Decadron, Cataracts-Warning

[Vincent87]

So Mom and I went to visit her eye MD today-chalk it up to Decadron...If you have a small cataract, Decardon makes 'em grow and grow quick and big.  I'm so tired of the documenting...another side effect that was NEVER mentioned to us by her GK doctor.   So just add this to her list of elective surgeries for 2006...hernia repair (from the shunt that was implanted for the hydrocephalus), and cataract surgery.

[wanderer]

yes steroids do increase the chances of cataracts.

[Sanddollar]

Wow - thanks for the info.  Had not heard about that before.  With my AN surgery I have taken more medicines - and powerful ones at that - at one time than I think I have in the past 10 years.  I realize that each is necessary in its own way, but I have been surprised at what a potpourri I was asked to consume and how readily things new things would be thrown in to address a particular issue.  One cannot help but worry about what the impact of such consumption will be long-term.  I got off of everything I could as fast as I could!

[Larry]

Vincent,

Your mother and you are going through hell at the moment. keep using this board to vent your anger. We are good listeners. I now ask specifically about side effects of drugs and always do research on google to verify the side effects. Sometimes the doctors don't know or maybe they do and want the repeat business - I know that sounds awful but there are those unscrupulous doctors out there.

Larry

[Vincent87]

Larry:

So Mom and I visited a urologist today (because she's still incontinent from the hydrocephalus even though the shunt is allegedly working).  As the P.A. pushed Mom back into the waiting room I said yeah, our theme song is Blame It On The Gamma Knife.  The P.A. surprisingly said, "so I guess Dr. %$^(@&@ had his eyes closed."  Of course I'll have to follow up on that flip comment-does the P.A. know something more we don't.  You know all those jokes about lawyers...I bet it's safe to say that almost everyone in this forum can change the tag line to GK doctor.  Thanks for letting me purge.  What a club we all belong to...Mom sends you good thoughts.  (I print these up for her; good for to start reading again.)

[Kilroy1976]

Vincent, being a lawyer I'd be happy to change those punch lines to "doctor." At least a bad lawyer will only ruin you financially or land you in jail, but a bad doctor can do so much worse. I called the office four times on Monday screaming bloody murder about the Decadron and finally after holding for 1/2 hour during the fourth call I was "allowed" to talk to his nurse. That's the way it always goes, if I want the doctor I get the nurse, if I want the nurse I get the receptionist, if I want the receptionist I get the janitor. They told me I could quit taking the Decadron (gee, thanks), and once my withdrawals went away I should call them back and they'd put me on some anti-seizure meds. More pills and I haven't even been able to talk to the doctor, let alone been examined. You shouldn't have to be in danger of being Baker Acted (FL involuntary mental evaluation) before a doctor's office will deal with the problems that they've created for you. But I guess he got his money and he's not making any more by talking to me on the phone. (insert profanity here)

[DeniseSmith]

Okay, dumb question here..... what are the steroids for?  I only had percocet, morphine and tylenol in the hospital, nothing else. I see on this sight alot of people are prescribed steroids, why??
 

[becknell]

Steroids are prescribed to prevent or minimize swelling in the brain that may result from the surgery. Decadron is a powerful steroid that is often prescribed for brain surgery patients. It may be administered before the surgery and then for a period afterwards on a gradually tapered dose.

[wanderer]

Decadron is also used to control nausea  usually caused by the pain killers and anethesia

[Kilroy1976]

It *MUST* be good for something, but it certainly didn't help me. It just crushed my pain under an avalanche of side effects. I would give every dime I have to be able to go back in time and tell the doctor where to stuff his "medicine."

[Vincent87]

Mom was prescribed the Decadron to reduce the edema caused by the gamma knife at precisely where her AN is.  Now I'm hearing how all these ADD drugs are being labeled as "black box" drugs.  So why not Decadron.  As for doctors not returning calls...I'm still waiting to hear from the GK guy in response to a call back on 12/13/2005-could the edema cause a BP spike to 240/120.  (I got my answer later that night from a CT scan-it's called hydrocephalus.)  As for the GK's nurse...she's worthless, in fact telling me after I asked about 10 questions..."it's not life threatening."  No, I responded, "it's only life altering."  Stupid cow.  I wish for her five months of my mom's life.  In the meantime...just got back from the hospital.  A week ago Saturday Mom had a change of mental status-confused, her eyes were even bulging.  Three shifts of nurses at the nursing home missed it; quite by accident I saw the doctor there Sunday morning and shouted..."Mom's having a change of mental status-it might be the shunt or it's a UTI."  Last Wednesday she was admitted to the hospital-I pushed for it to happen-hydrocephalus, UTI, kidney infection.  Friday she had emergency surgery-the shunt's tubing in her belly wasn't placed deep enough and she had a sack of CSF in her belly bulging as big as a large navel orange.  Still very confused, now agitated-and why not.  She has difficulty dialing the phone.  A MRI is scheduled later tonight around 10pm.  How I wish I could name names...