Can a syringe driver speed up the process of someone dying? Last week my mum was able to sit up on her own, drink by herself and have a conversation with people but on Thursday 2 nurses came to the house to clean her and change her clothes and my mum was in pain because she hadn't had her medication as she had just woken up so they decided to put her on a syringe driver which had morphine sulphate in it which really wasn't needed at all as she was taking her painkillers by herself. An hour after it was fitted she fell asleep and shes still asleep now (4 days later). We got the doctor out last night to take away the syringe driver because it was making her sleep so much and we thought the morphine would be out of her system today but she's still asleep. She has to have water through a syringe into her mouth because she cant sit up or hold a cup to drink by herself, she cant even speak. Has the syringe driver done this? The doctor was out tonight again and said that she looks like she is in her final days but she was fine before the syringe driver was put on.
Hello Kathannie,
My name is Lorraine, I am one of the Macmillan Information Nurses. The online community team asked if the nurses could offer you some further support.
We would like to offer heartfelt condolences to you with the loss of your mum. It’s a sad and stressful time dealing with your grief and feeling that the syringe driver sped up your mum’s death.
We hope that you have an opportunity to raise your concerns with the team who cared for your mum, seeking answers to your questions. We can’t comment on the specific details of your mum’s care, but we see you are taking legal action.
The use of syringe drivers are common in palliative care when the patient can no longer swallow, have fluctuating conscious levels or the symptoms can’t be managed by tablets. This allows for drugs such as pain relief, anti-sickness and sedative drugs to be given continuously to make the person more comfortable.
Common worries are that this may hasten a person’s death.
CRUSE Bereavement Care offer valuable support for those who have lost loved ones and want to have some support to work through their grief. If you want to chat with one of the nurses on the helpline then just give us a call.
Best wishes and take care
Lorraine-Macmillan Information Nurse
