Father's health is declining, what could be wrong with him?
Posted , 2 users are following.
My father is 64 years old, and has trouble walking and getting up from a chair. He limps a lot, has a bad back, and seems like he may fall over any moment. He is often unable to fall asleep and stay asleep; he was hospitalized briefly on his 64th birthday a few months ago with an irregular heartbeat, and went for an emergency EKG again a few weeks later after being unable to sleep all night with a severe headache, which I heard came out normal. Since then, he has not had any serious incidents. He doesn’t think it’s arthritis, but some nervous system disorder. He has been to doctors who have prescribed him Ambien, Neurontin, and a few other generics, but he says those drugs have not helped him very well. He is 5’11”, weighs about 175 pounds, and has been fairly healthy until recently. His father lived to 84 and his mother lived to 90. He smoked some in his twenties, but has never touched tobacco since then. When he was hospitalized, I found out he had been drinking a lot of whiskey, more than I thought he did, behind my back late at night. I believe and hope he has cut back or stopped drinking it altogether since then. He had to cut down his working hours due to his age and health, but now cannot go back in his physical condition, and has been using up his vacation and sick time. I have been a good son; I often come over to help him out with everyday activities, and my mother has been calling him up asking how he’s doing, despite them splitting when I was a child. We don’t know what he could be suffering from, and if it could be possible for him to recover physically.
0 likes, 2 replies
Lu26744 warner17636
Posted
Hi Warner,
Sorry to hear your dad is going through a rough time. Hopefully your dad has stopped drinking alcohol. Drinking alcohol while taking Ambien and Neurontin can cause side effects like dizziness, drowsiness and difficulty concentrating. Lots of info regarding these medications while using alcohol on the Internet. It's rough when doctors aren't able to pinpoint the cause of illness. I'm going through something similar right now. What type of doctors has your dad seen so far? If your dad hasn't seen a specialist yet, it may be time to do so. A rheumatologist would be able to examine your dad for evidence of arthritis. If your dad doesn't have arthritis, perhaps seeing a neurologist would be the next step. A neurologist could examine your father to see if his symptoms are due to a nervous disorder. Wishing you and your dad the best as you search for an answer.
warner17636 Lu26744
Posted
Lu,
Thank you for replying. My dad went to the emergency room again a couple days ago. He told me he felt horrible, but did not do a very good job describing what felt bad and how. He did some testing, got prescribed Lorazepam, and scheduled appointments with a psychiatrist and a neurologist the next day. He has been ordered not to drink any alcohol, and I'm pretty sure he has not since then. We are still waiting for results, but, like I mentioned, no one seems to know what sort of disorder he has. It is likely a nervous disorder though. Thanks for the best wishes.