Had pain pump implanted. No relief. Anyone have similar experience?

@maricopajoe2 Indeed, friend, and the terrible part is the steroid injections they push. I've twenty-five years of injections under my belt and now my bones, tendons, discs are chalk. My body has been destroyed; my spine is actually "falling apart." How can this be real? How can they keep pushing this? Nerve ablation? Nerve regeneration is one of the most painful things I've ever been through! Good luck, I think we're just stuck... literally.

@dasunbehagen Did they stop prescribing it for you…just like that? Seems cruel.

Years of fusion surgeries, emblaions, 2 SCS's that didn't work. Had a pain pump installed in June, 2025. Increases in Hydromorphone every 2-3 week. Probably have had 4 pump fills. Had the best 3 weeks of my life since 2017 (pain level at 4) the first 3 weeks of September. On the next pump fill they raised the concentration (so you don't have to have fills as often). Have had no relief since then! Back to near debilitating. Someone said that minuscule change in viscosity could mean the meds are not covering the space properly. Anyone else? Any other ideas?

@trm70 That's really odd. It would seem that the only variable that has changed is the concentration. Can you compare your daily pump output(mg/24 hours) from September to the current output? As you said, the only thing different is the concentration. It's generally true that a higher concentration can create a more viscous fluid. I would insist that they remove whatever they put in your pump and have the original mix put in. I would trade more frequent refills for less pain management. I wish you well.

I never had a pain pump

Please contact me, I have never had a pain pump installed.

@patti72white
As I understand it, a pain pump is like the last resort to try and get some relief; although I haven't found any yet. I went to the ER on a Frida;y afternoon and came home Sunday afternoon with a new script for 32 mg of oral Hydromorphone daily. My pain med Dr. and neurosurgeon both said there wasn't anything they could fix and suggested I pursue a pump. Talk to your medical team and research this carefully. I only did this because I felt the amount of oral meds had became dangerous!

@trm70 I Trial with morphine did not work. Trial with Hydromorphone dropped my pain from and 8 to about a 2. Pump implanted in April of 2023. They started a very low dose. After all this time of going up, then down, now back up, I have had exactly one day of decent pain relief. I feel confident that I will eventually find that therapeutic dosage, if I don't kick the bucket first. lol. If you feel like you are out of options, try the pump trial. Try differ4ent meds. I wish you well.

@trm70 my sister has the same problem. No relief. She has had a pump for 5 years. This month they removed it because the catheter was blocked. Now she has a new one. Still no relief.

As of December she has a new pump. During surgery Dr. nicked her lung. Had to wait in the hospital till healed before she had second surgery for fractures in her spine. That was supposed to be a 2 hour surgery that ended up 10 hours. She was sent home with a hematoma at the site of old pump. Went for adjustment on pump and doctor could not believe the amount of swelling. He doesn’t test anything but at another hospital they find a massive infection. Now her left leg can’t move and her foot is twisted. Again they send her home after a spinal tap which she was jabbed 3 times and 3 MRIs. I think they are just running up bills and she is dying. I have lost all faith in the medical system. They sent her home with no new hospital bed or wheelchair.