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Pain Pump Question

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Posted 9/17/2015 6:45 PM (GMT 0)

I have a big question about my pain pump. I have had it since May. I have gone every 5-6 weeks for it to be refilled. So last month when I went in he filled it. My question is he told me I didn't need to come back till March of next year to have it refilled. Can it really go that long without it filled? I have Dilaudid and I think at a rate of 120mcg. I am pretty worried. The appointment didn't go very well so am I being punished?
TIA
Tracie
Posted 9/18/2015 12:03 PM (GMT 0)
I have no experience with pain pumps. Hopefully, someone that does will post a reply. I just wanted you to know you have been 'heard' and that I am sorry you are having difficulties. Perhaps the device is working well and you haven't been using so much medication that you require such frequent refills?
Posted 9/18/2015 4:19 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Tracie, some drs do let the patients go 6 months in between refills with their pumps. The flow rate of the pump pretty much determines how long a patient can go in between refills. The longer a patient can go in between refills helps lessen the potential of infection with fewer sticks when refilling.

You said the appt didn't go very well, do you want to share what happened? If not thats perfectly fine. Since your pump was put in, in June has the dr got your dosage in the pump where it needs to be? I am assuming you have a Medtronics pump & are you using your PTM for break through pain?

When a pump gets low it will readjust the release of medication on its own & you can have an increase in your pain & possibly some withdrawal symptoms & your alarm may also sound. When I first got a pump I was scared that I would not know if the alarm was going off or not. The sound is not loud at all but you will know its coming from the pump.

My prior pump dr did not believe letting a patient go over 6 weeks in between refills. Her reason was she said the medication lost its potency sitting in that dark little spot. Before her my other pump dr refilled every 90 days. What I suggest to you is to keep a diary of how your pain os the last month before every refill for several months & see how you do. If you notice a constant increase in pain that last month, bring it to the drs attn.

Keep us posted on how you are doing.
Posted 9/18/2015 10:08 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Tracie I have a pain pump I got mine in June of last year, I go in every six months to get mine refilled. I have morphine in my pump, and with using my PTM, I am able to give myself bolus's of up to ten times in a 24 hour period, but they can't be given any sooner than two hour apart. Anyway every time I use my PTM, it will tell me how long I can go before getting the pump refilled. My PM will not go any longer than six months between refills,, even though my PTM might say I could go much longer! When I go in for a refill he drains out any remaining pain medication, and then refills it with fresh medication. He also down loads all the information about the amount of medication I used during that time and the number of times I used the PTM and the number of times it gave me bolus's and even the number of times it didn't give me bolus's because of me not waiting the full two hours before using the PTM. He also reprograms the pump if need be, infusion rate and amount and all that. Anyway the last time I had it refilled was in May and my next refill is in November. I find it works really well for me, and I wish I had gotten it much sooner. Of course the down side of having the pump, is that it only relieves the pain originating in the area of the spine where the medication is being infused. Having multiple areas of my spine that is bad, it doesn't do anything for those other areas! Luckily the other areas so far have been tolerable, ( at least most of the time)

I wish you well and hope your pump works well for you!

I don't mean to pry, but you have peaked my curiosity!!! If I may ask? What happened at your appointment with your PM, that made you say that it didn't go very well? Share only what your are comfortable with.

White Beard
Posted 9/19/2015 9:02 PM (GMT 0)
Well, the reason that it went bad is, well let me start at beginning. I have been seperated from my husband for 3 years. He tries whatever he can to sabatoge me. We are together but not living with me. He takes me to doctors appointments. He is my emergency contact but that is all. I went to the appointment and I was upset because he had yelled and screamed at me the night beore and so I had zero sleep. The PM doctor spent 3 minutes in the room. Ii was crying. When he left the room my husband said he was going to the restroom. I forgot to say I was inpatient and the nurse took me over there. Anyway then my husband came back in with me. He said that the doctor called him in his office and told him he felt I had Schetziphrenic and I was on a nervous break. he was going to call over to my doctor at the hospital and request a psych consult. The doctor never came back into the room. He did call and the hospitalist came in and said he has looked at all the nurses notes and a psych consult was not warrented and if I thought I needed help then seek it out but was confident that there was no problem.He did NOT have permission to talk to my husband at all. I do have PTSD. I have been truthful with PM with that from the beginning.
Posted 9/21/2015 12:27 AM (GMT 0)
Tracie, so sorry to read what happened at your appt. I would do everything in my power to exclude the husband from any of my drs appts. Call a taxi if you have too. If you continue to count on him to get you places then you now have warning of what he can do at these appts. I don't understand why you didn't insist that he wait out in the waiting area. The dr really cannot be blamed because he probably assumed the two of you were together since you allowed him in the exam room. Even if you had told the dr previously that the two of you are no longer together, the dr can not be expected to remember something like that, especially with the guy sitting right there.

Hopefully in the future you can make other arrangements. Take care.
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