How does dosage of morphine work with end of life?

i know that freqflyer...im asking others for their experiences.

Lifeexperiences, I realize this is a very difficult time for you and you are thinking of your Mom's best interest and comfort. Think of it this way, this is usually our first rodeo, but for Hospice they have been on 1000's of rodeos. They are more than happy to answer any questions you might have.

oh right! fasting...people fast for days with not much discomfort. im really most worried that my mother needs more morphine...not less. and yes, i will discuss with hospice...but i think they always think less is best...but im not so sure of that??

When my grandmother had hospice care, the hospice nurses left certain pain medication for me to administer if I felt it was appropriate. If I remember correctly, they gave me limits on how often I could administer -- directions such as "no more than 4x in a 24 hour period" -- but other than that I could give the pain med if I felt my grandmother was uncomfortable.

It's my opinion that dying people typically don't experience discomfort from not eating/drinking. It seems a natural progression. No one experiences discomfort from not eating past a 36-72 hour period of fasting. Our bodies switch into a different metabolism mode. I don't know if that gives you some peace of mind, but that's how I relate to it.

You can give your mother ice chips in her mouth for a bit of moisture, and see how she likes that. It seems as though you understand this already, but you don't want to force food/water on her.

I wish you and mom much peace at this time.

It is not unusual for it to take one or two weeks for a person's body system to totally shut down. Usually one will stop eating because the food can no longer be processed by the stomach, and with water it could go down into the lungs.

Don't be shy, you can ask your Hospice team any question and they will answer or find the answer for you. Ask them about how the dosages work. It's my understanding the dosages are very mild. More is given if the pain returns, but it is only enough to make the patient comfortable.

My Mom was on Hospice for a few weeks and she had a very peaceful passing. In fact Hospice knew that within 48 hours she would go, and they were right.