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NITA ANDRES wrote: > > My husband has lost about 40 lbs in a year to a year and half. Is this unusual PWPs? I have read all the books ( that I know about ) and found no reference. I cannot get enough calories into him and he does eat well. We have been to a nutritionist to no avail. > He has no tremor at all. I have seen PWPs on TV ( M. ALi _ and he does not appear to be skinny. Any help out there? > > Nita Andres CG David 83 Dear Nita, Unintended weight loss is very common among PWP, and the causes are numerous. Your nutritionist and/or hospital's medical library should be able to access an article I wrote last year, for help in assessing the cause of your husband's weight loss, and planning a weight-regain diet for him: Unintentional Weight Loss and Its Management in Patients with Parkinson's Disease. Nutrition In Clinical Care. V 4 No 3; 2001. Some reasons are: -Dysphagia, impaired tongue movement, jaw rigidity, swallowing difficulty, choking -slowed stomach emptying, acid reflux -loss of the sense of smell/taste -clinical depression, mood or thought disorders -cognitive impairment -fatigue -loss of manual dexterity/slowed eating -medication side effects -increased serum insulin levels in levodopa users -rigidity -tremor, dyskinesias The reason for his weight loss needs to be assessed, in order to determine the best way of treating it. I would ask his neurologist for a referral to a registered dietitian who is experienced in Parkinson's disease, or at least in gerontological nutrition, and ask the RD to locate the article mentioned above. Best regards, Kathrynne -- Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD "Ask the Parkinson Dietitian" http://www.parkinson.org/ Author: "Eat well, stay well with Parkinson's disease" "Guidelines for Medical Nutrition Therapy for Parkinson's disease" http://www.nutritionucanlivewith.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn