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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Is The Unknown Huge Mass Growing Internally On The Back?

My 82 YO mother is dying from end stage PVD, with a rotting leg and another unknown huge mass growing internally on her back and side. She also had a massive stroke 4 months ago. She lost all of her ability to speak and communicate. So her pain levels are determined by her grimaces, moans and groans. She was on oxycodone and Tylenol with codeine that stopped working after about a month. Hospice just switched her to morphine (10ml every 6 hours) but it has not fully relieved her pain in almost 5 days now. She sleeps heavily but still moans and groans from the pain and is awakened by pain jolts. Is it possible she has a tolerance to morphine as well now? What else can hospice use to relieve her pain if she has? Thank you!
Thu, 27 Nov 2014
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Internal Medicine Specialist,  's  Response
Hospice can increase the frequency of her pain medicine. People will develop a tolerance to narcotics if they are on them chronically, requiring doses to be increased. Those with end stage disease who have been on it for awhile can tolerate very high doses of morphine. One of the primary goals of hospice is to keep a patient as comfortable as possible during the dying process. If this means administering narcotics every couple of hours on a regular basis to prevent pain jolts and to keep the pain under control, this can be done. Talk to the hospice staff about increasing the frequency and/or dose of pain medicine. It shouldn't matter if it increases her sleepiness as long as it controls her pain. As far as the mass growing on her back, there is no point in putting her through a painful investigation to figure out what it is. Just maintain her comfort. Hope this helps.
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What Is The Unknown Huge Mass Growing Internally On The Back?

Hospice can increase the frequency of her pain medicine. People will develop a tolerance to narcotics if they are on them chronically, requiring doses to be increased. Those with end stage disease who have been on it for awhile can tolerate very high doses of morphine. One of the primary goals of hospice is to keep a patient as comfortable as possible during the dying process. If this means administering narcotics every couple of hours on a regular basis to prevent pain jolts and to keep the pain under control, this can be done. Talk to the hospice staff about increasing the frequency and/or dose of pain medicine. It shouldn t matter if it increases her sleepiness as long as it controls her pain. As far as the mass growing on her back, there is no point in putting her through a painful investigation to figure out what it is. Just maintain her comfort. Hope this helps.