SCS or Intrathecal Pain Pump?

[rpowell01]

I guess my number has finally come up with the VA. They are now wanting to implant a Spinal Cord Stimulator in my lumbar and cervical spine. I have asked them to rethink this and to implant a Intrathecal Pain Pump (Morphine Pump). Reasons: TENS unit has been worthless for me from the beginning while the pain medications have helped me a lot. If the TENs units don't help me then why would they think the SCS would?. I have a friend who has the Intrathecal Morphine Pump for his low back and he said it works great for him.  I have asked others people and even Dr. Bash. Dr. Bash explained that a SCS is just a TENs unit and there is no difference. He said he had that implanted in my before and it didn't even work for him. I asked my wife Aunt who knows two people who had the morphine pump implanted. In one person it worked great while another one it didn't. There are risks to both of them: SCS the leads can move around and the Pain Pump you can leak out water. One PRO to the Morphine Pump is that the medication is pumped directly into the spine so it will NOT go into the blood system and affect other areas such as the LIVER and the bowels (Constipation). A lot of people think they get constipated from the opiods because of an increase in core temperature. Actually you can constipated because the same nerve receptors opiods effect in the brain is the same with the bowels as the opiods effects the nerve receptors in the bowels. I learned this some time ago so now I use the purple cap medication to help keep water in my bowels (Cannot think of the name of the medication).

I told my PM Neurologist at the VA that if they don't want to decompress my spine in certain areas or don't want to implant the Morphine Pump then there is no need to cut on me and I will just live on the current Morphine and Oxycodone mix they give me now.

 

Your thoughts and input is very much appreciated. I go see my PM Neurologist in the morning to discuss the SCS and the Morphine Pump. Again I am only leaning for the Morphine Pump. I need to get relief and I want off the pain medications and I feel this is the only way to go for now until they decide to decompress or take out some facet joints in my back.

[Chuck75]

At least the VA is giving you "the current Morphine and Oxycodone mix". I'd suspect that they will try to get you to change to non narcotic anything else, regardless of possible problems.

Be vary careful about back/spinal surgery. Historically, the success rate is not as great as you would like.

[pwrslm]

Morphine addiction is nothing to play with.  If there is anything besides this that will work, try it first.  Taking narcotics under a doctors orders is one thing, but not advocating for your own good has no excuse.  Any time you put this drug into your body, it will have its effect.

In RE:  RX List:

Morphine, injected into the epidural space, is rapidly absorbed into the general circulation. Absorption is so rapid that the plasma concentration-time profiles closely resemble those obtained after intravenous or intramuscular administration. ... CSF (Cerebral Spinal Fluid) concentrations of morphine, after epidural doses of 2 to 6 mg in postoperative patients, have been reported to be 50 to 250 times higher than corresponding plasma concentrations.

Edited February 2, 2016 by pwrslm

[Buck52]

You need to do research on this both ways.

I understand the tens unit not helping..and your concern about the morphine pump .

Have you ever heard of the surgically implanted  spinal  stimulator?

As I understand it there are two options 

1. wires are put up into /close to  each side if the the spine to stimulate the nerves (less pain)

2, or they can attach wires to ''paddles'' and place the ''paddles to each side of the spin(stabilizes the wires) as the stimulator is surgically implanted, you have a remote control to deliver the pain ''shock ''  either increase it or decrease it (pain) as needed

they usually insert the wires and you have the stimulator on a belt  before they do surgery  as a test to make sure this will work

Take Note and your Dr should warn you

if you have this done you can no longer have MRI's

jmo

 

................Buck

 

[iceturkee]

they are suppose to give you a trial first before implementing on the spine. the stimulator or pump will sit on the waist (i believe) for i think 2 to 3 weeks. i don't think the trial is any longer than a month. the rationale is if it doesn't help in trial, no use for the surgery.

[Buck52]

There's not much left to do when you have tried everything under the sun...Pain meds, all types of injections, swimming pool therapy,   tens unit, kyphoplasty, physical therapy. the VA Pain Clinic does all these things and that's about it

I would recommend get outside care for your Back pain.