Fay A. Posted August 17, 2004 Share Posted August 17, 2004 Sharyn, A word of caution, here. Depending upon the dosage he may need to be weaned off the Paxil. Please don't do this without checking with his pharmacyst/phisician. I have a relative who, without notifying her doctor, decided to stop taking Paxil (low dose) after having been on the drug less than a month and it was the wrong thing do to. Also, you may want to check with the pharmacist to see if there are any contraindications in using Paxil, Iressa, or any other meds at the same time. I found out the hard way that sometimes certain foods can cause elevated or depressed serum levels of medications, and the consequences for that can be that we overdose on the drug, not have enough of the drug to be effective, or the effect of the drug is changed into something unwanted. Tell your Dad that you believe him and you know it isn't in his head, and that you are just trying to help him. I know I believe him. Hoping he is doing better very soon. PS Abdominal pain is a common side effect of iron supplements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brm1949 Posted August 17, 2004 Share Posted August 17, 2004 Sharyn, my prayers for you and your father. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeckyCW Posted August 17, 2004 Share Posted August 17, 2004 Sharyn, Just wanted you to know I'm thinking of you and hoping your dad's spirits are back up soon, and that he feels much better. BeckyCW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elaine Posted August 17, 2004 Share Posted August 17, 2004 Sharyn Do you know what your Dad's O2 level is? That could be causing some problem. I posted a breathing test he can do at home to see. Just a thought. Sometimes that can cause some weakness, too. elaine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betplace Posted August 18, 2004 Share Posted August 18, 2004 ((((Sharyn)))) I am sending hugs and prayers your way my dear. I hope your Dad is feeling a little more up soon. Blessings Betty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donaf Posted August 19, 2004 Share Posted August 19, 2004 Sharon, I know how hard it is to feel like your dad is giving up. My brother has been like that lately and it just hurts so much. Please know many prayers are being said to help you both. D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bean_si (Not Active) Posted August 19, 2004 Share Posted August 19, 2004 Sharon, I can't take iron - it makes me NOT want to eat. Paxil made me lose weight! It could be he's like me and is very sensitive to meds. Ask the onc about Wellbutrin (sp?) I agree that it would be good if you could find something to motivate him. Not knowing him, I can't guess what would. I challenged myself to learn Nederlands, French and Gaelic more or less at the same time and that helped with the depression which has been severe, close to suicidal in fact. I get the feeling he is a very intelligent person and does need something to get his mind active and challenged. Sometimes it takes more than just meds. Good luck, Sharon. The best to you both. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elnodel Posted August 19, 2004 Share Posted August 19, 2004 Sharyn. Sorry to hear that your dad is having such a tough time right now. Like everyone else, I think you should keep checking out the meds AND things to keep his mind occupied. Depression feeds on itself and idleness is the oxygen it thrives on. I've had trouble persuading Len to do much of anything -- he's a painter and he has found a million excuses to stay out of his studio since this thing started, but he finally went back for an hour or so this week and I'm going to start nagging him until he makes a regular practise of it. By the way, Len is 75 and never expected to see 40 -- his father died at 42 or so when Len was all of 2 years old (of tb in the days before anti-tuberculin drugs); when he hit 40, he announced that that was it, he'd never see 50. Then 60. Then 70. I think he actually felt vindicated when he got the lc diagnosis at 75. But since he's doing quite well, I've reminded him that he's probably going to have to keep on going into at least another decade. Even the oncologist commented that he was a tough old bird. You're just going to have to keep on persuading your dad that he, too, is going to have to face up to another decade or two. After all, they say that 80 is the old 60, etc., etc., etc. Let us know what's going on and how the medication issues work themselves out. Ellen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinaresholz Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 Hi Sharyn, Sorry to hear your Dad is not feeling well. Sure hope they can give him something to boost his stamina. You and he are in my prayers. Sharon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimd Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 Sharon: Hope your dad's feeling better! Try to keep him positive (I know it's so very difficult) and joke with him as much as possible. Maybe something as simple as special childhood memories, etc. might perk him up a little. I tried to share special memories and ways that my dad affected me when I was little during his illness. He didn't have any idea some of the little things he did had such a profound impact on my life. We felt like we had special times to talk openly about his illness and there were days when he just wanted to talk about anything but his illness. I kept him amused with funny things my children had done or about all the crazy drivers on the road (he knew I had a little road rage at times). Enjoy the good and bad days and if you don't see any change next week, I would not wait until his next visit. My dad had some changes fairly quickly and he really had a gut feeling that things were changing and he couldn't stay ahead of the cancer anymore. The oncs sometimes think that a few weeks won't matter, but we've seen too many examples on this board that it doesn't take that long for change sometimes. Prayers and support headed your way and stay strong and positive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stand4hope Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 Hey Sharon, How's your dad doing? The last you reported was Tuesday and he wasn't a happy camper with the changes. Did you decide what to do about the Paxil? Been thinking about you all week. Love, Peggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda Posted August 23, 2004 Share Posted August 23, 2004 (((sharyn))) Sorry I am late in replying to your post; I was out of town. I'm glad you called the doctor--your dad will forgive you. Just don't take him off Paxil without a doctor's supervision. Depending on his dosage (and the amount of time he has been on it) he would have to be titrated down in an appropriate fashion, otherwise he could suffer some truly unpleasant side-effects. You and your family are in our thoughts. Please keep us posted on how he (and you) are doing. Rant away!!! Melinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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