I've gone from nearly 14 stones to 10 stone over possibly 3 months. I have become very weak & lethargic. It seems to be muscle as well as fat that's gone missing.
I find that many of the foods I have liked all my life taste unpalatable & make me feel sick, so I don't eat much beyond cereal (I think I'm eating the cereal but it tastes like the box), soup for lunch and as much of my wife's cooked evening meal as I can cram down.
You folks know everything. Can anyone help? Supplements, nourishing drinks, where to get them?
Thanks
Frank
Written by
serenityfrank
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Hi Frank - if you get in touch with your GPor District Nurses they can get you fortified drinks etc. on prescription, although I understand they don't taste wonderful either....Seriously, if you have lost that much weight it might be an idea to get along to the GP. Take care.
Thanks Gill. In about 3 1/2 weeks I'll be able to tell you what one of the thundering herd said - won't be able to tell you what MY gp said - I don't seem to have one.
Respiratory nurse didn't comment when she came last week.
Oh, in case you didn't notice, I'm a grumpy old cynic.
Last summer I was 9 st now I'm 7.1/2 due to a series of unfortunate episodes, lost muscle too and feel lethargic also. If I eat too much I tend to feel sick, I am on a mission at the moment to put weight and muscle on. I'm eating cakes, biscuits with real butter on between meals, doing exercises which I have to force myself to do. I've been 7.1/2 before and got back to 9, perservere, make it a challenge to put weight on. There was talk on this site recently about powdered milk to help put weight on.
yes we used to fortified milk with milk powder for extra cal's/kal, small things like use butter not spreads, use fall fat foods not reduced fat, use cream when cooking not milk, eat little and often, also extra sweet food and stuff like this,
your body will use up the fat supply first then the mussel which you turley don't want.
my john was never heavy than 10 stone and was a tall 6 ft chap he went down to just over 5 stone in two years,so i know how it feels not just to see this happen, but what a struggle it is for you and eating as well.
it is conman place but not much help
go to see your Dr or if you have a nurse ask to see a dieation (sorry slept wrongly) they will give you fortsips and maybe cal shots which are small pots of drink but ask for the flavored ones .
Thanks Libby. I too hate the exercise. I find that lots of carbohydrates are just as unpleasant as protein. I saw the powdered milk messages. and they said it could be added to soup (which I do eat at the moment). Maybe I'll ask my wife to try and get some. Frank
You really must see a GP,,give the nurse a ph,she should be able to get you seen faster i hope..you take care ...
Oh, I love grumpy old cynics...they usually have the most wonderful dry sense of humour - my kind of guy, definitely! Sorry for the deviation, the build up drinks aren't that bad but do see your GP (sorry...a GP) and get them on prescription.
Failing all else I have a spare 3 stones to donate to anyone on a 1st come 1st served basis!
Thanks ID. It really does take weeks to see a GP at my practice unless the triage nurse decides it's an emergency , & we're "out of the catchment area" of the nearest practices.
I agree with the wonderful advice of others get back on the phone. I had terrible muscle wastage before I was diagnosed and lost weight which I can ill afford to, PR helped me and we are back to good old powered milk I was advised to use in everything, I put on 6 1/2 lb in 5 weeks.
I called the respiratory nurse - you all bullied me into it my friends - she seems to like milk powder & is sending me some information. Hope it's on orange flavoured paper! Frank
I don't know if they still make Complan but that,s a good suppliment, so long as you have no heart issues go mad & try to get cream cakes down yourself & putting double cream in soups is another way to pile the pounds back on, cream in mashed spuds ect but I,d rather you got apt & saw GP for full once over, hope you are soon a chubby happy chappy Karen x
My husband lost three stones over three months and the dietician came to see him. She refused to give him meal supplements as she said they would fill him up and he would not be hungry for normal meals. He was told to add milk powder to his full fat milk, drink milk-shakes, lots of butter on toast, custards with carnation in fact all full fat food. He has now gained 7 lbs, it is slow going though. They say a COPD sufferer uses three times more calories when doing something than a healthy person would. If a fit person used 100 calories to walk across the street, a COPD sufferer would lose 300 calories doing the same thing. I bought him a lot of Angel Whirls and made them with full fat milk and added carnation. They say that milk products does not make more mucus, they used to think so but they have foiund out it doesn't.
Thanks for that sweetthing. My wife cought some Complan for me while we wait for the district nurse's reply. Isn't it strange to have all the previous advice about low fat stuff reversed?
My husband is on blood pressure and cholestrol reducing tablets, so we asked the matron and dietician why he has to start eating full fat foods when we are told to eat heathily as surely the tablets would not be as effective.
She said that someone with COPD/Bronchiectasis needs to keep his weight up as if he has another chest infection he isn't strong enough to fight it and because he is taking these tablets he is being protected but if his blood pressure and cholestrol went up because of all these full fat foods they could increase the dosage.
You sound like me Frank. I lost weight last year and was worried until I went to a Heart specialist due to chest pains I was having due to my IPF. He said lighter is better than heavy and I stopped worrying. I'm at the same weight now as I was when I saw the heart man. My favourite, Fillet steak, chips and mushrooms sauteed in butter with the steak, your only here once.
I've had 5 pages of instructions from the respiratory nurse, and the district nurse (so many different nurses?) is coming in on Wednesday. Never met that team before.
The 5 pages basically said fat & protein - pretty much what sweetthing said 4 days ago apart from Angel Whirls.
Plus 1) crisps, 2) nuts, 3) sardines (all ok); 4) eggs, 5) meat, 6) cheese. 1-3 I like, 4-6 I can't eat at the moment.
OOps - oxygen man arriving
I'm struggling to find foods suitable for my MIL. She's about 3-4 stone with end stage COPD. She doesnt have teeth 1,2 and 5 are out! and the rest she is fed up with, like the idea of the milk powder. i'll have to get inventive with it or she'll be bored of custard.
Hi Lalavee. I hope i fall off the perch before I get to that stage. I must admit that I'm getting fed up with milk powder after 2 weeks and I'm not arresting the weight loss let alone reversing it. If you get inventive please send me the recipies! Frank
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.