Guest NowakowDA Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 Does anyone take Dexamethason? Mom's radiation oncologist said that it is a generic version Decadron. Yesterday, when I took her to the ER, The doctor said that Dexamethason can cause confusion and hallucinations. I wonder what else these little pills cause that their not telling me about. If anybody is using Dexamethason or Decadron let me know what I can expect with Mom. Right now, Mom is having her invisible friends over. They are quiet and they don't leave her room in a mess. Last night, she was talking to a 200 year old dead indian named Corn Planter. He was a chief of a tribe that lived in north western Pennsylvania. If she is having conversations with these individuals, I wish one of them would give her the winning numbers for next week's lottery. Before, she would have periods of confusion, disorientation and hallucinations. Now they happen all the time. She does not realize that what is happening in her head is only visible to her. She told me that she may be a nut, but at least she said that she's a happy nut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimblanchard Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 My husband gets decadron for three days each time he has chemo to help reduce side effects of the chemo. They seem to be really potent. He never had confusion or demensia from it so far. He did get edema and a nasty rash. The doctor gave him more meds to help those. Have you contacted your primary onc about what the ER doctor said? The Chemo nurses have answered a lot of our questions, maybe they could help you. I think her problems could be the brain met, the decadron, dehydration or all of the above. Since they got so bad so fast my bet is the decadron. Call the primary doc, maybe they can adjust the dosage or something. My father had imaginary friends the last couple of years but not all of them were friends exactly. He thought gangsters were blackmailing him and threatening to kill the family. He also called the police to get all the intruders out of the back yard and thought a mouse chewed a hole in the roof. In the hospital he grabbed the nurse's station computer and was going to throw it. His doctor gave him tranquilizers. They made him awful sleepy but we had to choose between sleepy or fearful so we took sleepy. He finally had to go to a nursing home, trying to jump out of cars to escape bad guys, etc. There is an outside chance (way outside) that Corn Planter is her Spirit Guide. Other than that, the way we dealt with delusions was not to make an issue of it, don't actively insist they aren't real as that just makes you the enemy. We offered comfort and tried to distract Dad and he was pretty easy to distact. Just start asking her questions that need reality answers - maybe about her parents, her grandparents, old pets, favorite songs, what was she like as a child ... Good luck to you. A bunch of us are pulling for you. Margaret in Iowa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elaine Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 Great advice, Margaret. elaine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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