does anyone know what this could be?

Question

Okay well for a past few months my dad has been having trouble getting up out of his chair.. And he cannot walk right because he says his legs are "Stiff" he literally limps from it.. Also one of the doctors he went too said he had an enlarged prostate.. but the other one (supposed to be a better doctor) said it wasn't that bad and gave him some kind of medication for it.. Also , he can't even lift his arms STRAIGHT up in the air and hes gotton awfully lazy and expects everyone to do everything for him.. Im not used to seeing him like this , i feel as if im with a 90 year old man.. and my dad just turned 56 yesterday... Im worrying that this is the beginning of something thats never going to end.. Hes not scheduled to go back to his doctor intill the end of April and im not sure how long i can stand this.. He refuses to be hospitalized and get thoroughly checked.. My mom is thinking of looking for a roomatologist (sp?) to check for arthritis but im most worried about cancer or somethin

cancer or tumors or something deadly.. I am only 15 and I hate seeing my dad like this and its so scary how just like 5 months ago he was fine!!! Do any of you men have the same problem or know what it could be?

Answer 1

i'm 15 too!... and he might, just let your mom take over with that, going to the hospital is probably a good idea... he might have either an enlarged prostate, even though i dont think that would cause stiffness. or he might have arthritis, which is only a bit painful and not deadly...... but dont worry, i doubt it's deadly, so dont worry.... and he is probably just aging, so you dont need to worry too much

Answer 2

It sounds like some arthritis. I'm only 53 and have arthritis in my knees, ankles, and shoulders. It does limit your mobility and is painful. Unless he exhibits any other symptoms beyond what you have described such as being off-balance or mental confusion (neurological symptoms), he doesn't sound like he needs the emergency room. They will just refer him back to his own doctor and charge him for an emergency room visit. His symptoms are not acute - you said they have been going on for the past few months. When he goes to the doctor in April (or sooner if you can convince him), he should tell his doctor about it so they can check it out and give him some medication for the arthritis pain. Sometimes Aleve or Motrin or other over the counter medications can help. Also, just sitting and having everyone do everything for him isn't good for him. He needs to MOVE some to keep from stiffening up. As far as his prostate, an enlarged prostate at his age is not uncommon. His doctor should run a PSA to definitely rule out prostate cancer (although it doesn't sound like it is). That should be a required test for a man in his 50's. By the way, I'm an RN and checked out my answer with a doctor.

Answer 3

That sounds a little bit like my dad a year ago. He complained of being stiff and weak and couldn't even lay still in bed he was so sore. And he was having some minor problems with his heart rate. His weight dropped drastically, about 60lbs in 8months. His regular doctor was too lazy to look into it. All the other doctors were comming up with all these different reasons but none of them were right, until we went to the rheumatlolgist.
Definitely go to the rheumatologist. That's where it all started for us. He diagnosed my dad with polymyalgia rheumatica and gave him some meds and he was good for a while. polymyalgia rheumatica isn't very serious and is easily cured with the meds.
Unfortunately for us this was just an early sign of Multiple Myeloma, a kind of Cancer that attacks white blood cells and bone marrow. This wasn't found until he was in and out of the hospital for months at weeks at a time, and they were always looking for something wrong with his heart, because he was having a very irregular beat.
Whether or not this is what he has, your dad has to understand how serious it could be. No body likes the hospital but the earlier they find the cause the better. My dad is the same age and I never would have expected anything like this. Just be there for your dad and your family. Don't let him just sit there until he has to be hospitalized.

Answer 4

Many of us have a fear of pain, especially unspecified pain that is not only discomforting but worrisome. In reality, pain is a wonderful warning system that tells us that we have a problem in our body. Consequently, when we have pain, we should not be so concerned about the pain itself, but we should rather focus our attention on what is causing the pain.

We rush to our medicine cabinets to take a pain killer when we feel pain. Does this, however, address the cause? Often, the site of the pain does not necessarily correspond with the site of the real problem. An example of this is premenstrual syndrome. We feel that it is caused by blood stagnation and swelling in the lower abdomen that leads to headaches, mental irritation, low back pain, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and a variety of other symptoms.

When these symptoms occur, we feel that the best treatment is to improve circulation to the lower abdomen. By treating the cause, all the other symptoms automatically disappear and do not return in most cases. By simply relieving the pain, the pain may get worse over time and/or the patient may develop other problems as a result of not taking care of the primary cause.

Even though it may seen irritating at first, pain can be viewed as a good thing that happens in our body. Much as a fire alarm gives the occupants of a building a chance to escape safely, pain may give the patient a chance to address the primary problem properly. When we ignore the pain or address the pain improperly, we pay a bigger price later on down the road.

Using Eastern Medicine and acupuncture, we at the Acupuncture Center of Dallas strive to find the root of the problem. We believe that there is no form of treatment that can equal the healing properties within our own bodies. Eastern Medicine and acupuncture assist the body's own healing mechanisms by improving circulation and temperature, allowing an increased supply of vital mutrients and other materials to reach the parts of our bodies where they are needed. This effect occurs in addition to the well known effect of increasing endorphin and seratonin release which are endogenous pain relievers produced by our bodies

Answer 5

Sounds like it might be something affecting his motor skills. He should see a neurologist. At his age this might be the start of something like Parkinsons.

In any case, the symptoms do not relate to the prostate or to cancer. Typically, cancers in the prostate are not painful, and do not cause other physiological problems, other than difficulty urinating or controlling flow of urine.

As far as prostate problems go, he should have had a PSA test done; if that was normal, the enlargement is probably BPH - Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. This is not a deadly disease, just something most men get as they age.

Answer 6

That doesn't sound like an enlarged prostate to me. It may sound more like a nerve or muscle issue. Has he ever had any back problems? It's hard to say. I think you should let your Dad know how much it hurts you that he's not seeking medical attention and tell him that it's tearing you apart. Perhaps he doesn't want to go in fear of what the results may be. I lost my Dad a few years ago to cancer and it was the worst thing in my life. Beg him to seek medical attention.

Good luck to you and your family.

Answer 7

It sounds Neurological in nature... Have him see as well as a Rheumatologist a Neurologist... ^The worst thing you guys can do is enable him to sit and not do for himself... The more he moves the less the stiffness there will be.... Has he been bitten by a Tick that anyone can recall? The symptoms can also relate to Lyme Disease..
PS: Tell him how you feel about him and that he is still a young man by today's standards and that you want him around for a long..LONG time... :0)

Answer 8

That's hard to say in the absence of a medical history; I would be concerned about him being anemic (lack of iron) from blood loss (e.g., internal bleeding from an ulcer or tumor) or poor diet. An enlarged prostate by itself would not contribute to these symptoms unless it's bleeding and causing the anemia. He needs to have more diagnostic testing performed.

Answer 9

The original symptoms you listed do not match up to prostate problems at all. It sounds like your father has rheumatoid arthritis. Give him Motrin 600-800 mg at a time three or four times per day and see how much better he moves and feels. Get him to another internal medicine physician for an accurate diagnosis.

Answer 10

You must get him to see a physician and the doctor must do a thorough physical and diagnostic tests that would show any abnormalities.Men are very stubborn,and selfish,so you might have to be patient and ask him to do this FOR YOU.I am sorry to hear this,and unfortunately we bring these things on ourselves(I am not saying this is the case with your dad)by our unhealthy lifestyle that includes overeating,smoking and drinking.Fifty six is still young,so please try convincing him that things will get better,but he has to do his part.Good luck.