Expert: Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, M.D. - 10/19/2008

Question
My father was diagnosed in June with Glioblastoma multiforme State IV.  He's done the radiation/chemo to no avail.  He refuses to do any more. He takes everything in stride and has no complaints save one:  Time doesn't stop.  It goes on and on in his mind. If a half hour has passed, he feels like it's been 2 hours.  Hospice is treating him for depression, thinking maybe that's the cause.  It hasn't helped.  We thought maybe boredom; but even keeping him very busy (which we do most every day), he still has a problem.  It is maddening to him and makes him feel as if he is going insane.  He keeps saying "I can't believe no one else with my cancer has ever complained of this!"

In the beginning, time flew by because he couldn't recall the past 5 minutes.  He says if he'd known this would have been the result,he never would have gone through any treatment, but rather would have let the cancer run it's normal course.

Can you offer any suggestions?  My brother did a little research on his own and found one of my dad's tumors is in the area of the brain that supposedly affects alzheimer's and ADD patients. They, too, have time issues.  We wondered if medication given to them might be helpful to our dad.  

Any insight you can provide would be appreciated.

Answer
Dear Pam, I'm a medical oncologist & radiation therapist with experience of treating brain tumors but NOT a neurosurgeon or more importantly not a neurologist. This is a question for a neurologist! So I strongly suggest that you direct this question to an expert of neurology here.