My mum won't eat anything

[towergirl3]

Hi,
In the last 2 weeks mum's appetite as become almost non-existent, her appetite has been poor for a while but since she started taking sertraline to help with the evening confusion she has hardly eaten anything, just says she feels really sick. I spoke to the GP who advised me to halve the dose to 25mg and see how she is next week, he said it takes a few weeks for the side effects of the drug to go. She seems to be getting worse. I don't know whether it's the dementia causing the decrease in her appetite or the tablets. Has anyone got any experience of using this drug for dementia patients or of dementia and refusing to eat , I would welcome any advice as I am really worried about mum

Thankyou

 

[Cat27]

I've no experience sorry but eating & drinking less are quite common as dementia progresses.

 

[NatB123]

Hi towergirl.

I do not have any experience with the medication that you mention but didn't want to go past without replying.

I have problems with my Nan not eating. Fortunately she doesn't say she feels sick but she either thinks she's already eaten or she isn't hungry. I have found that if I just make her something she eats it anyway.

If you already do this and she says she feels sick once the food is prepared and doesn't eat it maybe you could speak to her doctor? I know that when my Nan was first diagnosed she had lost so much weight that the doctors were thinking about prescribing her with some deserts and shakes that were full of everything that she needed to try to help her get back to a healthy weight.

I hope that you find some manage to sort something as I know how worrying it can be.

 

[Digilux108]

Hi,
In the last 2 weeks mum's appetite as become almost non-existent, her appetite has been poor for a while but since she started taking sertraline to help with the evening confusion she has hardly eaten anything, just says she feels really sick. I spoke to the GP who advised me to halve the dose to 25mg and see how she is next week, he said it takes a few weeks for the side effects of the drug to go. She seems to be getting worse. I don't know whether it's the dementia causing the decrease in her appetite or the tablets. Has anyone got any experience of using this drug for dementia patients or of dementia and refusing to eat , I would welcome any advice as I am really worried about mum

Thankyou

Why is the GP prescribing antidepressants? Have a look at this article from Kings College, London which refers to the Lancet, the UK medical journal.

http://www.kcl.ac.uk/ioppn/news/rec...mentiapatientscouldprovemoreharmthangood.aspx

My mother used to get a bit agitated and couldn't sleep, so her GP gave her Mirtazapine. However, according this article, setraline and mirtazapine should be reconsidered. As you can see, researchers say that no benefit is provided, yet the side effects are increased.

There may be a number of reasons why your mother is not eating. Loss of appetite doesn't necessarily mean that a person is depressed. Maybe she is thinking about something she liked when she was young (more often than not, people with dementia still retain their long term and emotional memory - is there something that might stimulate these memories in terms of flavours, tastes etc?). How progressed is the dementia by the way?

I don't think there are any hard and fast rules here, but you might think about encouraging her to eat a little and more often. If chewing is a problem then use softer foods. If swallowing is a problem then ask for resource thickening agent. You can get this on prescription:

https://www.nestlehealthscience.com/brands/resource/resource-thickenup-clear

You put this in food and drink and this makes it easier for the person to swallow.

Try and make meal times relaxed and avoid distractions. You can get prescriptions for special drinks and puddings that are high in nutritional value.

I think it might be worth talking to the GP and don't be afraid to raise your concerns. An alternative solution should be sought.

 

[nita]

I think anti-depressants have side effects such as nausea when you first start them but the effects gradually wear off the longer you take them. It may be 2 or 3 weeks.

It depends on whether the confusion that the sertraline was prescribed for has eased notwithstanding the side effects.

It is cause for worry if she is not eating at all so I think you should discuss this further with her doctor. It may be a case of changing to a different drugs or perhaps waiting a little longer to see if the side effects lessen. He will probably judge by the amount of weight she has lost and weigh up the options.

 

[towergirl3]

Thanks for the replies and support, the gp has now changed mum to mirtazapine, got to give these 3 weeks. She said these increase the appetite. I am still not happy that they are giving mum anti depressants. I asked about her being changed from donepezil (Aricept) on to memantine as I have read that treats the symptoms associated with sun downing etc. The doctor insists that we try the mirtapazine for a few weeks and then if they don't help she will talk about trying that.

 

[Lozzer]

My mum wont eat anything

My mil wouldn't eat last year and lost a lot of weight -down to 5 stone but she did turn the corner and has now put the weight back on. I bought a red tea plate which is supposed to stimulate the appetite. It may be coincidence but it appears to have worked. I also gave her small portions on the tea plate so she wasn't over faced by the amount of food. The doctor also advised us not to worry about nutrition so we gave her what she liked which was sweet things - rice puddings and cream cakes. She now eats small dinners and I top up the calories with biscuits (with a cuppa) and cakes.
I believe that dementia affects the taste buds so I tried spicy foods like mild curries, mild chilli, chicken in BBQ sauce and sweet potatoes. Other things she likes are sausage, mash and baked beans or boiled bacon, mash and beans rather than gravy and veg.

Hope this helps

 

[jorgieporgie]

Hi Towergirl,
I agree I don't think the lack of appetite is down to depression, It could just be the progression of the illness or the meds.
My Mum stopped eating and only ate small amounts of porridge, soups and custard. The GP referred her to a dietician who prescribed Nutrition supplement drinks which helped until she stopped eating and drinking altogether.
I would ask for a dietician to asses her, once they lose a lot of weight it takes a long time to build them up.
Good luck x