Are the meds good enough to reduce significantly the pain?
End of life care: Are the meds good... - Advanced Prostate...
End of life care
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p1411887
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Went through this with my father. We found that they eliminated his pain
end of life care is usually called hospice. In hospice , their main job is to make sure you are comfortable. Physically and mentally as much as possible. They are very good at it.
If you are lucky to live in a country where hospic is available 😣
They are more interested in the religious expectations over here, about pain relief, 'bung em full of pain killers!' you know who will save his/her soul!🥴😙🙄
Yes, we can only dream about the right to end your life by euthanasia. And than all this talk, how there is no need for it, as pain can be under control. We have huge problems with staff in healthcare - 150.000 people (in a 2 million nation) do not even have a GP, since there are none. We have no hospic, to few doctors and nurses… So all this talks about how pain can be manged…. Are just talks…
You are obviously talking about the present shortcomings of the NHS and the general lack of staff in healthcare, meaning the general public are not receiving the appropriate pain killers they are due! I myself have HPT high pain threshold, whereby pain killers are not recognised by my brain, which is very dangerous as signals from my body do not receive the appropriate recognition via my brain. I have to be VERY careful as a 'chest pain', I think normally could be just 'wind', COULD in theory be something like a heart attack? [I slashed my hand, accident, , in 2017, the A&E doctor, grimaced whilst she stitched up my hand, no pain killers!] ps have been searching UK euthanasia etiquette for years!
I think everyone who is terminally ill with no treatment options left should have the right to be euthanized in the most comfortable way possible. We afford this luxury to our cats and dogs, why can't humans have it? We're all suppossed to go through this "natural death" process. For what? If you have the money, you can travel to Switzerland and get it done there. Takes something like 5-10 minutes by IV infusion. You just go to sleep. Someone I know witnessed it and there was absolutely no pain, convulsions or anything like that.
Yes, in my experience they can completely block all pain.
Yes, pain can be completely managed. Routes may have to change, but many options available.
My wife had a morphine pump at the end & that is what shut her body down we think, but the death certificate said bronchitis. She had what they call the death rattles caused by lungs full of fluid.
Terrible business & I hope I can have the option before that stage.
When my time comes , That is my hope! When I need it , load me up , no skimping on the good stuff!
ARIES29 in reply to
Agreed!!!
Dastardly in reply to
Yeah, sitting with a good bottle of red watching the sun come up listening to Stairway to Heaven. Then, when Jimmy Page plays that solo, hitting that pump like hell.
^^^ Not a bad idea ^^^ but I still prefer Sol's (Soylant Green) way out should be available FREE to ALL
Love the comment and I fully agree.
Rocketman1960 in reply to
Yup, if you are in pain, you aren't taking enough.
anonymoose2 in reply to
Adding a couple shots of single malt scotch will be my request and watching some Rodney Dangerfield for that last chuckle. 👍
IMO, the ultimate Grand Finale by Jimmy D
google.com/search?q=kick+th...
😂🤣 Yes, will need to request that I have a can at the foot of my bed. 🤪🥳
in reply to anonymoose2
Rodney and scotch ! That is one way ! 😂👏👏👏🕺
we started with opioids and they mostly just made him nauseous and puke. Then he went to methadone and worked up doseage with liquid morphine for break through pain. All great on pain front now. We live in California so got the “cocktail” prescribed using the “End of life option act” to give him peace of mind in case pain becomes intolerable. But so far methadone does the trick. There’s so many options nowadays. Just keep trying until you find out rights for you. And if you are done with any treatment options, you may as well sign up for hospice. Ignore the negative connotation and take advantage of the great services they offer. Angels to help you and your caretakers!
I can’t agree more. If you are no longer seeking treatment, hospices services are better sooner rather than later for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately my guy was transfusion dependent and did not get on hospice until two days before his passing. His choice, but it nearly forced him into a hospital death as we were left with little options because he could not swallow pills and we were dealing with a holiday weekend. Fortunately, all worked out but we cut it way too close. With my father, he skipped treatments all together and lived over a year on hospice services. The supportive care services received by both patient and caregivers with hospice services is of great value. Liquid Methadone is also what we used for Brian in the end and fully controlled his pain. Best wishes to you all.
Research has shown that on average, people go into hospice too late to receive the full advantages it offers. From what I've read, approximately half of patients who went into hospice died within three weeks, and 35.7 percent died within one week. This was the case for my father who clearly waited too long IMO.
So far morphine extended release has controlled my pain. Occasionally the pain will break thru and I have to put up with it for about 20 minutes while a booster liquid morphine kicks in.
I also take ibuprofen and dexamethasone.
I know this is about controlling pain but learn from my negative experience with morphine. Although my husband, John, denied having pain and showed no symptoms of pain, once they gave morphine he was no longer able to hear, speak or keep his eyes open. Therefore, we did not get to say our last goodbye. This will hurt me forever.
in reply to Grumpyswife
💔🙏
You were such a wonderful advocate and caregiver. How are YOU doing? Take care.
I'm sure your husband already knew how much you loved him and a last goodbye really doesn't change that. Be good to yourself. 😌
When I asked the Doctor in charge if they can reduce the morphine so we can talk to her she replied. We are maintaining quality of life for her now. That was the last moments we had with her, just holding her hand.
It was many years ago now but I will never forget the relief when it was all over, for her & the five people she left behind.
I’m a clinical social worker and work in hospice in South Carolina. We have a variety of pain medications that our doctors use for pain. We can often use higher dosages or combos that other levels of care such as palliative can’t prescribe. We also have nurses seeing our patients 1-5 times per week so they can assess to make sure the pain is managed. I’ve rarely seen pain become unmanageable. At my company, our main goals are to ensure patients are pain free and fear free. I’m not trying to push anyone on to hospice but I often hear from patients that they wish they had gotten on hospice sooner. A lot of people hear “hospice” and understandably want to run but in my state, it’s not what many people think. It’s really an extra layer of care once someone has decided to quit pursuing aggressive treatment. Anyway, I’m talking too much but I’m happy to answer any questions you have.
Can anyone tell me if these meds basically turn you into a vegetable? Can they still be relatively with it and pain free, or not?
Morphine actually lets me remain somewhat active - by controlling pain which would otherwise be debilitating. Vegetable - no. A little sleepy sometimes, yes.
I think it depends on the dosage and of course everyone’s metabolism is different. My husband was on low dose morphine, 5 mg 3 X a day and said he didn’t feel any different with the exception of little to no pain.
I think high doses of morphine is a different thing altogether
I am terminally ill with epilepsy, one more seizure et al! I am currently going through radiotherapy sessions for PC, but have decided that if I go through the PC, IF I'm told I will have to go on with weekly sessions, with mind bending injections, for the rest of my miserable life, I will stop all medications and die in my bed, I want to get some sort of quality of life, probably pretty short anyway, my pain signals are🥴😤🤬 at least get my brain back to some sort of credible normality, morphine does not work on me🙄 just grin and bear it?
Presently no real particular pain. as usual dulled reactions, bad balance, et al! My daily concoction of pills, [the damage those things have done to my cadaver over my lifetime, frightening? meant to be used for my benefit, in reality, probably lost a few years because of them🥴] I used to hand around my 'pain killers' to my family, probably sick of the sound of me? I love my family dearly, but my medical exploits of my life certainly have not endeared me to them, always an outsider, the strange boy/man, the "ambulance man" nicknamed by a neighbour, never enjoyed life, so many restrictions, the strain on my parents as I was dragged off to A&E week after week, month after month, decade after decade, 'plastic smiles' on their faces as I regained some sort of consciousness, through numerous seizures and operations! I have been called "cursed" I wonder how many times some doctor/nurse has thought that as they glare at my medical cv? I cannot sleep, my brain signals pangs of pain, no recognition of symptoms, it goes away, false? another one starts and it goes on? Hyper active, high blood pressure, no wonder?
I actually believed that I MIGHT be able to get some sort of enjoyment out of retirement, then like a dig in the groin PC appeared four days before my 66 birthday🥴 Usually friends and relatives would encourage me, "You are a survivor, you've done it before, you can do it again!😀" I live on my own, not really surprising, for near 20 years, no visitors this time? Other members of the family have had cancer scares!
WHY? I cannot take anymore! Absolutely no incentive, cannot understand present society if I did get through the PC 'unscathed' I cannot travel, always wanted to! I have saught Euthanasia material in UK, of course nothing there! Tried suicide four times, first time with some of my "pain killers", woke up next morning, puked all over the sink, not even a headache? I personally do not have any faith in pain killers [that's my brain telling me now!] Am I cursed.......
My husband died of PC two years ago. He had no pain at all (or at least that's what he told me). It took us a while to get there, as he has a badly broken arm with lymphoedema. The key was to use the meds that worked for him (Norco, mostly) on schedule and to quickly adjust for breakthrough. In the last week, we added liquid morphine. I won't lie, that week was rough, but I don't think he was in pain exactly.
I'm not afraid of the pain part of cancer now.
Personally, when the end finds me, I have no fear. I have a personal relationship with Christ and this gives me peace now and excitement for what lies ahead.
Amen my Brother.
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