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Posted by John V on November 21, 2000 at 18:31:52:
The following is just my opinion as a patient, not a doctor, who has had an implanted morphine pump for a little better than one year.
I had been on 60 mgs of methadone a day before I went for the pump. At that time the idea was to try to treat my symptoms (pain) instead of trying to treat the causes, which would mean at least two more opeations and maybe as many as five. I had already had three lumbar fusions and one cervical fusion and two laminectomies. The diagnosis was DDD. I also was covered under worker's comp insurance, so I didn't have to worry about the cost. (That last sentence is very important!).
I had the pump put in last November of '98. I was started on a daily dose of 2.5 mgs of morphine a day, intratecally. By about 6 months later, I was up to a daily dose of 30 mgs. I maybe got some pain relief, but nothing like what I had gotten when I was on the methadone. After I had gotten up to this dose, the doctor said that was as high as he would go on the morphine. Was it enough? No. Could he have gone higher to make it work? I don't know. This particular doctor said he wouldn't go any higher. So we put regular saline into the pump and I wnt back on oral methadone at 60 mgs a day. The pain relief was almost instant.
Now, I am going to have the pump removed and at the same time, have another fusion done.
If you are considering the pump, please try to find out what the doctor's limitations are on the dosing on medicines and how high he will go.
The cost to put the pump in me, including the pump itself, was about $30,000.00. Everytime I got a refill, which was about every 50-60 days, the cost was about 400-500 dollars. I don't know what it is going to cost to remove it.
The monthly bill for my methadone is about 20 bucks. Heck of a difference, huh?
I hope this will hep somebody. If anyone has any questions, feel free to write me at deepsea@2khiway.net.
Remember, this was only MY experience. I am sure somebody somewhere must be happy with a morphine pump. I just haven't met him or her yet.
John V

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: The following is just my opinion as a patient, not a doctor, who has had an implanted morphine pump for a little better than one year. : I had been on 60 mgs of methadone a day before I went for the pump. At that time the idea was to try to treat my symptoms (pain) instead of trying to treat the causes, which would mean at least two more opeations and maybe as many as five. I had already had three lumbar fusions and one cervical fusion and two laminectomies. The diagnosis was DDD. I also was covered under worker's comp insurance, so I didn't have to worry about the cost. (That last sentence is very important!). : I had the pump put in last November of '98. I was started on a daily dose of 2.5 mgs of morphine a day, intratecally. By about 6 months later, I was up to a daily dose of 30 mgs. I maybe got some pain relief, but nothing like what I had gotten when I was on the methadone. After I had gotten up to this dose, the doctor said that was as high as he would go on the morphine. Was it enough? No. Could he have gone higher to make it work? I don't know. This particular doctor said he wouldn't go any higher. So we put regular saline into the pump and I wnt back on oral methadone at 60 mgs a day. The pain relief was almost instant. : Now, I am going to have the pump removed and at the same time, have another fusion done. : If you are considering the pump, please try to find out what the doctor's limitations are on the dosing on medicines and how high he will go. : The cost to put the pump in me, including the pump itself, was about $30,000.00. Everytime I got a refill, which was about every 50-60 days, the cost was about 400-500 dollars. I don't know what it is going to cost to remove it. : The monthly bill for my methadone is about 20 bucks. Heck of a difference, huh? : I hope this will hep somebody. If anyone has any questions, feel free to write me at deepsea@2khiway.net. : Remember, this was only MY experience. I am sure somebody somewhere must be happy with a morphine pump. I just haven't met him or her yet. : John V
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