Anaplastic astrocytoma grade 3 help

Hi everyone new here.  My dad who is 43 was dx 12/24/08 with inoperable aa grade 3.  He had radiation and temodar.  May tumor was progressing so he had partial resection and then began IV avastin. Last 2 mri's showed improvement per the MD..The problem is dad feels terrible.  He is extremely nauseated and zofran, compazine, haldol don't work.  He takes ativan it don't do a lot for the nausea but helps him relax.  They just added reglan.  He has no energy and has bad headaches.  His vision has been bad since surgery.  The doctors tell us it was probably combination of medications and tapered his prednisone to 40mg a day. My question is does anyone have any advice for us?!  It is so hard to see the strongest man I know just lay around and cry and beg to feel better.  I worry that avastin has effected the MRI and it may not be accurate.  I don't really know why else he would be so nauseated as he has been off temodar for 2 months now.  Any help would be appreciated.  I am a hospice nurse but this is totally different when its your dad..

Wow that is a lot of decadron. Does he take pepcid or something to help the tummy with it? I wonder if the dec could be upsetting the stomach or causing ulcers. Soooo sorry. It is really awful. If his headache is bearable, or if he could use a Fentanyl patch (Duragesic) maybe the dec could be tapered down some more. I guess you know about all of these things being a nurse. I hope there's a little hope in your hearts... and that you can find ways to comfort him.

Peace,

Sarah

mother of Andy 27 dx gbm/pnet 1/09

I am so sorry he is going through this. Anzemet is the best (sadly very expensive too) medication for nausea. My daughter is a senior pharmacy tech. and told us about it and it worked really well. It is hard to get because they usually only give it after other things that cost less do not work.

Hang in there..

-Diana

Good Morning

I am sorry you are going thru this horrible disease.  My husband also has anaplastic astrocytoma.  My husband was on decadron and it was horrible on his stomach.  The most he was on was 12mg per day, maybe it differs from prednisone.  He also took prevacid for his stomach. 

best of luck to you and your family

I'm sure each case is different, but my husband has same type cancer, but was able to have surgery, then temodar and radiation, then had regrowth 8 mos. after surgery, went on avastin and irinotecan IV.  He had nausea with both - took prochlorper and zofran for that- helped somewhat. Some treatments he had more nausea than others- not sure why, except maybe the buildup of the chemos in his system.  Ask about med changes, ativan caused my hubby to act strangely, so then had a change in meds.  Good Luck!!!