Bupivacaine In a Medtronic Pain Pump

Hi Jody sorry I can't be much help for you on that! I personally don't know anybody that uses Bupivacine in their pain pump?? I also have an implanted Medtronics Pain Pump, I got mine put in, in June of 2014 and mine gives a morphine infusion. Because of the pain medication I was having some problems with constipation and my gastroenterologist put me on a daily regime of Miralax and Metamucil (I mix it with orange juice) and it has worked great for me. I have also found just eating 5 or 6 prunes before going to bed works really well for me too! And is a heck of allot cheaper! And they're pretty tasty too!

Anyway sorry your having these problems! Although it seems to be a pretty common problem for allot of people being treated for pain! Anyway has your pump worked well for relieving your pain? (For me it has been a real Godsend!!) Also were you given the PTM (Personal Therapy Monitor) that goes with the Medtronic Pump? Some patients doctors don't give them to their patients....My doctor did, and has mine programed so I can give myself up to 8 preprogrammed bolus doses in a 24 hour period but with a minimum of 1 hour between each bolus dose. That has really been extremely helpfull in managing my pain! Anyway it has worked really well over the years and I am told sometime late next year I will have get my pump replaced because it is getting toward the end of its battery life.

Good luck to you Jody!! I wish you well and I hope this all works out well for you!

White Beard

Hi Jody What kind of sleep problems are you referring to? I have sleep apnea, and have to use a PAP machine with mask at night. There are different types and causes of sleep apnea. The most common is Obstructive Sleep Apnea, which is what most people have. And it is treated with a CPAP or BiPAP machine. Obstructive Sleep Apnea is when, when your sleeping, your muscles in your throat relax and your throat collapse's thus blocking or Obstructing the air going into your lungs and thus not letting you breath! (Think of your throat as being like a fire hose, when water is flowing through it, it is like a ridged pipe , but when you turn the water off the fire hose collapse ) well your throat is kind of like that. When your sleeping and this happens your body or brain senses your not breathing and it's not getting oxygen it sends out panic warnings to your body to wake you up and when you do,... you start breathing normally again and then you go back to sleep and it starts all over again. . This can happen over and over again all night long. You might not even be consciously aware of it because your body only wakes up enough to start you breathing again. But its enough to cause you to be constantly tired and sleepy all the time, and never feel well rested! Allot of people with sleep apnea have night sweats, snoring, even sometimes waking up gasping for air! Anyway the CPAP or BiPAP machine give you a constant higher air preasure thus keeping your throat ""inflated"" thus preventing it from collapsing and thus keeping it open for you can breath properly when you sleep and thus giving you a good nights sleep!

The second type of sleep apnea is when a person is having Central Apneas, which is when the brain quits telling you to breath or signals from the brain telling the lungs to breath is interrupted. This can be caused by a host of different things from Congestive heart failure, to damage to the bain stem or upper spinal cord, to the use of some opioid pain medication. The treatment is more or less the same but usually instead of using the standard CPAP or BiPAP maching the patient is prescribe an ASV Adaptive Servo Ventilator machine but its is used the same way as a regular PAP machine. But since it is a ventilator it will actually make you breath when it senses your having an apnea!

I use the ASV machine connected to oxygen when I sleep at night. I also use a full face mask with my machine. It covers my entire face from above my eye brows down to the middle of my chin! I have tried many many different ones and for me I like the full face mask the best. I use my machine and mask every night all night long and also when I take naps.

As for sleeping .....well I have an adjustable bed with a wireless remote, as I can not lay flat on my back, so I sleep in a semi reclining position. But I still wake up frequently many times a night because of pain and discomfort and use the remote to adjust the head of my bed either up or down a little to change my position. Often if I have intense lower back pain I will use my PTM to give me a bolus to help relieve it.

I guess over the years I have learned what I need to do to at least attempt to get a handle on my pain and get the sleep I need. I will tell you Jody that the PAP (ASV) machine and my pain pump have both been a real Godsend for me! And has improved my life immeasurably for the better!

I hope this information in some way helps you. Good luck to you! I wish you well!

White Beard

White Beard,

I’ve had two sleep study’s in the last year this last one stated I needed a PAP machine I’d stopped breathing 39 times hr. I am still waiting for my machine, I am a mouth breather but she’s giving me a chin strap with a nose mask. I don’t snore ver much however, I do at times wake up chocking on saliva or need a breathe from time to time. I just can’t sleep. And afraid to take anything but Melatonin it’s not working anymore.

I had called My doctors office to let them know I didn’t want the Bupivacaine mixed in my pump, they are now telling me medications been ordered and to put the Bupivacaine & Dilaudid in, & I’ll still have some withdraws.. Tgan the following month than go back on my norm. I had told them again I don’t want it, It’s frustrating not being able to find much about this medication. Doc told me what it’s used for he made it sound good but I’ve had CSections all 3 I itched for 48 hrs. I’m waiting to hear back from the office.

I also sleep on a adjustable bed Therapeutic mattress. I can’t lay flat either or on my side. My lower back hurts.

Thanks again for your help. Have a wonderful evening.