hiccups -any info please on meds? dads got pancreatic cancer

philby · New User Joined: 30 Apr 2007 Posts: 2 Location: australia

hi. my names phil and im new to the forum... about 3 weeks ago dad got sick and was admitted to the hospital.he had a mri scan and it showed growths in his pancreas.he was very yellow.a stinth was put in and he had a bag as well while in hospital. 3 days ago he was sent home (without the bag). ever since he got back he has had constant hiccups. its so distressing hearing him throughout the night in the end room. a local GP has given him clonazepam (rivotril) 500mcg, for the hiccups... for the pain he is having oxycodone hydrochloride (oxynorm) 5mg... i think he is also on moclobemide (amira) 150mg (an antidepressant)...i wish there was some way of stopping the hiccups. i dont know anything about cancer or the medications and hope that someone could shed some light on this terrible time. dad is 78 years old. never drank or smoked and was a keen square dancer. both him and mum are involved in volunteer work- this is so unfair to have happen to them. ive read all the literature on the site about hiccups and havent found much help. maybe its one of those things theres not alot of knowledge about. i hope someone can tell me if the meds hes taken are doing him any help. or what is the best thing for the hiccups? its so sad hearing him like that and to see him so skinny and frail looking. hes been loosing weight since christmas (14kg) and has lost about 4kg in the past 14 days... hes been taking sustagen to try and put some weight back on and give his body some nutrients... hes unable to shower without assistance and feels dizzy if he spends too long in the toilet. he is unable to walk very far as well. apart from the meds can anyone give me a rough estimate on how long dad has to go? the doctor is making a house call tomorrow, so ill find out a little more about the doctors diagnosis then... so sorry to hear everyones stories of thier contact with cancer on this site,,,all my love and best wishes to all of you who have to go through this... its so painful for everyone, especially the patient.

vitalizm · New User Joined: 30 Apr 2007 Posts: 6

Hey Phil, I'm sorry to hear about your dad. Honestly I never heard of such a case, have you tried searching online for your dads symptoms? Anyway I just wanted to reach out and share my thoughts. I hope you will find the info your looking for. You might want to check out the site below, has quite a bit of information and causes about different kinds of cancer.
Best Wishes.
_________________
LOTS of info @ http://www.sodnet.net/cancer/cancer_research.html

Vee Smith · Moderator Joined: 12 Feb 2006 Posts: 821 Location: UK

So distressing for you, and so tiring for your father.

This comes from a UK site, and it might be worth talking to the doctor about medication:
Various medicines have been used for this. For example, chlorpromazine or haloperidol are medicines which can relax the diaphragm muscle or its nerve supply and may stop persistent hiccups. Other medicines sometimes used include: baclofen, gabapentin, and metoclopramide.

One simple remedy for controlling hiccups is to sip a glass of water very slowly. Apparently the continual action of swallowing interrupts the nervous process.

Keep in touch.

rlee · Site Admin Joined: 15 Jan 2006 Posts: 245

Phil,
It sounds like the stent that was placed is likely causing some irritation and leading to the hiccups. Medications like thorazine or metoclopromide might be able to help. This symptom can really be bothersome if it is all the time. Best wishes,
_________________
RLee, MD

Any information provided is NOT intended to provide specific medical advice to users but rather to provide users with information to help them better understand their health condition and related care. All readers are strongly encouraged to consult with a qualified physician for answers to their personal medical questions.

philby · New User Joined: 30 Apr 2007 Posts: 2 Location: australia

thanks for the information. dads gone back into hospital here in our hometown (port macquarie). its been close to a month and dr.degby (our local oncologist) has been too busy to see him...yesterday he got to see an ARTHARITIS specialist. he has only been seen to by our local gp. he was admitted back into hospital when he started throwing up black bile everywhere. now his throat is so sore he cant talk and is having trouble breathing. yesterday a nurse asked him to confirm if he wants them to bring him around if he has a heart attack, he said no. the hiccups have subsided, and he now just wants to go. dr. degby is meant to be seeing him on wednesday-if hes available (hes having a weeks holiday). at this stage i would say dad wont make it much longer. about 6 years ago prostate cancer was found but disappeared (id say it just moved).dad didnt want to persue it further). he worked alot on sheep farms for years and frequently was exposed to sheep dip in NZ. this could have been a cause. hes so distressed by not getting to see a cancer doctor that hes just given up. its so sad for all....thankyou for all the comments ive read in this great forum.

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