My lovely mother’s life is slowly coming to an end and I want her to have the least suffering possible. I think she has ascites but is this worth draining or should she just go onto end of life medications.
Unfortunately, as we are not involved in her care, we can't really comment in depth about your question. I am not sure if your mother is under the care of a palliative care team (macmillan team), and whether she is at home or in hospital. They are the best team to assess this, as they have experience in managing advanced cancer symptoms. These teams are based in hospitals, or in community teams for people at home. They work alongside a patient's GP when at home, in caring for someone at home with advanced cancer.
Ascites can be drained, and doctors do assess a patient to see whether this would help them, before planning this procedure. It is usually done within a hospital or hospice setting, as sometimes it can cause a drop in blood pressure, after the fluid is drained.
I hope that this reply is helpful at this time,
Please get back to us if you need any more information or support. You may find it helpful to talk things through with one of the nurses on our helpline. The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.
