Syringe drivers for giving pain control

A syringe driver is a small portable pump that can be used to give you a continuous dose of your painkiller and other medicines. It’s often used if you’re vomiting or unable to swallow. Your doctor or nurse will let you know if you need a syringe driver.

A syringe driver is easy to set up. A syringe containing the painkiller is put into the driver and attached to a fine needle or cannula (fine, plastic tube) that is placed just under the skin (subcutaneously). A small dose of the drug is then released at a constant rate for as long as you need it. The syringe is usually changed every 24 hours by a nurse. This method of giving drugs is known as subcutaneous infusion| and is very effective in keeping people free of pain.

Syringe drivers are battery powered and portable so you can be up and about as usual. They clip easily onto a belt, fit into a pocket or bum bag, or can be placed in a specially designed holster that fits under your arm. Other medicines, such as anti-sickness medicines, can also be given by the syringe driver.

Some people worry that if they have advanced cancer| and are given painkillers or other medicines by a syringe driver, this could hasten their death. This isn’t true. A syringe driver is simply a different way of giving the same or similar drugs at the doses needed to control your symptoms.