manic depression and cancer

crose
crose Member Posts: 9
edited March 2014 in Caregivers #1
My husband was diagnosed with esophageal cancer (stage IV) more than a year ago. This diagnosis seems to have triggered manic symptoms that recurr whenever he is feeling physically good (recovered somewhat from treatment). It got to a point last year that he had to be hospitalized because he hadn't slept in several days and wasn't making any sense.
The awful, awful part of this is that he resists taking medication to control these symptoms and he sees me as the "enemy" whenever I question him about his sleep patterns, or express concern. The last thing I want to do is haul him into the hospital again. But what else can I do if he won't take care of himself?

Comments

  • soccerfreaks
    soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member
    #2
    Manic depression
    Crose, it is not uncommon for a cancer diagnosis and/or subsequent treatment to result in anxiety, panic attacks, and depression. I liken the diagnosis to hearing that you have received a death sentence: it may not be true, but most of us no too little about cancer before such a diagnosis and what we do know is probably associated with death. It is not without cause to suggest that even the people who beseech us for money to support various cancer causes use the death card to lure the dollars from our wallets and purses.

    As a result, we may very well experience some of the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, if not all of them.

    That is to say nothing of what treatment does. You do not mention your husband's treatment, but I like to say that going through surgery is like being in a knife fight where you are bound to lose: the other person is awake after all. And there seems to be concurrence that chemotherapy may adversely us affect us psychologically.

    So, as you already know, the cancer can affect more than the body.

    That said, there are quite a few survivors I have talked to (I am one, myself, twice now) who talk about how in the aftermath of treatment they have new sleep cycles (nothing like what your husband is apparently experiencing). In my case, I found that following chemo I would stay awake for 24 to 48 hours, I think because of the decadron (a steroid that was part of my chemo mix, added I believe to alleviate nausea).

    If that is not the case, if this is not related to very recent treatment, I would suggest that your first option should be to have him agree to see his family doc or OncoMan or whichever doctor he seems to trust the most. Perhaps that person can convince him to take medications that can help with both depression and sleep.

    Otherwise, I think you have hit upon the safest and most reasonable solution, if he truly is up for days at a time: after all, sleep deprivation may be caused by mania, but it certainly results in psychosis in time. That is not healthy for either of you.

    Best wishes to your husband and to you.

    Take care,

    Joe

Discussion Boards