lowering my morphine dose again!

suzster · 8. Jul 2009, 04:36

sorry if i'm not my usual (?) chatty self today or for a few days, i lowered my morphine (zomorph) dose by 10mg a day last sunday and i think a few days later my body is reacting, i've got terrible tummy ache and i feel pretty rubbish.
i've been slowly lowering it for a few months, i was taking 40mg twice a day, now i'm down to 10mg in the morning and 20mg at night, this was recomended by my gp because i've been on it for about 2 and a half years now, i'm really noticing the pain more now, but i guess it's good to get off it, erm, i think!!!
so hopefully i'll feel better soon!
sue

angel1 · 8. Jul 2009, 05:09

Sorry you`re suffering Suz, but please don`t stop posting, even for a little while.

I love reading about you and your family....Ange.

suzster · 8. Jul 2009, 05:13

thank you ange, i'm about, reading posts, just wish i could curl up in bed with a hot water bottle, still sarah is singing 'old mcdonald' loudly at the moment whilst nibbling on an apple, so at least she's making me smile!

angel1 · 8. Jul 2009, 05:17

Give her a big hug from me, and you take care....Much love......Ange.

nearlybionic · 8. Jul 2009, 07:36

Hi Suzster
You are doing so well with lowering your dose. I can empathise with the tummy aches etc.. when you drop it down even a bit. I was surprised how much it affected my system when I was coming off mine. Hopefully another couple of days and you will have adjusted to the new dose. Have a quiet few days and enjoy the singing

. Children are great for making you smile . I have found mine a great distraction at times.
NB

debatat · 8. Jul 2009, 09:23

Wanted to wish you well in lowering your dose. Hope you can manage to do it and that the pain isn't too great.

Take care

Deb

page35 · 8. Jul 2009, 11:59

Hi sue
well done for cutting it down as much as you have

sorry your suffering though, hope it starts to easy abit.
my daughter keeps singing "mama mia" at the moment, the only thing is she copies me singing it and i dont know all the words so make it up or add "la la" into bits i dont know, poor child it sounds awfull so now i know what i sound like :shock:
best wishes
page

suzster · 8. Jul 2009, 15:03

well, feeling abit better this evening, my tummy is more settled, for now!!!
as for singing children, my daughter always sings, a bit like me! but supermarkets ate her favourite place to sing, although she seems to sing very random songs, she was singing 'la-coo-ca-ra-cha' (sorry, spelling is probably wrong!) the other day, very loudly on a certain supermarket, well she was actually singing "cha, cha, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!" the more people made comments the more she sang! but i guess it was my fault for singing it around the house alot!
she also makes up songs about various things she likes, she did the 'chip shop song' the 'fruit bar song' and her most recent, 'homer simpson' these songs mainly consist of her singing the words over and over eg. "homer, homer, homer simpson, simpson" or hoooma
simmyson as she says it!

c4thyg · 9. Jul 2009, 05:13

Suz, It's great how kids can make you smile when you feel at your lowest. I'm pretty sure I would have given up years ago if it wasn't for my Meg. Although she tends to shout embarrassing things in the supermarket rather than sing. Her favourite is, 'Awww!! Mammy farted, mammy stinks!!'

It's all to cover up her nappy.

The other thing I wanted to ask is if you have been offered pain patches? If you are finding morphine is a problem and you are suffering without it then pain patches might be an option. I had them for 6 months and they are like wearing a nicotine patch. Everyone thought I was giving up smoking!!. They are called BuTrans and have the morphine derivative, buprenorphine in them. They are a constant low dose release so you don't get any highs from them and they don't have the same addiction problems as the pills. I will warn you though that the first 3 days of wearing mine I was as sick as a dog but after I felt great. I was able to walk normally again and it took a lot of pressure off my back. Your GP is able to prescribe them but GPs don't like them much. My rheumy recommended them and my GP simply said, 'Why didn't I think of that!' The only reason I'm off them now is because I'm about to get Enbrel and we need to see how well it works so for now I have to grin and bare it but I might go back on them in the future.

Good luck and big hugs, Cathy xx

suzster · 9. Jul 2009, 08:33

i'm not sure what to do really, my gp keeps saying that if my RA is better controlled i don't need such strong painkillers, but i find that even with my RA supposedly controlled i still have pain in some of my joints and the morphine is the only thing that keeps the pain a bit more controlled, so i just wonder how many of us do take strong painkillers such as morphine daily and have they been on them long term?
on this lower dose i've found that i do feel more pain, i have oramorph for flares etc, but i'm having to take that more over the last few days so surely that defeats the object of lowering my dose?!!!
can you use the patches long term?

c4thyg · 9. Jul 2009, 08:41

Suz, yes you can use the patches long term. Both my mother and I have them. After the first 3 days I got no side effects and my mother didn't even notice any the first 3 days. They are available in 3 doses. I have the 5ug and 10ug patches (mum is on 20ug) and I use which ever dose I feel is needed. Generally I use the higher dose during a flare. They take 3 days to get into your system and 3 days to wear off.

I've been playing with my pain meds to find the combination that works best for me because I'm popping codeine like sweets which isn't great on the tummy. So far I'm still experimenting. However, my mum has cut her tramadol down from 7 a day to 1-2 a day since wearing the patches and has far fewer side effects.

Patches don't suit every type of pain but I would say it is worth discussing as an option especially if you are having problems coming off the morphine.

woodbon · 9. Jul 2009, 08:48

Hello, I don't know the answer to your question, but I do know my husband worked with a lady who has morphine patches. Oramorph was used where I worked for the elderly who had a lot of pain. I take tramadol, which I find works quite well for me.

I expect their are quite a few people around who use it. After tramadol its the next strong painkiller, according to my GP. She said she didn't want to give it to me yet, and I agree, as I don't need it and its nice to know thier is something in reserve, should the time come. Although I would'nt see the point in suffering needless pain-give me the morphine. Post op I had a morphin pump and my husband said I sat up in bed with me finger on the button and a blissful smile!! :roll:

I don't remeber

Hope you get on well, but don't make yourself suffer too much!

Love Sue

lowering my morphine dose again!

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