Muscle wasting

[pennyc02]

Hi all. My mum is 77 and had a heart attack and heart failure six months ago. They couldn’t put a stent in her blocked artery so she’s just managing off medication. It’s been a slow process but she’s doing okay. The one thing I’m worried about is that she looks to be losing all her muscle mass and actually looks to be disappearing before my eyes. She has energy and is eating but she’s gone from a D cup to literally now being flat chested!!! It’s as though she’s having the life sucked out of her. She’s had 2 lots of blood tears and they came back normal. She’s had an echo and a stress echo and we were due to see her consultant next week to go through all her results, but it’s now been changed to a phone appointment!!! It’s so frustrating that nobody is actually seeing her, but I know that’s the new normal now. Anyway my question is, has anyone else experienced this muscle wasting? Should I be worried?

[pennyc02]

She’s had 2 blood tests and they came back fine

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Anyone who is bed bound or a couch potato can lose muscle mass quite quickly and the rate of loss increases with age. Loss of muscle can cause falls and fractures.

I was staggered by the amount of muscle loss the physios pointed out to me after six weeks in bed or a chair. Whilst my right leg is coming back it is a struggle to regain the muscle in my left hip area essential for walking with a prothesis.

Unless medical issues preclude it I think some resistance exercises would be useful. You could get some light dumbbells although a couple of tins of baked beans would be a start, and a suitable resistance band. Good luck...

[Thanksnhs]

I am not long out of hospital after seven weeks, so much weight loss and I have always been skinny due to heart failure, they gave me protein drinks, ensure, in the hospital and to bring home, the physio seen me most days and I have excersises to do, it's my legs in particular that are still weak, it is difficult trying to put on weight, I was also told if you are under eight stone you can only take one paracetamol at a time, I never new that, they are going to warn people on the packets about it, I wish your mum a good recovery, I hope she can get back to her old self soon take care char

[Tessie28]

Hi, you need to talk to the rehab team at her hospital to find some simple movements to help her build up. Good luck x