Drugs

• Article - Saving Money on Prescription Drugs When Your Parent's Not Covered by a Medicare Part D Plan

  Information to help you save money on prescription drugs when your parent is in the doughnut hole or just not enrolled in Medicare Part D.

• Checklist - Choosing a Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan

  These eight questions will help you figure out which Medicare Part D prescription drug plan is right for your parent.

• Article - Drugs for Type 2 Diabetes: A Beginner's Guide

  A guide to the oral medications available to people with type 2 diabetes.

• Article - Enrolling in Medicare Programs

  A concise guide to how and when to enroll in Medicare based on your parent's particular circumstances.

• Article - Macular Degeneration: A Beginner's Guide

  Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading...

Blog Posts

• Blog Post - Prescription Addiction: Are Your Parents at Risk?

  Prescription drug abuse and addiction is a growing problem among the elderly.

• Blog Post - Should Cancer Patients Take a Chemo Vacation?

  Most news headlines about cancer treatment trumpet...

• Blog Post - Media Focus on Patrick Swayze's Cancer Begs the Real Questions

  The sudden media attention on Patrick Swayze's diagnosis...

• Blog Post - Exciting News For Heart and Stroke Patients

  Two-drug combination blood pressure therapy lowers cardiovascular risk in patients with high blood pressure.

• Blog Post - Alzheimer's Meds: Time for a Reality Check?

  The absence of good news about Alzheimer's medications reminds caregivers that learning behavioral therapy is paramount.

• Blog Post - Memory Trouble? Don't Assume It's Alzheimer's

  Memory loss isn't always Alzheimer's: a review of types of memory loss

• Blog Post - Diabetes Studies: Good News? Bad News? Who Knows?

  How to make sense of drug study findings for people caring for parents with type 2 diabetes.

• Blog Post - A Drug for the Bones Causes Risk to the Heart

  New research shows that the osteoporosis drug Fosamax nearly doubles the risk of atrial fibrillation.

• Blog Post - Weighty Matters: Diabetes Drugs Can Pack on the Pounds

  Some prescription drugs, it turns out, have an unintended side effect: They lead to weight gain.

• Blog Post - Sex for Life

  New research shows that many people are sexually active well into old age.

• Blog Post - Real Men Can Have Brittle Bones

  Because osteoporosis is underdiagnosed in men, the American College of Physicians issued new guidelines urging doctors to screen men for osteoporosis.

• Blog Post - A "Hip" New Sound or a Noisy Nuisance?

  Why some artificial ceramic hips squeak and what people with hip replacements are doing about it.

• Blog Post - Day Services Really Help People With Dementia -- and Their Caregivers

  New research shows using day services for people with Alzheimer's or dementia helps both them and their caregivers.

• Blog Post - Got a Parent With Diabetes? Chew on This

  A new chewing gum, infused with the widely-prescribed diabetes drug metformin, is in development.

• Blog Post - Don't Wait for a Doctor's Visit to Test for High Blood Pressure

  For those with high blood pressure, home monitoring is recommended by the American Heart Association and other major organizations.

• Blog Post - In Men With Type 2 Diabetes, Bedroom Blues May Signal a Broken Heart

  In men with type 2 diabetes, erectile dysfunction may be a warning sign for serious heart trouble, including heart attack and death.

• Blog Post - Want to Participate in an Alzheimer's Disease Clinical Trial?

  Clinical trials for Alzheimer's drugs attract too few participants to help speed promising candidates through research; here's why.

• Blog Post - Cancer Research Breakthroughs Offer New Cancer Drug Options

  New cancer drugs offer hope for those with breast cancer, lung cancer, brain tumors, and pancreatic cancer.

• Blog Post - Cancer Patients Fight for Access to New Drugs

  Access to experimental cancer drugs and treatments can save the lives of cancer patients, and the issue has become a heated one.

• Blog Post - Tired No More: New Drug Can Treat Cancer Fatigue

  New research shows that the narcolepsy drug Provigil can treat cancer fatigue.

• Blog Post - New Legislation (and You) Can Help Prevent Seniors From Falling

  The Safety of Seniors Act aims to help prevent falls among the elderly. Here are ways to help reduce the fall risk for your parents.

• Blog Post - Falling Down and Feeling Down: What's the Connection?

  Falling down and feeling down linked in elderly, say researchers from Down Under.

• Blog Post - Over-The-Counter Driving Hazards

  Even simple cold medications can undermine the driving abilities of elderly people.

Questions & Answers

• Question - What help is available to pay for prescription drugs?

  Can your parent get financial help to pay for prescription drugs? Does Medicare cover drugs, or are there other ways to get help paying for prescriptions?

• Question - Which medicines cause memory loss?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - Exactly which chemotherapy drugs are cardiotoxic?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - Can you tell me about a drug called Sumitinib?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - Which chemotherapy drugs require a muga scan before they can be administered?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - What drugs are used to treat cardiac problems and COPD?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Do we need Medicare Part D?

  A Medicare Part D plan is a good idea for people with high out-of-pocket drug costs.

• Question - Do I Need Medicare Part D If I Have Blue Cross/Blue Shield from work?

  You may not need a Medicare Part D drug plan, and won't be penalized for not signing up, if you have employer-sponsored drug coverage.

• Question - Can a new diabetes drug also help my mother lose weight?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Can you help explain Medicare Part D?

  For a small monthly premium, a Medicare Part D plan can help pay prescription drug costs for someone on Medicare through long-term disability.

• Question - Do you know the name of a chemo drug that is given through IV?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - do drug companies help pay for chemotherapy

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How do we prevent drug interaction problems?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - Help paying for chemo if you don't qualify for medicare?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How many months/weeks is the usual length of chemotherapy?

  How long does chemo typically last? Is the length of a course of chemo dependent on what drugs you're taking or what kind of cancer you have?

• Question - Can the new drug Symlin help my overweight dad with diabetes?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How effective is Dioxil in treating sarcoma?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - How can I help my parent control nausea while he's on chemotherapy?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Should people taking chemo drugs stay away from babies?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - How long does chemotherapy drugs stay in your system after treatment?

  How long do chemotherapy drugs stay in your system after treatment? How long does chemo stay in the body?

• Question - What can we do for kidney pain during chemo and radiation?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Which systems in the body are affected by chemotherapy?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - When the doctor prescribes a narcotic painkiller, don't we need to worry about addiction?

  An answer to the question of whether you need to worry about addiction when your parent is taking strong medication for cancer pain.

• Question - What is platumn chemo?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - Is there a way to prevent or treat bone pain when my father takes neulasta after chemo?

  Here are some pain management options for those suffering bone pain due to chemotherapy.

• Question - Using VP160 on a 79 year old father for his lung cancer

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - How soon can we expect the nausea to hit after a chemo treatment and how long does it last?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - Can you get pregnant if your husband has leukemia?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - Is chemotherapy a common treatment for Rhumatoid Arthitis?

  Is chemo used for rheumatoid arthritis? Rheumatoid arthritis is treated with low doses of chemo to ease inflammation caused by the autoimmune disease.

• Question - When do side effects from chemo start?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - Does it matter when my dad takes his diabetes pills?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - Why would my brother-in-law take chemotherapy pills for a skin rash?

  Are skin rashes ever treated with chemotherapy pills? Or are skin rashes a side effect of chemo pills instead?

• Question - How do I get my husband signed up for Medicare Part D?

  Medicare Part D drug coverage is very inexpensive for people eligible for Medicaid and in nursing homes.

• Question - Why does the drug levodopa seem to work well for my father with Parkinson's only at certain times of the day?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Can chemo cause side effects for those exposed to the patient receiving it?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - Why would chemo cause stomach pain for my dad, who has stage 4 colon cancer?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - answer to name of chemo drug given through IV question

  Many different chemotherapy medications are delivered through an IV drip.

• Question - Does levodopa eventually stop working?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - What legal recourse do I have with my drug abuser/alcoholic brother who has POA for our mother before he manages to go through my mothers money?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - Could my mother's sleeping pills be causing her sundown syndrome?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Will cutting down on liquids help my father's incontinence?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How do I help my father decide which Medigap plan is right for him?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - What can be done to help my mother's fatigue, caused by her heart failure meds?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - What options are there if your white blood count is too low for chemo?

  When your white blood cell count (wbc) is low, can you get chemo? Or will your doctor refuse to give chemo because of your low white blood cell count?

• Question - Are thre supplements to rejuvenate white blood counts during chemo?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - Is excessively drinking alcohol while receiving chemo unsafe?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Does anyone know the approximate cost of chemo treatment for non-hodgkins lymphoma?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - Is having sex orally with a man safe when going through...

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Are ther any birth defects caused by chemotherapy or any...

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert and a Community Member

• Question - What can I do to get my mom to take her diabetes pills, which she doesn't think are keeping her blood sugar in check?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - My ill mother refuses to live with us, what can be done?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert and a Community Member

• Question - Does chemotherapy shrink tumors while waiting for surgery?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - Is it ok to drink alcohol while getting chemo?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert and a Community Member

• Question - Is it ok to smoke when you are going through chemo?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - What could be causing a low white and red blood cell count and low platelet count in a former cancer patient?

  A low white and red blood cell count or a low platelet count in someone who's had non-Hodgkins lymphoma before means it's time to visit the doctor.

• Question - How much will Medicare cost me?

  Most people get Medicare Part A for free. Eveyone pays for Part B, the amount depending on your income.

• Question - Is there any inexpensive insurance for the disabled?

  Medicare Part A and Part B, Medicaid, and Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage may all be available to someone on permanent disability.

• Question - Is blurred vision a common chemo side effect?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - Can Taxol cause severe ankle, leg, knee and hip pain?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - Is it okay to share a bathroom with someone going through chemo?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - Does Medicare cover psychologist's visits?

  Medicare can pay some of the cost of care by a Medicare-participating psychologist. A doctor's referral is usually required.

• Question - What could be causing my 80-year-old father's repeated falls?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Could herbal supplements affect my mother's ability to drive?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How can I minimize the damage caused to the furniture by my incontinent father?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - What are the first signs of Alzheimer's?

  This question has been answered by two Community Members

• Question - What's the best way to dress my mother's bunions?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How can I help boost my mother's mood after her bypass surgery?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Can Alzheimer's lead to dehydration?

  Dehydration can be a dangerous side effect of Alzheimer's. Many with Alzheimer's forget to drink. In addition, some medications are dehydrating.

• Question - How do I handle my dad's denial about his diabetes?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How long does insulin last once it's been opened?

  How long does insulin last, and does it expire faster if not refrigerated? Here's expert advice on how long insulin lasts and how best to store it.

• Question - Can Coenzyme Q10 raise my mother's ejection fraction?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - Where do I get financial help for my 88 year old mother?

  A senior with low income and assets can qualify for SSI benefits of $600 to $800 per month, Medicaid and a very low-cost prescription drug plan.

• Question - What is Albuterol updrafring with chemotherapy treatment?

  This question has been answered by two Community Members

• Question - Should my parents keep Medicare and private insurance?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Where can I get a bracelet that helps with nausea due to chemo?

  This question has been answered by three Community Members

• Question - Sex and chemo: Is it safe for the woman?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How does drinking alchohol affect chemotherapy?

  Is drinking alcohol on chemotherapy dangerous? Yes, drinking while undergoing chemo for cancer can be harmful, even if it's just social drinking.

• Question - My husband is experiencing severe nasal drip due to chemo. Any suggestions?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - My parent’s blood sugar is going up and down from 275 to 43 on metformin and glipizide, what should we do?

  When blood sugar goes up and down on Metaglip, what does it mean? Diabetes patients must see their doctor when blood sugar goes up and down wildly.

• Question - What precautions should my dad, who has type 2 diabetes, take when traveling?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Where does the blood go that has to be replace due to chemo treatments?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - What extra precautions should my dad with diabetes take when he has the flu?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Are chills a side effect of chemo?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Do Alzheimer's patients typically take depression medication?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - I HAVE HEARD WOMENS BODY'S CHANGE AFTER CHEMO. I CAN'T SEEM...

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - Can chemo for prostate cancer cause the yellowing of the hands only?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How do you get chills after chemo to stop?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How do I help my sister cope with chemo?

  This question has been answered by two Community Members

• Question - Is one of the side effects of chemo a tendency to fall down?...

  When someone is weak from chemo, is falling a side effect? Do falls from chemo treatment caused by numbness or weakness require medical attention?

• Question - Is it safe for a chemo patient who has now grown back their...

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - Is there a limit on how much chemotherapy one patient has?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - How do I get the stains and smell associated with urine out of a recliner?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - What can be done for sore hands and feet as a result of chemo?

  If you experience sore hands and feet with chemo—aka hand-foot syndrome--your doctor may change your treatment to help heal your sore hands and feet.

• Question - What can I take for persistent uncontrolled coughing while taking chemo that won't make me sleepy?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Is it safe for a patient doing chemo get a tattoo?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - How fast does hair fall out after three treatments of chemo?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - Is there any treatment for smelly, foul smelling fingers and hands during chemotherapy treatment?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How do I treat a chemical burn associated with chemo?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - What are the side affects from having chemo abraxane/avactin when you take blood thinners warfin?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - my husband doesnt understand severe fibromyalgia and how my...

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - Can I be held responsible for my mother's medical bills?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - I had chemo for breast cancer and now have neuropathy in my feet and legs. What can be done?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Is it true that temporary blindness is a side effect of chemo?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How do I help my mother cope with the side effects from being administered Adriamycin, more than five years ago?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How can we cope with my dad's severe sundown syndrome?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - How can I find out if I am eligible for housing?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

News

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