Sorry I'm just now answering your email but I've been on vacation and not checking my emails until now.
Yes, they have to start out at the lowest dose of pain meds in the morphine pump; however, they can give you oral pain medicine for breakthrough pain until you reach the dose that helps your pain. In fact, I took oral pain meds occasionally. We tend to do more when we feel good and thus it causes us to have more pain than the medication set on the pump. Also, the doctor can give you what is called a bolus (sp?) which gives an extra boost of the med in the pump. I don't remember my legs hurting but this could be coming from the lower back where they inserted the lead wire. Ask your doctor what
may be causing the pain. Perhaps the doctor hit a nerve when inserting the lead...I can't imagine what may be the reason for leg pain.
My doctor put a combination of medicines in the pump. It does take a month or so to find the right dosage and combination of medicines to get relief.
If you get drowsy, there is a medication called "Provigil" that helps reduce
sleepiness.
Hope you will get the relief you want soon.
>----- Original Message -----
From: "IAS Admin (Tracy)" <tracy.joslin@adhesions.org>
To: "Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS" <adhesions@mail.obgyn.net>
Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2009 2:04 AM
Subject: Pain is back
>
> From: adhesions@adhesions.org [mailto:adhesions@adhesions.org] On Behalf
> Of
> kelly murray
> Sent: Sunday, July 19, 2009 12:54 AM
> To: adhesions-request@adhesions.org
> Subject: RE: Pain is back
>
> Linda,
> I got my Morphone Pump on June 16th. I have had a lot of adhesion pain
> since. Do they always start out at the lowest dose? I am getting
> frustrated as I can't sleep at night and it's hard to lay down during the
> day.
> I went for a checkup last week and they increased it a little. I don't
> notice any difference. I hate to get small increases as I want it to work.
> I live three hours from the Dr.
> Did your legs hurt when you first got it?
>
> Kelly
>
>> Date: Sat, 11 Jul 2009 15:36:46 -0500
>> From: tracy.joslin@adhesions.org
>> To: adhesions@mail.obgyn.net
>> Subject: Pain is back
>>
>> Sender: "lindahalford" <lindahalford@comcast.net>
>> Subject: Re: Pain is back
>>
>> Hi Dalene,
>>
>> The morphine pump helped me for a few years but I became immune to even
> the
>> highest dose(s) of morphine; however, you may not. My doctor used a
>> combination of meds in the pump. I didn't like having the unit under my
>> skin and after 3 years and being immune to the meds, I had it removed.
>> The
>
>> unit is much smaller now. You may want to research the Medtronic Device
>> (Morphine Pump) for pain. The Neurologist that implanted mine also did
>> the
>
>> pain management. Prior to implanting it (under skin below right
>> beltline),
>
>> one is put in the hospital for as I recall 24 or 48 hours, where one
>> undergoes a trial (unit not implanted) of meds used to see if one is a
>> candidate for the Morphine Pump. Not real clear on the particulars of the
>> trial.
>>
>> If you need to continue to work, the Morphine Pump may be the best
>> alternative. The meds will make you drowsy until you get use to them but
>> then doesn't all pain meds. I wish the pain specialist I had at the time
>> (1996) had informed me about the Morphine Pump so that I could've
>> finished
>
>> out my 5 years with the Federal Government. Living in pain during one's
>> retirement isn't much fun so any way that you can get your pain under
>> control even if for several years is better than no period of relief.
>>
>> Medtronics developed the Morphine Pump after the Pace Maker which has
> saved
>> many peoples lives who had heart irregularities. The Morphine Pump sets
> off
>>
>> alarms when going through security points.
>>
>> Take care and God Bless.
>>
>> Linda, Jax, FL
>>
>> P.S. I don't know where your pain is but if it's the back, pain
> specialists
>>
>> also implant a "Spinal Cord Stimulator." Perhaps your pain specialists
> will
>>
>> be able to inform you on what is best for you. I hope you have a good
>> pain
>
>> specialist. I'm going to one here in Jacksonville who is with the Collier
>> Spine Institute.
>>