Weaning Off Dilaudid Pain Pump
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how long does it take to be weaned off a medtronic pain pump with the med. dilaudid the pain management wants my daughter to come off it in one month is that to fast and will there be alot of side effects and withdrawal please help i'm really scared for her and they are suppose to start reducing tomorrow

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Re: Beetlescott (# 11)

Hello, I would love to ask you a few questions. I know that it's been years since you posted here but my I am going through the same exact thing as you were. Please respond here if you can.

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Re: Patsy (# 37)

Amen Patsy. My Pm doc got mad that another hospital asked him to drain and flush mine. He gave me no thing although Cleveland clinic was to hospitalize me to do it as I have major depression. It's going into 6 month horrible

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I got mine out last February after they overdosed me while doing a refill. Never never again, these pumps are bad news. I almost died and after having it taken out I went to a very dark place. I’m lucky I didn’t commit suicide because I was so close.

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Re: Peanut (# 15)

I've had one for 15 years. I had another back surgery. It left me in a mess. I can't get any relief. I am having 5% of the meds cut off about every 26 days. I can't tell any difference. If things still work out I'm going to have it cut off. I know several that have done this. Although it's no good after being cut off, you don't have to have it removed unless you want to.

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Re: LINDA (# 10)

I have had the dilaudid pump since January of this year. I'm wanting to take it out and my PM Dr is reluctant. They say I have to have decrease beforehand, but my pump has been out for a week and a half with my alarm going. I'm going through withdrawals like hell. They want to refill and go from there. What is your suggestion on this?

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Re: Beetlescott (# 11)

I have had 4 dilaudid pain pumps. The last one had to be removed because it got infected and my Doctors didn't believe me either. I ended up in ICU for a month with Bacterial Spinal Meningitis!! I barely survived it. I hate to tell you this....but the Doctors are WELL AWARE of the MANY problems with these pumps! However, they receive royalties from the pump manufacturers in addition to $1,500 every time they refill one....so of course they try to make you believe it's all in your head. These pumps have been subject to thirty three Class One recalls by the FDA. My advice to you would be to go to the FDA website....search "Pain pump recall"....you will not like what you see. Take note that medical device manufacturers are only required to notify DOCTORS of any recall...not the patients. If I were you....i would print out what you find and show it to your Doctor. The symptoms you are describing is the pump UNDERDOSING you...which happens to be the basis of a couple of the recalls. They were also RECALLED for overdosing patients, premature battery failure, catheters moving and breaking, etc. Etc. Please...for your own safety look at the FDA site. You can search recalls and adverse events reported by the manufacturer's name. If you have any questions I would be happy to give you more info about my experience.

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Re: Debbie (# 7)

Same here. Been weaning from about 3.81. I think with baclofen I am under 1.51 but oh any help? My legs are cramping, arm bones ache, headache, stomachache any suggestions. I'm getting my pump out for fusion.

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Re: Patsy (# 29)

Good for you Patty. Yeah, my Dr is pissed because Cleveland clinic said it has to come out for fusion (pain doc not with cc) - He's being rude, mean & nasty. I feel bad. I think I'm down 70% but he fights giving me a printout.

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Hi. I need help to make my doc realize the drug combo in pump (5) meds [dilaudid, fentanyl, bupivacal, baclofen and clonidine] are no longer helping me, it's hurting me. I have fluid retention in both legs, not sure what from. I think it's fentanyl since this just happened when I was switched to a home health care provider to do our refilling. The other thing is, my kidneys are damaged and I'm not sure what caused it. And my other meds interacted with the pump meds, so the more I push the more f*** ups are done to my other half. He did check my husband's catheter to see if his Ace inhibitor was not broke, ect. Well his had been broken for awhile with a 1 1/2 piece catheter in his spinal canal. They can't remove it safely. So that said, I want my pump meds reduced and the pump turned off. Would going down 1.5 mg a week help? I am at 5.4mg per day of dilaudid and want to go to 4.5 mg and so on until they can just turn it off for me. I have till like November to get it done cause when my lease up and without housing in Chicago I don't wanna be with it and have no housing. I know Chicago sucks. Does anyone have advice on how to get him to reduce me & hubby without killing us? All ears. Scared here.

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I am also being weaned from backlogs and dilaudid with Medtronic pump. Went down 27% then this week 17% pumps coming out for spinal fusion surgery. I live alone. It's just the confusion and new pain. Anything help besides got Epsom salts baths. Meditation and my ativan? HELP

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Sounds like dr is a professional mine isn't either no kindnesses or sympathy from them had painpump removed feb 2 2017 2 weeks ago had dilated in so much pain now I went to a very dark place after surgery I wanted to die I'm a little better on norco but not helping I'm changing dr as soon as possible

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I am in San Diego CA. My pain management doctor is Dr. Kevin Smith, also surgery anesthesiology

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What pain management doctor do you use? I am looking for some insight

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She should find a new doctor. I don't know of any doctor who is competent that would choose to remove her pump due to money. There are other solutions. This doesn't sound right to me. See if another doctor can take over. Ad far as the teeth and hair, that is due to something else because no medication goes into the bloodstream at all on the pump delivery drug. There is no way it will effect the teeth and hair. Is she taking something else? Only oral meds or IV meds going in the bloodstream can cause these problems.

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If the dr is doing it, they know how much to reduce in order to get your daughter off the meds. He can also prescribe other meds that can lessen the effects

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I am my mom's caregiver. She has dimentia. She also has had high level of dilaudid (via Medtronic pump) for 11 years due to pain from failed back surgery. We've decided to try minimizing the amount she gets to see how she tolerates the pain or even if there is any difference. I think they must have turned down the concentration amount too much on her last visit because she for the next week she was extremely irritable. During this lowering of dilaudid time, she hasn't appeared to be in any less or more back pain. My question is once she gets to no more Medicine in her pump, should it be left in with saline or nothing at all? I don't really want her to go through the surgery to remove it because she is 87 years old.
Thanks

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My pump alarm has gone off sooner then it should have. The doctor I have now wants to take out my pump since I have had so many problems with it and put in a simulator. I'll finally be off all the drugs. But my concern is the withdrawal's I'll have once the pump is removed. Does anyone know what they will do for the withdrawals and how long they last? The doctor said i could go back to work in a week. I am afraid of the withdrawal's.

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Why do they want her off? She will have to take enough medication to compensate for the pain that she has the pump for. It may be more than she wants to take.

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I've had my pain pump in for 15 years now three different pumps had to be changed every 5 years recently I noticed some severe numbness around the whole left side of me and they found a granulomas the spinal cord caused by the dilaudid drip so they shut my pump down 50% 2 days later the other 50% I'm going on day 8th of detox at home and its he'll, they say it can take anywhere from a week to the three weeks to get this out of your system my understanding is it primarily the central nervous system and it messes your balls up terrible I don't know what your daughter situation is but if they want to decrease her then you insist it be minimally even if it takes five or six different times but minimal you don't want her going through this best of luck to you

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I'm 47 years old I've had a Medtronic pump for 11 years and my doctor just lowerd it to the lowest done it can give to take it out scared to death I woke up this morning and it felt like I slep walked and got hit by a tractor trailer is that what it feels like please help me let me know what to do. Thanks tom

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