How Much Is Too Much?

Can't sleep, keep going through everything in my head...ques...how he's feeling...mostly making sure my father is free from pain.  My question is "How much morpine is too much?    and what's the normal dose that patients with pancriatic cancer take?  Im asking because my father is so worried that if he takes too much medication that he will lose his mind.  He would rather suffer with the pain at times then swallow a pill or put on the patch.  It's all very familiar to him for he has 9  brothers and sisters. 1 still living in the Acores Islands and all his siblings, but 2, have suffered from cancer.  Matter of fact.... he watched one of his brothers die of Pancriatic Cancer.  My father was always there to sit by there side and he would say how the medication would just slowly still them from this life... as if, at times, they were already gone.  This used to bother him so much and I know many times he thinks of the days or the last days spent with them and how it broke his heart to see them pumped with drugs.  I tell him over and over about the importance of keeping him comfortable while taking treatment and that that meant taking the right amount of med for relief. I just was curious as to what the norm was for this kind if Cancer.  He's taking Morphine patch 100mg and the pain pills fast acting.  He can take up to every 3 hours,,,but...hangs in there and takes one morn and evening.  Any familiar stories or advice, facts regarding this matter?  Really appreciate it ..thankyou 

Susana

Susana,

I can only speak from my husband's experience, but his doctor told him that he could take "whatever he needed."  He currently takes 180 mg of the long acting morphine twice a day and can take up to 60 mg of the fast acting every hour.  Once his pain isn't controlled by that dose of the long acting and he takes more of the fast acting, his long acting dose will be increased.

We have Extra Mural nurses that come to the house and Gary asked them that exact question.  They told him they have had patients on as much as 2800 mg a day to maintain comfort.

It probably also depends on how much the person weighs.

Take good care of yourself and try to get some sleep .... your parents and your kids need you!

Keeping your family in my prayers.

Diane

The goal is to keep him free from pain.

Whatever it takes, as long as it is increased rather gradually, to watch for side-effects, is perfectly fine.

Sometimes, at the end, they are sleeping, due to the large amounts of Morphine, but sleeping beats pain for these loved ones of ours.

May GOD be with all of you at this difficult time.

Beth

  Just do what your father wants, let him decide when and how many pills he needs to take.  

  My 73 year old father is heavily medicated, but he doesn't want to be in pain and we can't stand to see him suffer.  He is muddle brained from all the meds and the stress of the disease.

  Vicki
 

Susanna,

Not to discourage you, but I just lost my husband on the 7th of December. But as to your question about how much, oh my gosh, my husband the last week was on 300mg of fentanyl and up to 40 liquid morphine, every hour as needed. Granted my husband started out as 300lb @ 6'4", sadly he lost over 100 lb in 6 short weeks. My point being, do let him suffer, at first my husband would tough it out, but I could always tell when he was in pain. Although he would not accept it from me, whereas, my brother in law, who filled in for me, would push the meds on him and my husband would take it. In my husband's final night, he was on a pump of morphine, every hour, accepting manually pushes every 15 minutes, he was in a great amount of pain, almost in a half sedated, unconscious state, he would groan in pain, even then. This disease is horrible, do not let your dad suffer in pain.

Wisdom to you.