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She's 90 and in a nursing home.

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"Just arthritis pain" can be very painful indeed, to watch my mother's expereince. The side effects from narcotics for her prevent them from being useful, but I certainly wish she could have morphine or anything else that would help. The patch for pain is somewhat effective, but Ma can't use it often because of skin sensitivity.

If less "dramatic" measures work, that is the route to take. But I'd be in favor of doing whatever it takes to minimize pain.

I think sometimes we don't acknowledge how much pain dimminishes the quality of life.
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Two schools of thought. 1. At 90 yrs old confined to NH and MS provides pain relief, why not keep her comfy. Primary concern. with MS respiratory depression pneumonia. Addiction at 90 who cares. BUT now withdrawal is a concern

2. there are many other less powerful opiates available that may provide relief without as much sedation and respirtatory depression. At 90 yrs old treating the arthritis aggressively is not the prime concern. I doubt a rheumatologist will be able to offer much more than palliative care .
Keep in mind the length of time she's been receiving morphine, sudden withdrawal could be fatal to a 90 yr old.
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My Mom (92) is on a Fentanyl transdermal patch (changed every 72 hrs) for back pain from a failing old fusion. Would that type of medication also help with arthritis? She has Percocet to take over & above, but rarely wants that... She started on the patch when her deteriorating fusion (no titatium screws 50 years ago!) caused such pain she suddenly couldn't move - walk, sit down, MOVE). Transport to ER/doc said for pain control couldn't hospitalize, & would "refer" to an appropriate nursing home... NOT ON YOUR LIFE! Doc sent a Social Worker to "convince" us, but instead the SW suggested maybe the patch would help & talked to the doc. That was 3 years ago...
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When my father-in-law was 94, he was on morphine and was asking when he could have his next dose. His hip was extremely painful and he could barely walk to get to the bathroom. He eventually had a partial hip replacement and has done quite well until recently - he is 101 now! I agree that comfort is of extreme importance and do what is necessary to attain as much pain control as possible.

I don't know if going to see a doctor who specializes in pain control - usually an anesthesiologist - might be of help but worth checking into.
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I gotta watch the date of these post!
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I doubt if the patient is still in any sort of pain, God willing. This thread is eight years old.
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Countrymouse: whoops! But perhaps someone else might read this and it be helpful! ‘Blush’
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Countrymouse,
You are correct. Even thought the initial post was years ago, it has currently helped me since my mother is in the current situation. I found this post while googling online. So it is never too late to offer advice and provide your experience.
thank you
Aprildp
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Any kind of pain should be treated appropriately. When you think of morphine non professionals tend to think of giving it by injection or IV. In the case of arthritis pain it is given in pill form either combined with Tylenol or by itself as a tiny pill.
Doses of morphine are always or should be titrated to the amount of pain the patient is experiencing. It does not have to be given continuously, but should be available to take before the patient is exposed to activity known to cause distress. For example if riding in the car and going to the Dr gives the patient pain it is a good idea to use pain relief 1/2 hour prior to embarking on the journey. Same applies to exercising which is so important to arthritis sufferers. If joints are not kept moving the joints will stiffen and be fixed in a bent position.
As a retired hospice nurse I am a great advocate for effective pain relief even if it means using doses usually regarded as normal.
As long as the dose is increased gradually till the pain is eased no harm should come to the patient. yes they may become sleepy but they will be comfortable and of course should not drive or operate
dangerous machinery.
Morhine is the swear word of the narcotics family so inparts fear whenever it is mentioned and blamed for many untoward affects.
It is a fact of life that most drugs can be dangerous and naturally caution must be used . Do not deny someone pain relief.
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I would think it depended on how severe the arthritis is. Also I would think what type of arthritis the person has would be a factor. As an arthritis sufferer myself and also a retired nurse, I can assure you arthritis CAN BE agonizing. But also many days are better than others. Weather affects arthritis pain severity. So I’m sure a doctor is closely monitoring the arthritis patient and apparently the patient is in severe pain.
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