IT Morphine pump and pool anyone?

u12armresl

u12armresl

One Pocket back cutter
Silver Member
Looking for any players who have had or know someone who has had an intrathecal morphine pump implanted.

Does it affect your bending over the table, does the medicine cloud or fog you while you play, etc.

Since it goes in the front as opposed to the back like a SCS I figure it will come into play at some point and I wonder if it helps or prohibits pool for any length of time or at all.
 
My wife has one but she does not play pool. However, she occassionally bumps it and it is extremely uncomfortable. There are shots that you would be uncomfortable shooting however I think that with some adjustments you could still play. As far as clouding the mind it is the exact opposite as the pump requires 1/100th the amount of morphine to control the pain as is required when taking pain medicine orally. Hope that his helps.
 
That does help Gary, thanks.

I'm really surprised there aren't more players with them as pool = back problems and pump supposedly = much less back problems.
 
Yes a very good friend of mine has had one for some time. It doesn't physically effect his play as far as getting over the table for most shots but then again he doesn't stretch very far because of his back [the reason he has the pump]. As far as the drug itself I'm sure your aware of its strength even in small dosages and yes it has effected his game. No gettin around it. But he still plays and I hope you do to.:angel2:
 
Thanks Pulzcul for the reply.

My back has gotten so much worse in the past 2 years but mostly in the past year. Meds do ok, but there is really only a certain amount you can take, I mean we aren't Rush Limbaugh here lol.

If I get 50% relief with the pump trial, then I think it's a success, the horror stories of clogged pump, over medication, problems for obese people, etc have me a bit worried.

Would be great to be able to get back to playing a bit of pool and being able to enjoy it. The SCS was implanted in the back so it didn't affect shots, but the pump is supposed to go up front, belt height, which would provide a problem for every normal "bellyhook" shot.
 
im scared to use the pump, so i lay in bed for days some times the past 2 months, i was on the improve for 18-12 months straight, life lke this sucks as does my game.
 
u12armresl said:
That does help Gary, thanks.

I'm really surprised there aren't more players with them as pool = back problems and pump supposedly = much less back problems.[/QUOTE

There is plenty of us, but hardly any of us are on pumps. I'll never go back to Morphine though. Wished I could help.
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u12armresl said:
...does the medicine cloud or fog you while you play, etc.
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Don't know about the actual pump being a problem while playing, but i can assure you that there are plenty, as in PLEN-TY of high level players who take painkillers in pill form (Percocets, Oxycontins, Vicodins, and MS-Contin aka morphine) like popcorn so that they can play jam up, despite having no back problems whatsoever.:rolleyes:
 
SUPERSTAR said:
Don't know about the actual pump being a problem while playing, but i can assure you that there are plenty, as in PLEN-TY of high level players who take painkillers in pill form (Percocets, Oxycontins, Vicodins, and MS-Contin aka morphine) like popcorn so that they can play jam up, despite having no back problems whatsoever.:rolleyes:
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Really? Thats surprising, I take Vicodin for my back pain but I avoid taking it during competitions and during league because it effects my thinking and and makes it harder to focus. But I also have to take 1500 mg at a time. Weird thing is if it was up to my Doctor I would be taking that dosage 3 times a day every day ( he give me a script for 90 pills expected to last 1 month). My script last me 6 months at least! No wonder people like Rush and Bret Farve got hooked on these types of pills.
 
GaryB said:
My wife has one but she does not play pool. However, she occassionally bumps it and it is extremely uncomfortable. There are shots that you would be uncomfortable shooting however I think that with some adjustments you could still play. As far as clouding the mind it is the exact opposite as the pump requires 1/100th the amount of morphine to control the pain as is required when taking pain medicine orally. Hope that his helps.
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its true that the bioaviliabity of oral Morphine is low in your G.I. tract(you piss it out IIRC-Ican look it up later) the amount of Morphine to reducd thepain is the same as oral but because its mainlined it dosent get sbsorbed by your liver etc so much smaller doses are needed, but the amount of the opiate getting to the problem is the same.
 
Cdryden said:
Really? Thats surprising, I take Vicodin for my back pain but I avoid taking it during competitions and during league because it effects my thinking and and makes it harder to focus. But I also have to take 1500 mg at a time. Weird thing is if it was up to my Doctor I would be taking that dosage 3 times a day every day ( he give me a script for 90 pills expected to last 1 month). My script last me 6 months at least! No wonder people like Rush and Bret Farve got hooked on these types of pills.
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Well, you have a legitimate issue, and the medicine is for a purpose.

Are you talking about 1500mg of Hydrocodone, or 1500mg of acetaminophen because the ratio is 5/500mg in each pill, with the 5mg being of the hydrocodone.

You take 3 pills?

Anyway, yes i am serious.
They take it to get slightly high, and play better like that, because they are in that euphoria/pain free state.
Like i said....PLEN-TY!
 
P.S. the only opiate I could ever take that didnt make me playworse is hydrocodone everything else did have a negitative impact on my game, the worst drug is flexeril-I lose my speed control if I take that chit,
 
Fatboy said:
its true that the bioaviliabity of oral Morphine is low in your G.I. tract(you piss it out IIRC-Ican look it up later) the amount of Morphine to reducd thepain is the same as oral but because its mainlined it dosent get sbsorbed by your liver etc so much smaller doses are needed, but the amount of the opiate getting to the problem is the same.
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The above is true. But I'd like to know the quack thats ordering Morphine for back pain in a pump. Very easy to get hooked on it and you will need more and more of it for the same pain. Today doctors that know what their doing order cocktails, a mixture of 2,3,4, or 5 drugs for pumps. Pain meds just masks the pain, but the damage is still there. You feel better, do things you shouldn't do with the damaged back= more damage to the damaged area. Johnnyt
 
A friend of mine has an implant that sends electrical charges into his back. He controls the amount of electricity with a remote control.

I'm on 80mg of Oxy a day for an aneurysm I had in 2001.
One thing to consider is whether there will be a time when you have to
remove yourself from the morphine. Withdrawls are a *****. Beleive me, you'll rather be dead before you have to go thru body aches and bone cramps.

Unfortunately I have to take my regular doses whether I need them or not to keep from going into withdrawls, which will happen 3 to 4 hrs after not taking my dose.

Just something to consider if there is another option for you.

I had a back op 12 years ago and with myself getting older, find that my back pain is something that is a daily occurence so I know what you're going thru. The Oxy that I take does absolutely zero for my back pain.
 
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Fatboy said:
its true that the bioaviliabity of oral Morphine is low in your G.I. tract(you piss it out IIRC-Ican look it up later) the amount of Morphine to reducd thepain is the same as oral but because its mainlined it dosent get sbsorbed by your liver etc so much smaller doses are needed, but the amount of the opiate getting to the problem is the same.
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It's called the first pass effect of the liver, but the oral drugs are much cheaper.
 
It's a tough road, and there is really no straight answer.

Comes down to quality of life, if you can no longer enjoy doing things you derived enjoyment from even a short time ago, then a change needs to be made.

I stepped away from pool for awhile voluntarily, It's sad to see that it's possible to have to step away because of health.
 
SUPERSTAR said:
Well, you have a legitimate issue, and the medicine is for a purpose.

Are you talking about 1500mg of Hydrocodone, or 1500mg of acetaminophen because the ratio is 5/500mg in each pill, with the 5mg being of the hydrocodone.

You take 3 pills?

Anyway, yes i am serious.
They take it to get slightly high, and play better like that, because they are in that euphoria/pain free state.
Like i said....PLEN-TY!
Click to expand...

Actually after looking at the bottle I noticed I mis-spoke. Mine is 750 mg paracetamol and 7.5 mg hydrocodone. I take two at a time and the third within a hour if needed. My doctor wants to bump me up to something a little stronger but I think I will either keep it where its at or quit taking it all together.
I find I play better without it although I am i more pain when I dont take it.
 
Fatboy said:
P.S. the only opiate I could ever take that didnt make me playworse is hydrocodone everything else did have a negitative impact on my game, the worst drug is flexeril-I lose my speed control if I take that chit,
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and you can't get it up on Flexeril either. Johnnyt
 
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