Morphine Pump

Description

Notes

IF YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE OF THIS TREATMENT PLEASE USE FEEDBACK TO TELL US ABOUT IT

Comments

I have RSD. I now take methodone, neurontin, and elavil but I am considering having a morphine pump installed. I would like to hear from anyone with RSD who has had an intrathecal infusion pump implanted. I have appreciated the things I have read on this site but would like to hear more about experiences with the pump implant. Scotty

Hi, I read your feature about RSD and the morphine pump. I don't have RSD but I do have a pump. I had it implanted in April, 2002. I was taking around ten Loritab tens everyday before my surgery for severe back pain. I love my pump and my doctors. I haven't had to take tabs very much at all. In fact, after surgery, I was able to leave the hospital that night. I took one and a half tabs within the next few days and now I only need the pain medicine when I have breakthrough pain, which is not very often, as long as I don't over do. Jill - USA

I took part in the morphine pump trial and it reduced my RSD pain from a normal of 8 to 9 daily to a 5 or 6 for the three days I tried it. I cried when they tapered me off to end the trial because I wanted the implant right then. The trial was last Friday - I had my Spinal Cord Stimulator taken out because it didn't work for me, but just introduced a new source for the pain. This coming Tuesday I will have the morphine pump implanted. I would recomend this to anyone with RSD and I will let ya'll know how the pump is working in a few weeks. I look forward to having the most pain relief I have experienced since I was told I had this disorder a year and a half ago. Wish me luck. Katrina - Snyder, Texas
It's Katrina again - two weeks since I had the Morphine Pump installed. Let me tell you, if my previous doctors would have considered this treatment for my RSD sooner it would have saved alot of pain. The first day after implant was rough - I won't lie - but after that it has just gotten better. I would welcome anyone's questions on it and will reply to all.

I have read the comments from your site for some time and I would like to share my experiences. I started with Morphine Sulphate time release approximately a year ago. I also take the short term Morphine instant release. My pain has continued to increase from Compression fractures to Avascular Necrosis in both shoulders and both hips to severe osteoprosis. I recently went in for surgery to replace the entire left shoulder. At the time of admission I was taking 2200 mg of morphine both long and short term per day and had been for many months. Approximately two months ago I had a morphine pump buried in my left stomach area and the tubing buried around into the spinal column. This pump provides the equivalant of about 500Mg of morphine daily. My body has become so tolerant to the Morphine that there was a horrible time managing the surgical pain - the Doctors were left with no alternative but to numb the entire arm from the shoulder to the fingers through a catheter placed in my left neck. I left the hospital on 3250 mg of long and short term morphine per day. Some three weeks after surgery I have been able to reduce the amount of morphine taken daily to 200 mg two times per day plus 300 mg once per day plus 60 mg morning of short term and 30mg 3 times per day plus the 500mg coming from the pump. I'm starting to have many side effects from the reduction - loss of memory - cramping in the stomach with nausea - shaking - overall ill feeling throughout the body - and irritability.
I would love to hear from anyone else who has had the experience of this volume of morphine who might share their experiences with me. Thank you. Jo Bursey - USA

I have extensive experience with the morphine pump. I fell in my bath in 1994 and spent the greater part of 6 years in bed in so much pain I hated to go to the toilet because it involved getting out of bed and crawling to the toilet. I considered suicide many times and was taking narcotics almost like candy. I had 2 Duragesic 75 patches for a total of 150 (Fentanol). In addition to this I was taking 300 mg of morphine sustained release tablets and another 100 or so MSIR (instant release) plus assorted medication to help me deal with depression and up to 3mg of Xanax to help me sleep etc (the above is of course pre- pump).
I had the pump implanted 3 years ago on July 21 2000. I will celebrate my 3rd birthday in 10 days now. I say my third birthday because the pump gave me a new lease on life. I now get 11 mg of morphine a day broken up into 24 doses of 04583 mg an hour. I take no other medication for pain, nothing for depression, and nothing to sleep. The only time I require additional pain medicine is if I am traveling I will ask the doc for some Tylanol 4 for breakthough pain.
In a good percentage of people with the pump there is a weight gain after the pump goes in. I gained about 40 pounds but am now beginning to lose it again. I consider ths a very small thing compared to the relief I have now.
If anyone has any questions about the pump they can feel free to e-mail me and I promise to answer ASAP. Address your e-mail to becker.peter@club-internet.fr. PB - USA

I suffered with back problems since age 18 and tried every kind of pain killer in the book. I have had 5 spinal surgeries which includes fusion of the lower spine. But in 1996 I had a pump placd in my lower right side of the abdomen; it lasted 3 years then had to be replaced. I was very sensitive to morphine so instead my doctor used and alternative, which was ok at the beginning but there was a time when they gave me the wrong medication and the doctor noticed after he filled the pump. That night I went thru hell with withdrawal symptoms. I called the doctor as soon as I realized that the problem could be the pump. That's the time that I was told about the error.

I lot of problems ensued until it was finally removed in July 2006. The surgeon found "a large pocket of blood".

I would say to anyone who asked me about the pump, yes it does help for a little while but before you get one remember that if you fail to have the pump filled or if the doctor makes an error you will be just like a drug addict looking for a fix. If you decide to get it out after your body gets used to medicine your in worst shape than when you started. H L - USA