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Emily, my mother went down to nothing in the last three years (shes 75, diagnosed this year) i have insisted she drink ensure, she doesnt like it much, but she has gained ten pounds in the last several months and is looking better. paula ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Wednesday, October 09, 2002 8:49 AM Subject: Re: FW: You are now subscribed to the PARKINSN list > Blank, Emily Celia wrote: > >>I would like to introduce myself. I do not have Parkinson's myself, but my > >>77 year old mother is in a moderately advanced stage of Parkinson's. My > >>parents' house has stairs so she is hoping to move into assisted living > >>soon. > >> > >>I think she's on the standard medication, levadopa and sinemet(?). My main > >>concern is that her appetite is very poor which is a relatively recent > >>development. Her doctor thinks it might be the medication. > >> > >>I'd be interested in any experiences people have had regarding ability to > >>eat. > >> > >>Many thanks, > >>Emily Blank > >> > >>Economics Department, Howard University > > Dear Emily, > I'm a registered dietitian, specializing in PD; appetite loss is not at > all uncommon among those with PD, and there a number of possible causes. > Medications, as you say, are one -- particularly in older adults, and > particularly if the older adult is taking more than one kind of > medication (multiple meds). > > Another possible cause is depression, which also occurs frequently with > PD, and can be very subtle and hard to detect. > > Another possibility is slowed stomach emptying, which can manifest as > "early satiety" -- the individual feels full after only a few bites of food. > > I would discuss this thoroughly with her doctor. > > Best regards, > Kathrynne > > > > -- > Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD > "Ask the Parkinson Dietitian" http://www.parkinson.org/ > "Eat well, stay well with Parkinson's disease" > "Parkinson's disease: Guidelines for Medical Nutrition Therapy" > 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 > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn