Loss of appetite

[Gzsimo]

My 84 year old mother has been diabetic for 20 years. Recently she has had a hard time with her appetite and vomits when she eats. She has also had some loose stools and fatigue.  She is scheduled for an mri. Any thoughts on what this could be?

[Gzsimo]

Also, for some reason  her blood sugar is low (60) in the am upon waking. Would  a good bedtime snack help this. She isn't eating well. In the morning when it is low she drinks a sunny d.  Than typically  she has spikes around noon. Up to 200.  I am trying to get her on a schedule with meds.  Glipizide 10mg in am, langus shot at noon starting at 10 units and retesting in 2 hours and giving her 10 mor if she is over 140 and metformin1000 mg 2x a day am and pm.  Any advice would be appreciated!

[Gzsimo]

We just had a doctors appointment earlier this week and her thyroid levels were fine.  They have decided that it is a ischematic colitis confirmed by several CT scans. A colonoscopy would be necessary to confirm the diagnosis but she is so frail we hesitate doing that.   The problem now is that she still does not have an appetite. Therefore her blood glucose is all over the place. I am very concerned. In the morning it is usually 70 or below today it was 50!  How often should she test her blood glucose? And should she eat  every 2 to 3 hours. Do you happen to know a website that might give me more information on how she should be eating to help manage her blood glucose?  It seems like her levels skyrocket at around noon to about 200 or so. She is on insulin I just hope it is the correct dose now that she has lost so much weight. Any help would be so much appreciated!! Thank you.

[Gzsimo]

Thanks for the useful info!

[Super_sally888]

Hi Gizmo,

her high blood sugars may be due to h er being unwell.  Also, the liquid diet may be higher carb than she usually takes (resulting in her high sugars).

Please work with her Doctors (I hope she is on insulin) to control the blood sugars, as the high blood sugars can hamper her healing.

Please ask them to test her thyroid function and also Bvitamin levels to make sure these are all fine.

Hope she will feel better soon.

[Gzsimo]

They tried to do a colonoscopy and had to stop because she had low oxygen levels.  What they did see was colitis on the right side. After the procedure she was so so ill. For the rest of the day she was vomiting had diarrhea!  She was put on oxygen also!  She has never had heart problems!  They had to test her lungs and checked her heart. All ok. So worried about her. I think they gave her too much sedative.  This made her more sick than when she went in.  I don't want her having another colonoscopy.  We are treating the colitis with antibiotics. But her blood sugars have been all over the place as high as 500!  She hasn't gone this high before. The have her on some liquid nutrition and have her on a soft diet. She seems to be doing well with it.  Very well. What is prognosis?  Any ideas at any blood work or questions I should ask doctor?

[Super_sally888]

hello,

she should be tested for gastroparesis (delayed stomach emptying), which can be complication of long-term diabetes.

There are medications to help with this, and she may need to take semi-liquid meals.

How well controlled are her blood sugars?  If they are high, this may worsen her condition, so decent control is important - however this also needs to be balanced with her age and general condition.

I hope that the testing she has will give some clearer idea of what's going on and some guide to treatment.

Please also make sure she is tested for her thyroid function (TSH, FT3, FT4). Hypothyroid in elderly people can also affect appetite and digestion.  I would also recommend that she is tested for B12 levels, as deficiency in these can also affect health.

Let us know.