, but at the same time so individualized and unique. I believe that is why Mayo Connect is so important, as we share our journeys and tell "real life" stories.
My chronic pain story is different from anyone else. And my method for handling it works for me, today, but may change in the future as it has changed from the past. Each day it might be tweaked based on that day.
What did your husband do for pain relief, ultimately? Thank you in advance for your thoughts.
Ginger