I am wonder if anyone has had the need to have strong pain medicine and if it affected movements? I haven't posted on here about my husband Terry's latest bout with cancer. He has along with HD, Chronic Lymphoid Leukemia. He was in remission for a few months then in Aug. had CTscan for a check up and found out it is in his neck, stomach and groin. He started chemo. treatment every three weeks with blood tests every week and neupogen shots twice a week. The neupogen shots stimutates the blood system to make white blood cells, helping to fight infections. He is stage 4 and I asked the dr. just exactly what that meant and he said it was in his bone marrow. Terry is having alot of pain and taking loratab 5-500 which seems to be making him stumble. I know this medicine has Tylenol in it but just Tylenol doesn't kill the pain. Terry has fallen 5 times this past several days.
Tomorrow he has chemo. treatment and while there he will see the dr. and they are going to try to figure out another type of pain medicine to give him so he won't be falling and still won't have pain. His appt. is at 8:30. My concern is he will fall and break a bone and then we will really have problems as he still weighs 200 pounds even though he has lost 40 and I sure can't lift him as I have a hernia and I can't have surgery. When he had the extra weight his movements were at a minimal. Now has alot of movements. He is my job and as you other caregivers know what a job we have!!
I read the other posts every day and I think yes having hereditary diseases really suck. I am the youngest of 9 children and I am the only one that has glaucoma which I am losing the sight in my right eye, I am a diabetic, have heart problems but I am not angry at my parents for passing along these to me. I am happy to have life to be here to care for Terry as his 4 sisters don't even call to see how he is doing or never visit him. His mother had HD and both parents have passed away.
I would appreciate any answers and thanks for letting me ramble.

Millie

Millie,

Unfortunately, I do not have a direct answer for you regarding a pain medication that won't increase movements caused by HD---As you already know, it is very difficult to treat symptoms of HD and then when you have yet another catastrophic illness things become unchartered territory.. for that matter I couldn't even advise of other medications that wouldn't increase some symptom of HD..or impact on symptoms of the second illness....so I did want to share my expereince just to give a thought to what you and Terry are going through. As a caregiver to both my husband and daughter movements increased just by the sheer experience of pain... as the anxiety increased so did the movements. My daughter ended up with JHD, Brittle bone disease, 79 degree curviture in her spine, and severe refractory epilipsy... Pain Medications caused increased rigidity resulting in slow or rigid movements and yet other medications caused increase in movement so.???? all causing increase in falls or difficulty in movements surplus of HD (if you imagine).... what I found to work best was the medication that increased sleep in combination of pain management with environmental stimulation... It became an issue of quality of life vs. controlling symptoms. So if my daughter slept 17 hours a day.. she and I were both ok with that if the remaining 7 (intermittent) hours allowed her to smile, watch a tv program, participate in an activity etc. Honestly the last 3-4 months of her life were really difficult because we had to realize trial and error of medications was no longer an option because of the time it takes to start, increase, decrease, leave system and start new med. so increasing sleep relaxing the brain, muscles, and removing pain for periods of time was best. Hope this helps some...
Stacy