Baclofen Pump...Granuloma's?

Hi Jan!!

And welcome to our CP family. We do have quite a few people who are on pain pumps. Stella, one of our moderators, is not only on a pain pump but is a wealth of knowledge. Also other members have a great deal to share on this topic.

While we're waiting for those others to come back online you might try searching for older posts on the topic. Also you might find helpful links in the Chronic Pain 101 subject at the top of this list. I'll email a couple of people who might have some answers for you.

Warm hugs,
Chutz

Thanks Chutz for the warm welcome.  I used to moderate a large pump group and now co-own one with a dear friend.  Just seems no one has any personal experience with Baclofen and granulomas.  While I don't wish a granuloma on anyone, I would like to hear if any Baclofen pump users have experienced one.  Thanks agin!

As a result of neurodegeneratice disease, I also suffer from chronic spacticity and secondary chronic pain. My first pain doctor, who implanted my pump, put straight baclofen in it and then my pain meds were Rx'ed orally.  For a variety of reasons I ended up changing pain doctors.  My new doctor has much more experience sith pumps and the first he did was suggested I combine baclofen and morphine in my pump.  It works great, Much better than takking oral pain meds.  Some of these pain doctor are just too conservative with trying new combol

Hi Jan,

 

By chance the pump you replaced was it the one on recall for the gear problem? My pump is on that recall but I elected to leave it alone since it was functioning properly. I really did not feel it was necessary at that time. I had already had six surgeries in three years and I needed a break from the surgery scene.

 

I think I got confused here, lol. Are you thinking you had a granuloma with your first pump and the dr never confirmed it or what? What test did he do?

 

I spoke with Medtronic about the recall several times and the one thing that really irked me if a person elected to have the pump taken out and a new one put in, the unit had to be sent to Medtronic. They would have their team take a look at the pump and determine if the it was defective or not. If it was defective Medtronic would contribute $1,000 towards any out of pocket expense a patient may have. I thought to myself I just wonder how many units they found defective too.  

 

I know that it is a real problem getting another dr to take one of us as a patient. I don't know about you but my dr never bothered to tell me that little bit of info before having the pump put in. I found that out in the fall of 08 when he decided to quit pain mgt and go back into anesthesiology. He did get a dr to take 45 of his pump patients and she is totally awesome. She knows the pumps like the back of her hand and has a lot of experience with pumps and compounding the medications for them. All of us really lucked out getting her, because our dr did not know beans about a pump. None of had any quality of life and we were in terrible shape because of his lack of education and knowledge.

 

All I can say is don't give up your quest for a new dr just keep looking. It is so wrong how controlled we are by having these things, it is really unfair. Take care.