MS pain pump

[shoegirl01]

My Dr. is wanting me to try a morphine pain pump. Can anyone tell me anything about this? Will this make me dro if hewoul wsy or feel sedated? I have a FT job & 2 active kids. I have to be able to take care of them but after taking the same meds for 8 years, I obviously built up quite a tolerance to them. I tried to tell him that the meds weren't working anymore & was taking to many of my percs because my long acting med Opana Er wasn't working. I asked if he would change the med or the dosage & he wouldn't do anything & I was miserable instead of trying to help me he sent me to the counselor who agreed I was being under treated based on my HX. But nothing changed.I started to many & would run out early & get sick every month.. I couldn't stand the back pain or WDs so decided to change Dr when mine was late faxing my RX to the pharmacy but it was a PA & he said all he could do was Hydo 7.5mg 4 x d so I figured I would do that until I found some one else. Let, naturally a few days later my RX were at the pharmacy. I wish it wsn't true but now I could take the meds when I needed & didn't have to watch the clock it became to easy that is until he called me in out of the blue for a pill count. I didn't have enough so I didn't called repeatedly to try to speak to him, the nurse anyone but always had to leave a VM & they wouldn't return my calls. I couldn't get an appt for any sooner than the one already scheduled for a few months away. So I tried my best to taper my meds so I wouldn't get so sick. I was to scared now to even go back to the PA. I broke the perc in 1/2 but the opana bottle warned against breaking them so I went outline to research that & I read were people wore snorting them to get the full efffect all at once. So by now I was desperate & I did it, 1st just a little piece & I couldn't tell much but then when I took the 1/2 tab it was heaven. The pain wasn't just "controlled" It was gone! I was like I was prior to the onset 13 years ago. I could sit all dy in meetings, go on trips, play with the kids, pick them up & twirl them around, g o to dinner & then sit thru a movie (before sitting was unbearable). I could sleep again but I also had energy. I felt great. Of course I ran out & had to go thru wds. When I did get back in to see him I couldn't say anything about my meds nnot working I just had to beg him to keep seeing me & he did. I swore that if he refilled my meds I would take them as RXd forever. But it was to late. In the end I could snort 6 opanas a day & take 15 - 20 pills. I am going to a recovery clinic now & have a wonderful Dr he is treating me with suboxone. I feel great but my back hurts like hell but now I just have to live with it. My new Dr does understand that I do have legitimate pain that will have to be treated but wants me on the sub as long as I can stand it. After that he said we can try a morphine pump, surgically implanted that the MD fills periodically. Does anyone know anything about this? Do any of you know someone who has chronic pain & then became addicted? If feel like I have no choice. Either way I go I am gooing to be in pain & miserable. I will always believe that if my Dr would have listned to me in the beginning this wouldn't have happened. I took my meds exactly as RXd for 8 years & never was even 1 pill short. I have tried all other things to from physical therapy, chiropractor, accu puncture, massage therapy, tens unit, prolotherapy, spinal stim trial, wore a likt in my shoe, wore diffent SI belts, multiple injections, trigger point, SI, facet joint, epidurals. I don't know what else to do & sometimes feel hopeless. Since nothing shows up on x ray or MRI Dr don't always believe me & think I am crazy or a drug seeker..............before I even had a problem.
Any advice? Thanks for listening.

[Mollyrae]

Hi Dave:  Pain Psychologists are wonderful. I see one along with a Psychiatrist and they have really helped me with my pain issues. Most clinics can hook you up with one. If your interested, contact your Doctor....I did and glad that I did.

Be well,
Mollyrae

[DaveG77]

I have a baclofen/pain pump, it is used primarily to control spasms but we also have something for pain in it. The dumping problem is very rare and I try not to even worry about that. Overall I am very happy with my pump and wish I would have done it sooner in my injury, injured 9/98 and got the pump 11/06. I have never heard of a Pain Psychologist but would certainly consider seeing one if I did. I have had nuropathic and chronic pain since about 2005 due to a syrinx on my spinal cord.

Dave
SCI C5/C6

[Mollyrae]

I'm sorry that you've had such a rollercoaster ride with your meds. I strongly feel that even if the Doctor had listened to you, you would have ended up in the same boat, but that's just my opinion.  Doctors are very smart when it comes to warning signs that a patient isn't complying with the way the prescription is written. They see this on a regular basis. When you didn't respond to the Doctor when he wanted a pill count, it basically sent up the red flag for him and no doubt made his decision at that point.

Pain pumps will not make you feel loopy. They are designed for pain relief but at a very slow rate. Also, Morphine doesn't have the same qualities that Opana and Oxycodone have in them. The euphoria is just not there. You will not get that feeling you did with Opana which I think is a good thing. It makes it less likely to abuse.

Pain pumps also have been known to "Dump" the entire amount into the body leaving you at risk for death. This is rare but it has happened.

I think that you would benefit from a Pain Pscychologist...they help you deal with your pain in a non-narcotic way.

I wish you the best in the future and I'm sure that you'll do what's best for you. Do some research on the pump. Have a real pow-wow with your Doctor about the side effects.

I hope this helped.
My best,
Mollyrae