CBD Oil, which one?

Hello,

I cannot comment on CBD oil.

But my mum is on a better painkiller & a good anti sickness tablet.

Painkiller: Fentanyl 72 hour slow release patches, many strengths available, usually they start on 12 micrograms, then if this isn't enough, they go up to a 25 microgram patch. And they will keep increasing until your partner has no pain. The lowest possible dose to get rid of the pain is the aim here. And you can use Oramorph to supplement this.

Anti sickness: Levomepromazine. It's actually an anti psychotic but it's widely used as a great reliever of nausea & sickness.

Please ask your GP if you could try these, they will know by records that your partner needs them.

Quality of life  These will certainly help.

I'm very sorry that your partner is terminal, my mum is too. So I know how you feel.

Best wishes to you both,

Graeme.

Hi Graeme, thanks for this.  At the moment he is on morphine mst 30mg twice daily, with oramorph 5ml every 2 hours but it doesn't seem to be touching the sides.  We will be talking with his contact at the local hospice later, so will definitely mention it to her and will also speak to the GP tomorrow.  He is taking Ondansetron for sickness but again, it's not really helping.  I'm so grateful for your reply, it's just helps to know there's someone else out there.  So sorry to hear about your mum, sending my best wishes to you both x

Hi,

Glad I could help.

But those painkillers obviously aren't strong enough.

If you compare Fentanyl patches to morphine, the potency is way stronger with Fentanyl. My mum uses a 25 microgram slow release patch. 25 MICROGRAMS is equal to  someone on 60 to 90 Milligrams of morphine. So we do the maths & we just concentrate on the Morphine MST.  2 x 30mg's is 60 mg's a day. (I'll come back to the Oramorph after this) So 25 MICROGRAMS gives an extra 30 mg's per day. But you stated that he is in great pain which is not right. Now 25 mcg's is only the 2nd strength of Fentanyl. There are approx. 5 higher strengths. I would ask if it's possible to swap the mst morphine for 25mcg's or the next level up Fentanyl patch. But an advisory here, they do like a patient to start on 12 or 25 mcg's to ascertain if it is enough. This would be over 72 hours until the patch is depleted. Then they can alter the strength to suit. As it releases a consistent dose, there is always this painkiller in the system.

Now, Oramorph. I know from the medical people that Oramorph is a very weak source of morphine. Even Co-Codamol is so much stronger for example. (Don't use Co-Codamol please). So you can safely supplement Fentanyl patches with a 5ml dose of Oramorph. And you could add in soluble paracetamol for it's anti inflammatory qualities. But please check this combination is the right one from a GP or hospice nurse. Because they are the pro's. 

And also ask whether you can try Levomepromazine for sickness, it's really suited my mother who has not had any feelings of sickness since starting them. It's finding the right sickness tablet, there are so many. It just so happened that this tablet worked well for my mother. I wouldn't dare promise it's the right tablet for your partner, but you'll never know until you try (with a prescription from the hospice nurse or your GP).

Personally, I would make the above my priority to give a decent quality of life for your partner.

Again, I hope this is useful for both of you.

Best wishes,

Graeme.

Hi Graeme, thank you for all your help, it's much appreciated.  I've spoken to the hospice who are going to get the consultant out to see Pete tomorrow with a view to changing his medication to fentanyl.  Fingers crossed they can get him out of the pain he's feeling.  It's great to have the support that this website and Macmillan bring x