Morphine for lung cancer patients

Common Questions and Answers about Morphine for lung cancer patients

avinza

Another us it may be used for is for breathing difficulties. If a patient is working hard to breathe and breathing 20-30 times a minute morphine is given to slow the respirations which in turn relaxes the smooth muscles in the lung and allows better oxygen exchange. It also can be used to decrease restlessness and of course pain management. Alot of times morphine and lorazepam are given together-these medications potentiate each other and the end result is a calm peaceful death.

I get angry every time I hear from someone like you who is in chronic pain, apparently being treated with an appropriate pain killer in appropriate amounts, simply experiences the physical dependence that is a side-effect of most strong pain killers, and, like most of us, is programmed to feel dirty and ashamed, almost to the point of not accepting what is probably the most sensible treatment available to you.

If the oxygen is required for most of the day only now with the onset of new disease (there are some patients with chronic lung disease who may already be oxygen dependent before a lung cancer diagnosis), this doesn't seem to be in his favor. Take it a day at a time, making him comfortable is an important goal. Stay positive.

The back/shoulder pain may be due to the lung mass, and he'll probably benefit from stronger pain medication like tramadol or morphine. If that mass is lung cancer, treatment might consist of initial surgery, then chemotherapy and possibly radiation therapy afterwards. His situation is a little delicate, because of his previous history of chronic hepatitis C and liver transplantation. However, these conditions are not absolute contraindications to having chemotherapy.

HI: My prayers go out to you and your family. I don't understand why a patient is ever told that they are "cancer free". In alot of cases that I read about, a patient is told this, and then within a short time later they are being told, oh I'm sorry but, "its back" and now your terminal! Cancer cells begin seeding as soon as they tap into a blood supply no matter how small they are..

Abstract Malignant pleural effusions (MPEs) are commonly seen as complications of advanced malignancy, especially in lung cancer and breast cancer. The management will depend on the performance status of the patient, severity of the symptoms, and the primary tumor's response to systemic therapy. Thoracentesis is usually the first step for both diagnostic and therapeutic reasons.

was done, where fluid was removed from the pleural cavity that lines the lung. This may signify advanced cancer, especially given your mothers clinical history. Please discuss with your father about how she is doing, what the doctors have told them etc. This is a very difficult time for your father and the rest of the family, and you should have good, open communication and offer all the support that you can. All the best, and God Bless!

I HAVE A VERY CLOSE FRIEND THAT IS DYING OF LUNG CANCER. HE IS 75 YRS.OLD. I HAVE LEARNED TONIGHT THAT HE IS BACK IN THE HOSPITAL WITH PNEUMONIA. THEY HAVE HAD TO PUT HIM IN DIAPERS AS HE CAN NOT CONTROL HIS BOWELS. AS OF TODAY HE HAS QUIT EATING,DRINKING. HE HAS BEEN HEARING HIS LATE WIFE'S VOICE AND SHE HAS BEEN DEAD FOR 2 YRS..WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IS ABOUT HOW MUCH LONGER CAN HE SURVIVE LIKE THIS?

Hi, The estimates for life expectancy in cancer cases are based on the experiences of other patients. These are of course, based on averages. So, for someone who has lung cancer with brain metastasis then underwent radiation, about half of patients will reach 6 months. So this means, the 6 month mark has a 50-50% chance of occuring. What is harder to measure is what happens after the 6 months (the statistics tend to weaken when dealing with smaller groups).

I found this forum recently while looking for help for my son who has become addicted to morphine while being treated for cancer pain. I make this post today because it greatly disturbed me to see how many people are suffering with addiction problems as a result of pain treatemets. In my search for an antidote to my son's morhpine addiction I came across a treatment that apparently has been used in Britain for about a century to wind people down from morphine addiction.

A slow-release preparation of morphine has been shown to have some degree of efficacy, but this should be reserved for the most severe chronic cough patient, and for patients with terminal cancer who may also benefit from its analgesic effects. There are case reports of the success of centrally acting drugs such as amitriptyline, paroxetine, gabapentin, and carbamezepine in chronic cough.

The only thing you might look into is Iseral (hope it's spelled right). It only works in 10% of Lung Cancer patients, those patients that have some certain receptor 6...However, my dad's oncologist had a patient go into remission from stage IV. I think hospice can even pay for it if the doctor writes the right thing down.

She had surgery December 26th, 2007 and was in the hospital for almost a month with complications due more to her smoking and damage to her lungs rather than the ovarian cancer. She refuses chemo and refuses to ever go to the hospital again. She does not have any income or insurance. We are helping her with her drugs. We were able to get her a prescription for morphine (20 mg liquid) and for norco to help monitor and control her pain levels.

Hi my motherinlaw has finished chemo in August and they are not giving anymore she is receiving pallative care and the district nurses are going to see her once a month waiting on Marie Curie nurses getting back to us.

i have googled for any information to tell me what the stages are for her since death is unavoidable but i can't find anything anywhere, i know that all patients cancer and stages before death will differ but i am just looking for someone that can give some sort of information so i can understand what is going on and as the disease progresses i might not be as shocked when it does change and progress.

About a year ago the cancer surfaced again, this time as liver cancer with spots detected in his stomach and lungs as well. We have known for some time that the cancer is terminal. My dad has been on chemo. until recently, in hopes of extending his life. Last week he was feeling particularly weak and went to his doctor. His doctor detected jaundice and further tests revealed that the cancer has progressed throughout his liver and lungs. He has begun to retain water and is sleeping more.

I'm not familiar with those medications, with the exception of morphine. Bone pain can be excrutiating, BUT no patient should EVER have to suffer. There should always be a way to get the pain under control or at least quite manageable. Is there other medical equipment you're using or will need? A wheelchair if he's still mobile. Pads for the bed in case he is or becomes incontinent. Ensure or something like it if he still has an appetite but can't quite manage eating.

I am sure a great deal of my anxiety comes from losing 2 neighbors, 1 to pancreas and 1 to lung cancer.As I said this isn't like me to be this way and I have a new empathy for those who suffer anxiety.Shouldn't even read about things but I keep looking for backpain that sounds similar to mine & keep coming across tumors as a cause. Get conflicting info too, some say xray of spine will show and others say not, so I don't feel as reassured by xray taken at onset of pain as I would like to.

My husband was just diagnosed with terminal cancer and given 6 to 12 mos. to live. No chemo, no nothing. He's going down hill fast. Needless, to say, I'm still in shock. He's seeing the BEST liver specialist in Houston, but, they will not even take a biopsy. The cancer has gone to far. He's taking morphine, I know the worst is yet to come. I need a support group, and anyone that prays to pray. His name is John. I need to know what to expect. The doctor told us he will need hospice eventually.

In October of 2007, she was diagnosed with throat cancer. It has spread to her lungs, brain, cervix, stomach, breast, and liver. I try to be positive but I know that her time is limited. Six months ago she was given six months. Part of this question is for my own preparation. Typically, how long can a person live with so much cancer in their body? She is in pain but she is still trying to get out. Lungs and body always hurt and she refuses to pick up prescriptions for morphine.

I am a stage 4 lung cancer patient. I am presently prescribed oxycodone 20 mg 4 times a day and also msir (morphine) 30 mg 6 times a day. Yesterday when I went to pain management they wanted to do a urine test for my levels. I haven't been taking that much medication but I don't want to lose my scripts because there are some days that I need them. How many would I have to take before my next appointment to have the right level in my system so the doctor will be satisfied.

Husband has terminal bladder cancer which affects both ureters, lower portion of bladder and tumors on outside of kidneys. They cannot control the bleeding. He has stints in both ureters/kidneys? He takes breathing treatments with a nebulizer and also on oxygen (no.#4) . My question is his breathing past couple of days have been giving him more problems, he now says it feels like a band is around his lungs. What do you think is going on? Could that be because of breathing or heart?

Hey, his cancer has not spread yet, it is still just on his lung. But the reason they can not operate is because it is touching/to close to his valves etc. His left lung collapsed lastnight (the one with the tumor on) . There is no change, his heart rate is still up and he is still in hospital, I just want to scream because we are only allowed to see him 12-1pm and 7-8pm due to the swine flu epidemic.

We are all helpless in the face of terminal illness of any kind, whether we're the patient or the observer. King Cancer will soon claim another victim and there isn't a darn thing that can be done about it. So we surround Mr. C- with our love and help out with the mundane tasks of life as best we can. There's nothing else we can do.

In either case, shunt or no shunt, the area's infection has got to be cleared up, and is, in and of itself, a danger to her life. Now, on the lung cancer and her current lung infection, once again the infection has got to be cleared up. So, let us say both the skull and lung infections clear up. This means she will be back like she was before this shunt routine.

even with the treatment it MIGHT extend the lifespan to anywhere from 6-12 months, withOUT any anti-cancer treatment the average lifespan after diagnosis of advanced stage small cell lung cancer is 2-4 months. OCCASIONALLY a patient has lived to 2 yrs with treatment and under 10% were alive at 5 years post diagnosis. But those were not cases of pre-existing poor health. I far prefer to prepare myself for the worst. Anything better than that is a bonus.

Ive had a barium swallow ( normal) oesophageal pressure testing ( normal), various scans, xrays as id cancer treatment, blood work appears normal. everyone appears baffled, im on heart medication after a stent was put in, they think my heart attack was caused by 10 weeks of chemo radiotherapy. it doesnt appear heart related, ive had fluconazole for suspected oesophageal thrush, acid reflux meds,lansoprasole,gaviscon, sucralfate, no improvement.

my wife just turned 57. in october, she was dx'd with stage iv lung ca, with mets to the brain & bone. she had radiation on her brain, & began her chemo the first week of january. she started taking morphine 60 mgs 2x daily & ddlaudid 4mgs 2x daily. i have been told so many different things, for a while now, she has been dropping things & hasn't been able t use her finger for anything. i button her shirts & help her with socks. she puts on her pants & shoes.

From what I've read they use it in OC and pretty much any cancer when there are contained tumors, ie one area in the liver, no inflitrates. Same with the lung or the kidney or lung, not good for us who scatter the disease all over the place. Oh for the cure. Your sister is one of the lucky ones, not everyone gets successfull second surgery as I did with a team of 3 specialists. It depends upon the Gyn/Onc and how much they have kept up, and make referrals.

My mother in law is a lung cancer patient who last night was admitted into a Hospice in Long Island. Her liver has begun to fail. They of course have discontinued the chemo. Despite her severely compromised lungs, she is breathing pretty well. No jaundice, but is very sleepy, on morphine, not eating in last 24 hours. My husband and I are out of state and we are truck drivers. We have some pretty difficult logistics and severe financial restrictions.

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