Posted: 3/31/2008 1:23:58 PM EDT
| We will find out tomorrow or the next day if my dad has had a stroke or not; I know he has a bottle of 30 oxycontin, should I flush them? I don't know if it is a sufficient quantity to do him any harm but I thought I should ask as I expect he will be very depressed if they tell him he has had a stroke. |
| put it in a location that you know is safe, if you try to hide it from him, he will think you are belittleing him, and he will resent that, this happened with my grandfather, make no mention of it, but put it in a place you know is safe, and if requested produce it for him so he knows you are not treating him like a kid |
Negative. Depends entirely on the area of the brain affected by the bleed or blockage. Many people have TIA's (mini-strokes) and return to normal, others run the gamut. |
I am also seeking advice from folks who have been there!
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By all means keep faith & hope, but do keep things in perspective. The Doc will explain whatever they find (and sometimes they don't find anything) but it is helpful for them if you have as much information (patient history & meds) as possible. If a problem / cause is identified, then you just go about the business of working with it. Patience and understanding are key. Best of luck to your father & family. |
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If you're concerned that he's going to have suicidal ideation (wanting to off himself) if he's had a stroke, then definitely hide any meds. Also hide OTC (over the counter) stuff, as one of the most common (and most lethal, if the presentation is delayed) overdoses is regular old tylenol. Incidentally... why is there some question about whether he's had a stroke? Most strokes that involve a large area of brain are clinically obvious, and produce significant deficits. If he's "not sure" whether he's had a stroke or not, then the odds that he's had a big one are probably a lot lower. I'm afraid I'm not entirely clear on what's going on... Does the word "stroke" bother him that much? |
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He's suffering from memory losses. He can't come up with the words he wants, he can't remember how to do things he could do a few weeks ago, he can't find things in his own house, he can't focus well enough to drive or work. His symptoms might be a side effect of Enbrel which he took from Nov-Feb, but his doctor sent him for a CAT scan which lead to an MRI which was inconclusive( they said his createnine was too high) so he had another MRI and will be seeing a neurologist today. We haven't gotten a definitive diagnosis yet. I am afraid he will give up hope if they tell him it's a stroke. |
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Sounds more like early Dementia to me, but the onset is a little quick for most forms of Dementia... which would usually lead me to look for a medical cause if he were my patient (as opposed to simply chalking it up to "alzheimers" or something like that). Sometimes something as simple as a Urinary Tract Infection can totally unhinge an elderly person... and most times when I get a rapid-onset change in mental status, I look for a medical reason for it first. Just my $.02 |
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As above poster stated, doesn't sound like a stroke. It could be meds, TIA'a (mini-strokes) or electrolytes due to infection or an organ acting wacky. With his serum creatinine up, he may have some renal insufficiency (or may have been forgetting to hydrate) and who knows what the other labs will tell. If he has renal problems, it can cause dementia like symptoms. Good luck. |
Even small strokes (of either type) tend to show pretty clearly on MRI of a good neurologist reviews them. The radiologists are not usually as good. make sure you have the MRI (and CAT scan) films with you when you visit the neuro. |
That's probably it... edema around a tumor could easily cause his rapid decline in memory. I'm sorry to hear that's the case... hopefully it's not a metastatic lesion, or one of the more aggressive primary brain neoplasms. |
He would very likely die taking that much, even if it's the lowest strength Oxycontin tablets. Everything depends on the type of brain tumor. There are some that are quite benign even though they cause a lot of symptoms eg. meningiomas. |
Very true. The organist at my church had a stroke that affected her left hand and (to a lesser degree) her speech. She's playing now, not nearly as well as before, but just being back in the organ loft has helped her recovery a lot!
Lots of people, especially older folk, are absolutely terrified of the word. My mother told us of an aunt she'd had, who had had a stroke in her late 30s. She was essentially paralyzed. Most of the 'older folk' aren't up to speed on the rehab they can get after a stroke, and remain fixed in their older notions about the subject. |
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When you are diagnosed with something, it can cause a lot of anxiety, particularly if you do not have complete information. The tests the Docs are doing are to help them paint a clearer picture of what is going on and what options are open. Sometimes it's the uncertainty that can be most distressing (some people tend to think the worst) and the best thing you can do is be there to support until things become a bit better defined. |
What was the Oxycontin for? |
My Dad had a stroke last June, blockage I think, and he is fine. He hasn't had any problems from it thank God. It was very scary though! I was so worried. I just wish he would cut back on the beer  I know it's hard though.
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