While I agree with everything already said about nutrient dense natural foods being the way to go when possible, it sounds from the OP like maybe your FIL isn't at a good point for doing that right now. He is in severe pain, and cannot eat even as much as your two year old. Has his doctor spoken to him about a feeding tube? During my DH's bout with throat cancer he had one inserted. Truth be told, he did very badly on it, and had it yanked early, and just forced himself to eat. Other friends, going through similar issues, have been able to tolerate it much better. It requires using a formula, and not Real Food, but maybe that is what your FIL needs for awhile to bring him back up to a point where he can tolerate food by mouth better. You might also see if your local cancer center has any booklets on encouraging patients to eat. I got one that was quite informative (sorry, can't recall the name at the moment); I altered some things to fit better with what I know of healthy eating, but many of the suggestions were helpful.
need help with gaining weight
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TanksHill
Super Self-Sufficient
Free you bone broth sounds wonderful!!
I hope some of this helps him.
I hope some of this helps him.
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rebecca100
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Thank you everyone! They are great suggestions! we are going to try to locate a milk goat. He does take pain pills, but if he takes enough to actually take away the pain, then he starts having problems with them messing him up. Hallucinations and such. So he just takes what he has to to be able to deal with the pain. The other morning we were woke up at around 5 in the morning with him in the floor where he was too weak and nauseous to stand and dh had to pick him up and carry him to bed. Something has to give somewhere and none of us know what to do.
OR Chick- I am afraid you are right and a feed tube will be coming when he gets to the point he can no longer walk.
OR Chick- I am afraid you are right and a feed tube will be coming when he gets to the point he can no longer walk.
Mackay
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Marinol is an Rx med that is a synthetic THC. It will work and it helps with nausea also. There are other drugs that stimulate appetite also. Why is he not on one? A THC product will do the job the best with the least serious side effects.
He needs to get his pain under control. He should not be in pain and this doctor is negligent for allowing it to happen. Usually there is a wide enough variety of pain meds that one can be found that will alleviate pain. Also pain can be caused by inflammation and a course of steroids may really help, and they will stimulate the appetitie also. If there is too much inflammation all the pain meds in the world will have limited effect and all the good food in the world will not make a difference if he is in too much pain. Why should an old man, likely in his last days, even if he is not in his last days, have to sit around in pain so bad that he cannot eat?
If the pain is alleviated he may start eating. Get him on Vitamin D3, B12 and a good multi B vitamin also.
He may also possibly benefit from a TENS unit.
Find another doctor that knows how to use pain control meds.
If the pain gets alleviated and he does not start to eat there may be other issues going on.
He needs to get his pain under control. He should not be in pain and this doctor is negligent for allowing it to happen. Usually there is a wide enough variety of pain meds that one can be found that will alleviate pain. Also pain can be caused by inflammation and a course of steroids may really help, and they will stimulate the appetitie also. If there is too much inflammation all the pain meds in the world will have limited effect and all the good food in the world will not make a difference if he is in too much pain. Why should an old man, likely in his last days, even if he is not in his last days, have to sit around in pain so bad that he cannot eat?
If the pain is alleviated he may start eating. Get him on Vitamin D3, B12 and a good multi B vitamin also.
He may also possibly benefit from a TENS unit.
Find another doctor that knows how to use pain control meds.
If the pain gets alleviated and he does not start to eat there may be other issues going on.
Mackay
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also make sure he is not constipated. Constipation can cause lack of appetite. He needs to be going every other day at least. Pain meds will cause this problem and too many times things get neglected in this area.
Jamsoundsgood
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He sounds exactly like my FIL. We've recently just moved him up here to make sure he gets enough to eat. He's got the back issues, complicated with post-polio, and a life-time of hard living (as he puts it 
). I've known him for eleven years, and he's been in chronic pain for longer than that. He's tried everything. At one point he was taking between 8-12 vicoden (sp) a day. He would actually throw up the Marinol. Currently all he takes is about 4-5 hits from mj a day and he can eat, and control his pain. I've seen him off of it, and I've seen him on it. I do not like him off it. He just can't function. He does not get high on it, but he can eat (at least a little more than otherwise, and not if his wife gives it to him but that's a whole other set of issues ), and he feels productive again. He is a naturally paranoid man, and this doesn't help, I will say that. Oh, and as for the bad example thing. He never smokes in the house, and we've told our kids that he's smoking his medicine in a similar way that they use their nebulizers or an inhaler, the doctor just wants him to use a pipe. It helps that we're in WA and it's um, "legal."
). I've known him for eleven years, and he's been in chronic pain for longer than that. He's tried everything. At one point he was taking between 8-12 vicoden (sp) a day. He would actually throw up the Marinol. Currently all he takes is about 4-5 hits from mj a day and he can eat, and control his pain. I've seen him off of it, and I've seen him on it. I do not like him off it. He just can't function. He does not get high on it, but he can eat (at least a little more than otherwise, and not if his wife gives it to him but that's a whole other set of issues ), and he feels productive again. He is a naturally paranoid man, and this doesn't help, I will say that. Oh, and as for the bad example thing. He never smokes in the house, and we've told our kids that he's smoking his medicine in a similar way that they use their nebulizers or an inhaler, the doctor just wants him to use a pipe. It helps that we're in WA and it's um, "legal."- Thread starter
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rebecca100
Almost Self-Reliant
When he talked to his doctor and explained to him that he couldn't eat and was having problems the doctor was sympathetic and that was it. FIL didn't even know there was such a thing as an appetite enhancer until a couple of weeks ago and even then when he asked about it the dr acted as if he didn't know what he was talking about. He has been trying to find something online to help increase his appetite. I agree that the dr. sounds as if he is slacking on his job or too busy to care or something. He definately has inflamation going on too. Perhaps he needs a new dr!
Farmfresh
City Biddy
Steriods will often boost appetite as well. I don't know if they would be appropriate in you FIL's case, but maybe.
A few years ago my MIL who was ALWAYS a very thin woman decided she was not hungry and not going to eat. This whole thing was started by a bout of the flu. She stopped eating and we just could NOT get her to start back up.
Knowing now what I know she was suffering NOT from flu etc.. but from elderly Anorexia nervosa. Ultimately she chose not to eat and to starve herself. Not a thing we could do.
No matter what we tried she refused to eat. She ended up in nursing care. We ended up trying the feeding tube route. Her body would not tolerate the tube diet. Her protein got totally imbalanced, her legs swelled up it was horrible. She actually ended up dying.
I am NOT trying to scare you. I just want you to get help as soon as possible. The longer they go eating too little and nothing at all the harder it is to get them eating again.
Keep us posted and try everything!
A few years ago my MIL who was ALWAYS a very thin woman decided she was not hungry and not going to eat. This whole thing was started by a bout of the flu. She stopped eating and we just could NOT get her to start back up.
Knowing now what I know she was suffering NOT from flu etc.. but from elderly Anorexia nervosa. Ultimately she chose not to eat and to starve herself. Not a thing we could do.
No matter what we tried she refused to eat. She ended up in nursing care. We ended up trying the feeding tube route. Her body would not tolerate the tube diet. Her protein got totally imbalanced, her legs swelled up it was horrible. She actually ended up dying.
I am NOT trying to scare you. I just want you to get help as soon as possible. The longer they go eating too little and nothing at all the harder it is to get them eating again.
Keep us posted and try everything!
