Please, people who have cared for cancer patient or medicine professionals?!
Question: my dearest friend is going through chemo for his glioblastoma and is fairly ok, eats and drinks without a problem, but when it's time to take his meds he refuses completely. He had most of the tumor burnt by gamma knife, his motor skills are at about 50% but he just won't cooperate when swallowing his meds.
How can we help him swallowing them without crunching them (they are hideously bitter)? Thanks tons.
Answers: my dearest friend is going through chemo for his glioblastoma and is fairly ok, eats and drinks without a problem, but when it's time to take his meds he refuses completely. He had most of the tumor burnt by gamma knife, his motor skills are at about 50% but he just won't cooperate when swallowing his meds.
How can we help him swallowing them without crunching them (they are hideously bitter)? Thanks tons.
Maybe at this point someone should mention a central line to your friend's doctor. This would enable the medication to be given intravenously without needing your friend's cooperation or compromising his dignity.
If his motor skills are around 50%, then that would make it diffucult for your friend to swallow. And that isn't the same as chewing and then swallowing food, either. Which means you have no choice but to crush them.
It is very scary to not be able to swallow. Which makes it even worse to try to swallow whole pills. A downward spiral, if you will.
You might can also try to crush the medicine up and mix it with something like applesauce or pudding. I know that is what we do at the hospital with people that can't swallow whole pills. It kind of takes the edge off of the bitterness. If there is something else that he likes you could try that.
Is it actually the chemotherapy meds he can't swallow or is it decadron or antisezure meds? It is possible to get decadron and some of the seizure meds in a suppository form for those who can't swallow well.
hiding the crushed pills in pudding or something sweet sometimes works, although you want to be sure not to do this with any type of extended release meds...