Detox & Pain Pumps
 

My STBX has an intrathecal pain pump permanently implanted...but he is also struggling with orals. Does anyone know if you can 'detox' the oral, while still using the pump?

I think that would depend on what is in the pain pump.
I had a temp pain pump after some surgery a few years ago but it only supplied a local anestic to the surgery area to numb it. I had to take orals if the pain got worse.
If the pain pump is supplying opiates - then I wouldn't think so.

Hope that helps, but it definitely sounds like a question for the Dr. and/or detox center.

I use to have a pain pump with opiates in it. I had a hard time staying off the orals while I had it in. For me the meds in the pump triggered me. They set off the phenomenon of craving. Once that hits I have little control if I use or not. I finally had it taken out. I hope this helps. PM me anytime.

The idea of getting the pump was so that he could control his pain without all the orals. The pump keeps getting turned up and the orals have never gone down. I have stepped away from the situation enough that I could not ask the docs myself, but have encouraged his family to do so. He always appears to be a zillion percent 'trying' to get help, yet there is always something that makes it so he 'can't'. This is the current thing. His family is finally seeing that 'maybe' there is a drug problem (noval idea) but there is nothing he can do about it 'cause of the pump.

The plan was for him to detox before he actually got the pump...but he angrily left after 2 days, but they put the pump in anyways. He had a trial before the detox and the pump didn't help. The detox was suppose to make is so the pump could help more. After his 2 day detox, he had another trial that 'worked'. I felt all along he was not being honest with how much it helped so he'd get the pump without detoxing. His dad even mentioned his concern about his honesty at that time too.

His pump currently has dilaudid (excuse attempt at spelling).

I was not honest either when I was getting mine. We will go to extremes to use. I did not even know I was not being honest.

Remember to take care of YOURSELF. ;)

So how are you doing now? What got you to the point of pulling the pump out and getting detoxed?

What do you do about the original reason you got the pump in the first place?

call a doctor. No one here knows how to address your issue.

Call a local hospital abased addiction treatment program.

Miss Pink, If you read above, someone does understand my issue exactly at the level I'm interested in hearing about...living it!!! Yes, getting medical advice is of course a must do but that is not for "me" to do since I have healed past the need to enable. That step is for my stbx to do, and/or those in his life still in the whirlwind by his addiction. I am posting questions for 'my' need to just know if someone has lived it....and I did find someone who has. So you see "someone here" here does know how to address my issue.