Are there restrictions for activities with Medtronic morphine pain pump

I have had a Medtronic spinal stimulator implanted since 2005. My battery is in my abdomen. I have never had any issues with my fitness club activities which include a dry sauna, wet sauna, hot tub, swimming pool, tanning booth and exercise room equipment. My Medtronic spinal stimulators made it possible for me to work full-time from 2005 to 2009 when I was forced to retire because of progression of many of my diagnoses. By 2016 my chronic pain levels were reaching 7 to 9 every day (on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the most pain) for most of the day and were ruling my life.

Two weeks ago I had a Medtronic morphine pain pump implanted in my hip. Are there any restrictions of the activities I've listed above?

My diagnoses since 2002 include Ankylosing spondylitis (2012), chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease), Back Pain, Compression and/or Wedge Spinal Fractures, Degenerative Disc Disease 2002), Degenerative Lumbar (Low Back) Spondylolisthesis, Depression, Discogenic (Disc-related), Low Back Pain (herniated discs, degenerative disk disease (2002); Failed Back Surgery Syndrome, Chronic pain, Headache pain (forehead, eyes, upper back, neck; tight band, pounding, throbbing, dull), Herniated Disc (2002), Lower Back Pain, Lumbar, Middle back pain, Neck pain, Neuropathic pain (burning, shooting, tingling electric; foot pain and numbness), Nociceptive pain (musculoskeletal pain, aching, deep), Lumbar Radiculopathy: Low Back pain, Lumbar Spinal Stenosis, Opioid induced mood disorder (2016); Peripheral Neuropathic Pain (hands, feet; numb, tingling, pins, needles, electric, burning), Radicular pain (lumbar radiculopathy radiates along a nerve due to inflammation or irritation of the nerve root and extends from the spinal cord to the buttocks and down the legs; muscular weakness leads to deconditioning), Sacroiliac Joint (SI Joint), Sciatica, Spinal Fractures, Spinal Stenosis, Spondylosis , Stress, Tailbone Pain, Upper back pain, Uveitis 1995, 2012.

Medications (from memory) Celebrex, moloxicam, Tylenol, Norco, methadone, MS Contin, Oxycontin, Percocet, tramadol, baclofen, cyclobenzaprine, capsaicin cream, diclofenac, lidocaine, Neurontin, Lyrica, Cymbalta;

Invasive medical treatments, Epidural steroid injections, facet injections, radiofrequency ablation, spinal cord stimulators (2005, 2009, 2015, and 2017 and 11 back surgeries since 2002, 5 since 2010.

Thank you for listening. I will be glad to answer any questions or ideas you may have.

Thanks Susie for your timely response. I have PIM. My neurosurgeon only said that I should not bathe for two weeks. He's aware that I have used this fitness club for five years or more and in fact encouraged me to do it. I didn't ask about restrictions on the day of surgery because I hadn't ever had any issues with my Medtronic stimulator at the fitness club. I just always turned it off while at the club. Often I find that the manufactures literature is much more conservative for legal reasons and that many times users report fewer restrictions.

Finally did you experience musculoskeletal pain or disorders before your morphine pump was implanted. 50% of my pain is probably musculoskeletal pain and I'm wondered whether the morphine pain pump hels with that type of pain. My worst pain in sciatica nerve and/or joint pain in my right foot. I have though t since 2002 that my sciatic joint is inflamed and is causing much of my pain.

Thanks once again for your reply.

Susie,

Thank you so much for the information you provided. I'll ask my PMP next week about restrictions. I will miss using my dry sauna, wet sauna, hot and hot tub at my fitness club 2x week.

What about tanning booths? The one at my fitness is a walk in like a shower and it has bulbs all the way around. I don't get hot when I'm in the tanning booth.

Thank you.

Susie,

I will ask my PMP all these questions next Tuesday.

It may be all in my head but if I use the tanning booth at my fitness club once a month for 10 to 12 minutes I feel better . . . less inflammation and less pain for several days; however since I would go to the fitness club on Friday morning I had less inflammation and pain for the weekend which I appreciated. My PMP says that although my pain pump has been implanted for one month I'm going to feel worse before I feel better. He says it ed. If the pain pump is pumping morphine into my spinal column I don't understand why I'm still feeling 7 to 9 pain most days.

Susie,

Larry, did the PM dr not explain his protocol on ramping up your pump once it was implanted?
>>He did not, neither did my neurosurgeon, neither did my Medtronic consultant

When pumps are implanted the drs always start with a very low dose in the pump. Increasing the pump is usually done every 2-3 weeks until they can get you where you need to be.

>>My PMP started with a low dose, increased it 10% after 2 weeks, 10% after 4 weeks; they programmed my PTM after 2 weeks allowing me to burst every 6 hours; today after 5 weeks he boosted the burst 10%. He and my Medtronic consultant again told me 2 things today -- don't come back for 1 month; and you're going to feel worse before you feel better and it may take 5 more months for you to realize whatever the final benefit is.

I am not on the same page with feeling worse before it gets better.

I'm not either.

Thanks, Susie, for your posts to Larry. I've learned a lot more than I ever thought I could by visiting this website. I came forward from 2011 where I first found the information & finally found a "jump" to 2017 (closer to today) I will be getting the medtronics pain pump implanted in Oct & am trying to learn all I can about it. I am my own advocate & wouldn't have gotten here without being so.

You are very, very helpful & I thank you!

howdy everyone, thought i would chime in and share something with my pump. along with the wallet size card, i would carry in my wallet, the print out from each appt. weather it was a med refill (pump) or an adjustment. the print out contained everything about your pump. type/model numbers and doses.etc. everything a doctor or first responder (emt) would need to know should you be in a position where you unable to inform them.
so that this might be interesting to pass on. welcome susan122 to the forum and best of luck to you with your pump.

Hi Bonbon, sorry to read you are having issues with BT pain. Your PTM is for BT pain. I don't know how many the dr allows you to have in 24 hours, have you asked him for additional ones? Drs will not give oral medication in addition to the PTM.

Take care.

I have had two pain pumps since 2013. Heres what I know. My Dr. said no hot tubs unless you can regulate the the temperature yourself to a low setting like 103 or below. The first day I had my pump I had a beginners foul by forgetting that I had placed my heating pad which was on low on my stomach and fell asleep. A bell soon woke me up that was going off in my abdomen, I woke up but had to strongly fight the deep desire to go back asleep. My husband I panicked. We immediately called the Medtronic rep after slinging my heating pad to the floor. He said I could either sleep it off for about thirty minutes or fight the urge. I fought the urge because I was terrified so don't mess with your heating pad slipping to your abdomen. Also I have been able to use my ptm as soon as the pump was in and I'm given breakthrough meds. I guess it all depends on how much the office of where you get you pump filled has been leaned on by new guidelines regarding opioids. I have managed to move my catheter twice and have had two catheter revisions. What caused them was anybody's guess but it happens. The first four years of having the pump were good but then the catheter moved so they decided to just go ahead and replace the pump as well. If you have numbing and burning anywhere on your torso or down your legs, more then likely your catheter has moved. I hope all of this info. helps.

Post Edited (WoreSlick) : 11/17/2019 3:31:00 PM (GMT-7)