Your doctor or specialist nurse will prescribe medicines to manage your symptoms. They will also set up your syringe driver.
A syringe driver is usually set up to give you medicines over a 24-hour period. Your nurse will change or top up your medicines each day. They will also change the tube every day or two.
It might hurt a little bit when your nurse puts the tube under your skin. After that, having a syringe driver should be painless. The medicines take three to four hours to reach a steady level in your body so you might not feel an effect straight away.
Your syringe driver will have a small screen on it. The screen shows how much medicine you are being given and how long it will take.
Your nurse will visit you to check your syringe driver every day. You or your carer can check it on a regular basis too.
Look out for any changes on your skin where the tube goes in. For example, skin irritation, discomfort, or changes in colour. You might see redness if your skin tone is lighter, or change to a colour different from the surrounding area (usually darker) if your skin tone is darker.
Keep the syringe driver and your skin around the tube clean and dry. Your nurse will show you how to do this.
If your symptoms are not under control quickly, your doctor can change or adjust your medicines.
If the machine stops working, do not panic. The effect of your medicines will continue for a while. Call your doctor or nurse as soon as possible.
The alarm will go off if there is a problem with the syringe driver. Let your nurse know so they can come and check it.
An alarm might just mean it needs a new battery. Your nurse will supply the batteries and might leave you with a spare one.
The screen will tell you if there are any blockages or leaks. Blockages can happen if you accidentally lie on one of the tubes, for example.
In general, syringe drivers are safe, reliable and don't need a lot of care. But it's important to:
Some people worry that having a syringe driver means they will die very soon. This is not necessarily true. Syringe drivers can be used at any stage of your illness. Some people just use them for a short time to manage their symptoms. For example, syringe drivers can be very useful for taking anti-sickness medicines if you're having chemotherapy.
Although syringe drivers can be useful at different times, they are often used in the last few days and weeks of a person's life. When someone is close to death, they often stop being able to swallow medicines, or their body stops being able to absorb them properly. A syringe driver is often the best way to give them medicines to help them feel more comfortable.
Read more about pain when someone is dying.
Some people worry that having a syringe driver can make them die sooner. There is no evidence for this. Syringe drivers are often used at the end of life because they are the easiest way to give someone the medicines they need to feel comfortable.
It's common to feel nervous about having a syringe driver, but most people find that they help manage their symptoms and make them feel reassured.
The Helix Centre - Managing medicines
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