Weight Loss & Dementia

[Mommidizzle]

Hi again folks ....

2nd post .....

Has anyone any experience of rapid weight loss if you have dementia ?? My OH has lost one and a half stone since March this year ! he is getting thinner by the week!? He still eats quite well, has a good breakfast, snack through the day and we always have a cooked evening meal..... it does however wander around the house most of the time and doesn't sit still for long so i suppose is more active ??

he is 6ft 5 and has gone from 18.4 stone (middle of March) to 16.11 stone (weighed today)

I am thinking it must be a symptom of his AD but am also a bit concerned it may be something else ??

 

[Kevinl]

My wife (5 feet tall) went from a size 14 dress size (don't know what weight that was) down t 6 stone 4 oz. This was leading up to her diagnosis and was because she wasn't eating properly and I never really noticed. She's put some but not all of it back on now.
Has anything else changed in his lifestyle, like he's now more active because he's not stuck behind a desk all day? I've lost weight too but what changed is we no longer go to the pub and I don't drink as many calories as I did when we shared a bottle of wine at home after I'd had a couple at the pub.
K

 

[Kijo]

My husband went from 175 pounds (12.7 Stone) to 148 pounds (10.8 Stone) in about 6 months, and he still swears he's 175 pounds. He looks about 15 years older now, and has no muscle on his 5'10"frame. I had to buy him new pants as his waist went down 2 sizes and his pants wouldn't stay up.
He faithfully eats cereal for breakfast (sweet ones), but I did notice he wasn't eating lunch so I started labeling soup tins, fruit, and leftovers "your lunch" to remind him to eat - or I leave a note to tell him what kind of sandwich to make (I clean up when I get home). If I go out I make sure I have made him dinner, otherwise he doesn't eat.
I know he has no concept of time so he only eats when he is hungry, but only what is right in front of him. I work full time so sometimes he is having lunch when I get home at the end of the day. I make sure he gets big meals for supper to try and get calories into him.
I think it may be a combination of the restlessness - he fidgets all day and evening, and it may also be the donepezil he is on, as 2 of the side effects of it are loss of appetite and weight loss.
If your OH is on medication(s) perhaps it may be a side effect you can ask his doctor about.

 

[Spamar]

Morning. In his early dementia days OH went from 10 1/2 st to 7 st. Eventually managed to get him eating again. But several years on, I think he is slowly losing weight again. However, in late stages now, so probably to be expected.

 

[patsy56]

B although has the Parkinson's yes has lost weight, but try to feed him sweet stuff, and I think it is more muscle and fat loss , try to make him do exercises......

On the other hand yes mom who does have dementia just eats sweet stuff custard etc, an we know she lies, but says yes have eaten a cooked meal.