I keep reading about your spouses being given morphine or other drugs to alleviate pain at the very end of Alzheimer's Disease. This has never even been mentioned in my support group or any lecture I have attended. What is the pain from??? I am totally clueless on this one.
Joan, most of the spouses have said that the passing is peaceful. Several go into a coma-like state for the last few days. The doctors assured them that the spouses were not in pain. Also, the morphine was used for a different purpose than painkiller. Nancy explained that to me in November, but I've slept since then. Maybe she will see this discussion and remind us.
Joan-good question. Morphine eases the air hunger that sometimes occurs at the end. it is not pleasant to see a loved one gasping for air. It also produces a state of euphoria
There is also can be pain at the end of life just from the process of the body shutting down and if they are bed ridden. We all know what our bodies feel like after sitting in a airplane seat for a long flight, imagine that multiplied by being trapped in a body you can't move or aren't conscious enough to move. Even though they can not verbalize or are even awake, restlessness is often a sign of pain in the final days.
During her final week or so my DW experienced pain when we had to move her for bathing or changing a diaper (anything that required repositioning her legs), so we would give her a little sub-lingual morphine ahead of time to take the edge off the pain.
We are treating my DH for on going pain in his shoulders,hips and knees. Ortho's have been consulted--nothing to warrant it. The hint of the sart of arthritis in knees, but shouldn't be severe enough requireany treatment for another 10-15 years. I think it's crossed wires in the brain--short circuits, if you will. The idea of using morphine for pain during the last stage never phased me, I think because it makes sense in my mind that as the last connections breakdown faulty signals will happen and our Los just don't need to be bothered with that too.
During a period when dh was throwing up old blood and passing blood in his stool, he never complained of pain. The nurse said to watch his eye movements and facial expressions when he was asleep . You can see the change in expressions and eye movements and tell when they are in pain. Hospice gave us a comfort kit when they came on board and it contained morphine "just in case". We only used it two times during the blood episode and never needed it again.
all of the above are right answers. also when the blood pressures start to drop the heart tries to maintain circulation in only crucial areas of the body- the extremities are sometimes cut off from blood flow and they turn blue ie-mottling of the feet legs hands. that can be painful as well.
the drug induced euforia during all that would be a blessing. divvi
Divvi is right, my dh experienced the gasping of air for five days, not being able to position himself for comfort,very high fevers and the mottling of the arms,legs and feet. He lost the ability to swallow literally overnight. The combination of morphine,ativan and something to dry up secretations kept him relaxed enough to breathe a little easier. It made his last days more comfortable. We also used alot of his favorite music as they said the hearing was the last to go.