Hi and welcome to the forum though sorry for the reason you find yourself here.  I just thought it might be worth you giving the nurses a call on the number at the  bottom of this page for a little guidance. (it is free from landlines and most mobiles).  I cannot comment directly on your Dad's condition as have  no medical knowledge and probably the best people to answer your queries will be the medical team looking after your Dad. 

Your Dad does sound pretty poorly and I am glad you had quality time with him before his condition changed. Sending a virtual hug at this difficult time and hope you get some information soon.  Jules54

Hi beautiful

My father had this regime in his last days, he was put on a driver with diamorphine to control the pain, I asked that they did not put the sedative midazolam in his driver so that my brother could have some last words with him when he visited. Once they added the sedative to his driver he went into a deep painless sleep and could not speak. You could ask the hospice about the medication and if the midazolam is really necessary, I appreciate the difficulty of the situation you are in and send you, your dad and your family my best wishes. Kim

I believe Midazolam is similiar to Valium, in that it is there to manage stress when awake, my Mum shifted around a lot, which seriously aggravated her pelvic and spinal tumours. The diamorphine is cumulative so will eventually result in the body sleeping (as the organs begin to shutdown). If he has been on the SD since April then that is remarkable, my Mum was also on one for 4 weeks. He is a very strong willed Dad.

Additionally, both drugs may have been gradually increased over time, I'd potentially check the drug increase as well. A sharp increase / or even mistake is unfortunately possible. My Mum twice had incorrect dose changes, firstly to little due to a doctor's miscalculation, then to much based on the perceived correct calculation. 

It's fantastic yougot to spend quality time in Friday with him x

Hi,

The syringe driver is only a way of giving a steady dose of medication without the need for someone physically pressing the plunger on a syringe every few minutes and disturbing the patient. Their use wouldn't have contributed to the changes you've observed.

Kim's description of Medazolam sounds right. My Mum was on a mixture of sedatives and diamorphine via syringe drivers in the hours before she died, these ensured she had the peaceful and dignified end that she had hoped for.

Best wishes

Dave