Pain Pump Error Message Can anyone suggest what to do ?

Hi All, sorry i haven’t posted in awhile, but I’ve been lurking and reading the posts here especially anything regarding pain pumps. I don’t offer my own experiences because the mods here are so well informed and the others that reply to folk’s questions who are considering getting one have had theirs a lot longer than me (july 16th this year) are much more informed than me. BTW, I love having my pump now that the initial surgical pain has healed, the WD is over, it has changed my life. I had it implanted in my butt and I love the placement there, it doesn't bother my waist line and I don't sit on it;. Yes the meds and the injections when I first started getting real help changed me but now that i have this implant it’s amazing I never have pain in the mornings while waiting for a pill to kick in, etc., but humid weather and rain bother my arthritis. But here's why I'm posting tonight:

It’s Friday night and my dr’s office is closed til monday and I’m having an issue i hoped someone could help me make a decision. I had an increase in my dosage today (5.0 mg/mL to 10 mgs/mL morphine and my dosage is 1.5954 mg ). Also, the doctor moved me up from 2 Bolus a day to 3. When I got home I thought i gave myself a Bolus but I’m so used to it now that I didn’t pay any attention and was in a hurry; This evening I went to do it again I noticed it did not go through, I’m getting an X instead of a checkmark on the PTM. I’ve gone through my manuals and on Medtronic’s web site and tried a few things with the PTM and saw that I am getting Error message 8503. I met 3 Metronics representatives and all of them were very nice and gave me their cards, at my trial, at my surgery and the last one came to the doctor’s office on my first fill up to explain the procedure to me. If you were me would you 1. wait til Monday and take oral 15 IR mg of morphine (I still have quite a few left over) in place of a Bolus once or twice a day; or 2; call one of the Medtronic reps and ask what error 8503 mean and what to do about it; or 3. do you have a suggestion for me ?

I would love to know if you know what the error means, closest i was able to find on the internet was that it has something to do with a dosage increase, but why would my PTM no longer want to allow the Bolus?

Thank you Skeye, that is very helpful and I guess i just wanted to make sure it was the right thing to do. The Medtronic folks have always been so nice and you're right they would at least advise me what to do or meet me at the dr's office on Monday since the regular doctors there rotate between offices and the receptionist is really hopeless. Today I tried to make my 90 day appt, as my next due date is jan 4th and i should come about the week before ~ said her calendar doesn't go that far into 2016 and I wasn't able to get it across to her that i need it the end of December but she insisted she couldn't help me and i should call in November. I've had other issues with messages not getting to the right place, insurance approvals she couldn't find in the computer and now they owe me a bunch of money because I was paying my co pay anyway, and last week I called the beginning of the week to make sure I could get the refill at last Friday's appointment and of course, she didn't check with anyone so it was a wasted appointment as they hadn't ordered the morphine for me and had to go back today (lucky I didn't run out and the dr did turn off the alarm). The more I type this, I'm thinking I will call or email the representative I know one of them will meet me there or one of the other offices. It's probably like you said and just a maladjustment or a software problem. And thanks for suggestion to call Medtronics direct if i can't find any of their business cards, I'm sure they will have a rep contact me.

I love this forum, it's nice to have real people to talk to.

Dianne, so glad that you got an answer to your question without having to wait until Monday. Back when my first pump was implanted & we were in the ramping up phase the dr said it would take 24 hours for the medication to make it through the catheter. Just try to remember any kind of malfunction or issue with the pump itself will set off the alarm.

Your input here is very much needed so I do hope you will post. Your experience with your pump may help someone that has had one recommended. We have more lurkers come to HW to just read posts than probably active members. So, writing about how much better you feel & what you can do again is vital info possibly for the next person. Our forum needs all of the positive thoughts we can get. Not everyone likes to be a part of a forum & I understand that. I have had pumps for so many years I sometimes worry I come across as an advocate for a pump & that is not the case. These pumps are not a cure all, nor is everyone a good candidate for one. They should only be considered as a last resort when everything else has failed.

As for the money the drs office owes you, perhaps you need to write a letter & document the dates you paid the copay they owe the refund on. Worst case scenario, tell the dr directly the problem you are having getting a refund, put it in writing.

Good to hear from you & hope we will see more of you.

Suzie, sorry if i made it sound like the dr is giving me a hard time about overpaying, i just meant that the receptionist is not the brightest bulb and won't listen. They are giving me credit each time I come in now and there is no copay. I think a 3 month refill will cost $80 with my Medicare and I paid nothing yesterday so they are applying it as credits. Also, you are right I should probably post more, but I'm still in the beginning stage and wouldn't want to say something that might be totally wrong. Because i was able to golf and do my water aerobics on orals and injections I was afraid that the catheter would become a hindrance thus I drug my feet a long time before I decided to do it; what helped me most was meeting a live person who's had hers for a couple years now and she said "look, i can do anything i want ... I can dance, i can swim and there's NO pain." That did it for me and the next dr visit (I had already had my phych eval and the approvals from medicare and my primary) and told them i was ready. no lie it's uncomfortable at first, but in a few weeks you adjust. My husband was bragging to a lady on the golf course about it the other day, saying he was married to a whole different person now. So I guess i should at least share the good about this procedure but I know it's a big step and people have to come to their own decision. I have a son who doesn't understand because he's still in his 40's and thinks because a chiropractor and therapy work for him that i must be a drug addict, I went that route, as anyone who has deterioated spines will tell you, it happens over years with the exception of the poor souls here who have had tragic falls and accidents. Finally it becomes do it or suffer. My dr who is very well known in these parts for this procedure told me we were coming to the end of the road, I could no longer keep taking the amounts of morphine and the steroid injections forever. I asked him if it were true if that kind of back surgeriy i would need have a 50% success rate and he said at my age, the odds weren't even that high (I'm 69). It's worked for ME and I am so happy and doing the things i love to do. I still deal with arthritis in the upper part of my body but I have a blood condition and take blood thinners and cannot take Nsaids or aspirin, so i use liniments but that pain is nothing compared to what my pump covers. I don't even have the sciatica pain anymore running down my legs.

See, I really should post more. I see by the length of my replies I have a lot to get off my chest with people who understand.

I currently am having the issue with code 8503 but due to this site i now have the answer. thanks.
I also noticed some people are undecided as to getting the pain pump. I have had chronic back, leg, shoulder and arm pain for 9 years. The last 2 years i was mostly stuck in bed to manage my pain and the days I had to get around I had to take tons of medication to function. Even to sit for more than 10 minutes on the computer I had to take medication like it was candy so my only choice to minimize my intake I had to stay in bed with my 8 pillows.

Now that I have the pain pump I’m able to function better, waking up with less pain than normal and no longer dealing with numerous days of pain then once I finally get the pain under control I would sleep for 36 hrs or more then wake up in severe pain because I haven’t taken any medication. This was my normal cycle that I dealt with.

After the 2nd day of the pump I stopped using my fentanyl patches because I didn’t need them anymore and the doctor was surprised because I guess I was suppose to stay on them until the 1st refill and then start the reduction.

One thing I was not happy about is after the 8th day I took my morning oral medication and figured I wouldn’t take anymore and see if I could handle it since the pain was nowhere close to what it normally was. I left to an appointment at Bay Pines leaving my meds home (I REALLY HATE THE VA) on my way back I started having this horrible pain that I never felt before throughout my body. I can’t even describe it but I had to rush home to get my medication. I talked to my doctor and asked him if it was a sign of addiction and he said it could be.

I never knew the medication affected me that much but the pain was so bad. Just the normal pain I use to have before the pump had me thinking about suicide all the time but I was afraid to tell the VA because all they want to do is lock you up without dealing with the issue.

Once I was getting close to medical retirement from the Military I tried to transfer my pain management over to the VA and it was a nightmare. I was basically told to think happy thoughts and it would make a difference so I continued with my awesome pain management dr. The only reason why I left her office and went to another was she did not do pump implants.

I’m currently trying to get the VA to pay for this new drug called prialt. It’s a non narcotic but they declined me even though they claim to be going the “non narcotic” way but it was expected since they declined everything my doctors recommend from bed, desk and chair just so I can function at some capacity. My neighbors and friends were the ones bringing food over, cleaning my house and doing the grocery shopping. If it wasn’t for them I’m not sure where things would be at and the VA was aware of this and didn’t do anything. My regular Army unit would not even allow me to come into work for the last 2 years because they were afraid of me killing someone from all the medications I was on.
Sorry to rant and add additional things but im sure there are VETS in the same boat.



I removed your drs name, as the administrator prefers that we not advocate for particular drs.. Thanks.

Post Edited By Moderator (straydog) : 7/27/2018 8:09:58 AM (GMT-6)

Things have settled down and its really nice to have part of my life back where pain doesnt always dictate my daily activities.

I did fine when i stopped the patch it was when i stopped my oral medication hydrocodone is when i had the problem.

I have had it for 16 days now and yes im useing the PTM for break through pain but for some reason my dr also wants me to use my oral also and start reducing it over time.

I appreciate the information on prialt and i will do further research.