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82 year old father with celiacs.

Joel Wells

By Joel Wells
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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Joel Wells Newbie
Joel Wells
Posted

I found out a couple years ago that my elderly father, whom I live with, was diagnosed with Celiacs Disease.  The only reason I found out, I asked how he could eat so much and only weigh 120lbs.  He said they tried to change his diet when he was young, but he almost starved to death.  He will not discuss it further, nor thinks it’s a problem.  Fast forward to today, he eats incredibly large amounts of sweets, along with his 4 meals a day.  I’m talking, 10-12 large cookies, 6-8 little candy bars and multiple puddings a day and he’s losing weight.  it’s insane.
He has multiple health issues, but he is even getting thinner and all he can think about is food.  What does one do?

Thank you for any suggestions.

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trents Grand Master
trents
Posted

Welcome to the forum, Joel!

I have an uncle that was diagnosed with celiac disease maybe 8-10 years ago. He is 89 years old now. He made a half-hearted attempt to eat gluten free for a bit but then abandoned all efforts. Being a celiac myself, I cajoled him to get on the gluten free bandwagon but it became clear to me he made a conscious decision to continue to eat gluten. He is a very social person and eats out a lot with friends. I believe he realized that eating gluten free would necessitate him curtailing his social life and he wasn't willing to do that. He determined that his social life was more important than whatever negative impact continuing to consume gluten free would have on his health and longevity. 

My point is, your dad is an adult and you must respect his decision not to attend to this matter. He has weighed the pros and cons of continuing to eat gluten and decided it was not worth the hassle and food pleasure deprivation in order to be a compliant celiac. Besides, at 82 he likely does not have much longer under the best of circumstances (even if he were gluten free).

The more important issue in my mind is the genetic odds that you are also a celiac or will develop the disease. A recent study by the Mayo Clinic involving over 300 people revealed that the odds of those who are first degree relatives of celiacs also having celiac disease is 44%. And keep in mind, many have "silent" celiac disease where they have no symptoms or only very minor GI symptoms. You should be tested if you have not. Now, I am assuming you have not as you do not mention in your post that you have celiac disease.

Joel Wells Newbie
Joel Wells
Posted
  • Author
1 hour ago, trents said:

Welcome to the forum, Joel!

I have an uncle that was diagnosed with celiac disease maybe 8-10 years ago. He is 89 years old now. He made a half-hearted attempt to eat gluten free for a bit but then abandoned all efforts. Being a celiac myself, I cajoled him to get on the gluten free bandwagon but it became clear to me he made a conscious decision to continue to eat gluten. He is a very social person and eats out a lot with friends. I believe he realized that eating gluten free would necessitate him curtailing his social life and he wasn't willing to do that. He determined that his social life was more important than whatever negative impact continuing to consume gluten free would have on his health and longevity. 

My point is, your dad is an adult and you must respect his decision not to attend to this matter. He has weighed the pros and cons of continuing to eat gluten and decided it was not worth the hassle and food pleasure deprivation in order to be a compliant celiac. Besides, at 82 he likely does not have much longer under the best of circumstances (even if he were gluten free).

The more important issue in my mind is the genetic odds that you are also a celiac or will develop the disease. A recent study by the Mayo Clinic involving over 300 people revealed that the odds of those who are first degree relatives of celiacs also having celiac disease is 44%. And keep in mind, many have "silent" celiac disease where they have no symptoms or only very minor GI symptoms. You should be tested if you have not. Now, I am assuming you have not as you do not mention in your post that you have celiac disease.

I agree, I haven’t tried to change how he eats.  Wanted to know more about what I should expect in the near future, with him losing weight and eating more.  What is the next stage?  I couldn’t find any information on it.  I’d like to know what is coming his way.
   I plan on talking to my doctor at my next physical and getting tested.  I told my entire family to get tested as well.  Thanks!

Joel Wells Newbie
Joel Wells
Posted
  • Author
4 minutes ago, Joel Wells said:

I agree, I haven’t tried to change how he eats.  Wanted to know more about what I should expect in the near future, with him losing weight and eating more.  What is the next stage?  I couldn’t find any information on it.  I’d like to know what is coming his way.
   I plan on talking to my doctor at my next physical and getting tested.  I told my entire family to get tested as well.  Thanks!

Oh, and he hasn’t weighed the pros and cons.  He thinks it’s nothing and refuses to talk about it.  He stated that he knows people that can’t eat gluten because they get sick, and he’s not like that.  I tried to explain that those people had gluten allergies and that it’s different than Celiacs.  He stopped the conversation.  I also believe he thinks everyone has 10 bowel movements a day.  Furthermore, his current doctors don’t even know he has it.  He hides it.

trents Grand Master
trents
Posted

Yes, he is in denial it seems. But denial can be a way of saying, "I don't want to know more. It wouldn't change my mind. It's more important to me to enjoy life as I have known it."

As far as what to expect. That is hard to say. No one dies directly from celiac disease but typically the malnourishment it produces leads to other health problems that can be eventually fatal. What exact form that takes is hard to predict. There is also an increased risk for bowel cancer because of the constant inflammation.

notme Experienced
notme
Posted

one of my church people has celiac and he cheats.  i tsk tsk at him all the time, his palms of his hands are dh city, all blistered and cracked, but he won't change his ways.  he is an old guy and also skinny as a rail.  i worry about him but sometimes all you can do is pray for some people.  i bring extra gluten-free stuff for him, like brownies and cookies, etc.  you could do that, maybe he'd see gluten-free isn't so bad?

Wheatwacked Veteran
Wheatwacked
Posted

Have you his permission to speak with his doctor to find out about his weight loss and other underlying conditions. What does his doctor think?

Do not make this confrontational.  He had a very bad experience previously and you do not want to get his dander up about it. Focus on the good stuff he likes to eat and don't worry him about the bad stuff.  M&M Peanuts don't have gluten, use real sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup and 3 ounces is 464 calories has 15- 20% RDA protein, healthy fats, potassium, magnesium, niacin, selenium, vitamin E and more. Potato chips have a 2:1 potassium to salt ratio (that's heart healthy), 67% vitamin E in 3 ounces. the fat thing was a lie they finally admitted to and he does not have a calorie problem. The Irish did well on potatoes until the Potato Famine. I really like the new gluten free Orio's. Have in the house different gluten-free breads until you find one he likes. That generation likes their bread. Pasture fed milk with 10 Oreo's is heaven. Fruits, vegatable, meat all gluten-free. I never understood why pizza consumed reasonably was considered junk food. Cultural bias I think, I like one called Against the Grain (gluten-free).

And once you finish your own diagnosis, make gluten free your problem, not his.

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knitty kitty Grand Master
knitty kitty
Posted
(edited)
On 9/24/2021 at 10:34 AM, Joel Wells said:

I found out a couple years ago that my elderly father, whom I live with, was diagnosed with Celiacs Disease.  The only reason I found out, I asked how he could eat so much and only weigh 120lbs.  He said they tried to change his diet when he was young, but he almost starved to death.  He will not discuss it further, nor thinks it’s a problem.  Fast forward to today, he eats incredibly large amounts of sweets, along with his 4 meals a day.  I’m talking, 10-12 large cookies, 6-8 little candy bars and multiple puddings a day and he’s losing weight.  it’s insane.
He has multiple health issues, but he is even getting thinner and all he can think about is food.  What does one do?

Thank you for any suggestions.

Having a ravenous appetite (or conversely having none at all) is a symptom of Thiamine insufficiency.  It's our bodies' way of trying to correct the deficiency, by turning up the appetite.  

Thiamine is needed to turn all those sugary sweets into energy.  Give him 100 - 200 mg thiamine at every meal and snack! 

Thiamine is in meat.  Get your dad some jerky to snack on instead of sugary treats.  (M&M's don't have any thiamine.)  

I feel for you!  My elderly father came to live with me.  He was skinny as a rail and losing weight.  He dismissed my Celiac diagnosis.  I know he had it, too.  I've got TWO Celiac genes.  He refused to entertain the notion of having Celiac.  I kept no gluten in the house.  I prepared all the meals and snacks.  His weight stabilized.

My sister, who is also in Celiac denial, came to visit.  She fed him gluten cake.  He choked and died.   (Dysphagia -not being able to swallow properly- is also a symptom of Thiamine Deficiency.)  He was 81.

Best wishes to you and your dad!

 

Edited by knitty kitty
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