Corel Medical Series: Cancer/Corel Medical Series: Cancer.iso/mac/Program/c13.dxr/00087_Field_SRC.c13.A.17.txt

Text File | 1997-01-28 | 1KB | 17 lines

• Symptoms associated with jaundice can include severe itching and a general sense of poor health. These
  symptoms can generally be managed with a drainage procedure to bypass the blockage in the biliary tract. This
  procedure may include placing of a tube through the skin or through the stomach. Surgery is rarely necessary
  to bypass an obstruction. If such drainage is ineffective, itching may be relieved by the use of Benadryl, Atarax
  or cholestyramine.
• Pain relief may require large doses of medication. Narcotics must be used carefully, however, since they may
  have excessive side effects and are metabolized by the liver, which may not be working properly.
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be surprisingly effective even against the severe pain associated
  with gall bladder cancer.
• The use of water pills to reduce fluid in the abdomen or legs may be helpful, but may cause significant
  imbalance in kidney function and can create major problems if not monitored carefully.
• Nausea can be treated with standard medications, including suppositories.
• Sleep disturbances are common, but sleeping pills should be used carefully since most are metabolized by the
  liver.
• Frequent small meals may be necessary since an abdominal mass may encroach on the size of the stomach.
• Patients with the severe loss of appetite may be helped by a drug called Megace .