Questions about pain pump vs Spinal Cord Stimulation device

[fstellab]

Hi Folks,
I have a morphine pain pump that has failed 7 times this year. Sending me into horrible withdrawal. A Medtronic’s tech working with a radiologist declared that the pump has failed and should be replaced. I have gone to three surgeons to get this done, each one was reluctant to replace the pump, and they said I should get a Spinal Cord Stimulation device. OK, I get the message, but none of them will help me move off the pump. Meanwhile I suffer bad back pain, it is relentless and effects my whole life, after 10 years of Intrathecal morphine no oral or inject-able opiate drug has any effect and more then one Doctor has suggested that the morphine is causing me more pain then its relieving. So I have a level 6 pain and a feeling that I will never get relief. I have have nerve blocks, epidurals and other treatments that offered relief for a period of time.

I need some really good advice and a plan for dealing with this, I fully understand that I will need a fair amount of downtime and I will have some uncomfortable days. No doctor in my area has given me a plan.

I am a 62 year old male living in the Jacksonville,FL area. My Neurologist is filling the pump for me but he does very little else. He has “dropped the ball” on my care many times, but I cannot find anyone else in my area who will take me on. I also suffer from mixed sleep apnea, chronic fatigue, carpal tunnel syndrome, Peripheral neuropathy , Diabetes and depression. This mix of problems has had some cognitive effects, I still have all my faculties, but it is harder for me to focus and my short term memory could be better.

I need advice on the following:

1. Is it true, that after 10 years, that the morphine pump is causing more pain ? My pump is currently set for 9mg continuous over 24 hr period. I would be willing to go through the suffering if eventually I would be better off.

2. Or, would I be better off getting a new pump, and keep increasing the dosage ? A company call Flowonix has a new pump called the Prometra. This company has offered to assist me with a new pump.

3. Does acupuncture work ? I have not tried that yet.

I realize that no advice here can be considered Medical advice. I have plenty of that, I am looking to hear from folks who have been through it.

Any thoughts, advice, Doctor suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I will move from Jacksonville, FL to get help this.

[Jamarisa]

My husband had the electronic stimulator first.  It broke twice in a month so we opted for the Medtronic pain pump.  More and more it's having recalls, failures and complications.  Pump failure, catheter failure, and pump stall in 14 months. Fewer doctors will take patients that have them.  The expense and side effects are mounting.  Dry mouth rotted his teeth.  Low testosterone so we do injections.  But that raises his estrogen and hemotocrit so he has to take an estrogen inhibitor and donate blood every 6 weeks.  Recently we heard longterm morphine is linked to kidney cancer which may explain the 2 cm growth he's having examined by CT next week.  We have found a regenerative therapy doctor who works with a spine practice.  He is helping us with stem cell and plasma injections for pain and damage to his nerves, discs and back muscles.  This spine practice specializes in failed back surgeries with patients from all over the world getting relief (my husband has had 12 surgeries and 4 fusions)  Their regenerative doctor is confident he can relieve my husband's pain to get him completely off all opiates permanently.  I suggest that route for you also