suggestions for family member who has trouble eating

jnklheimer

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Jan 9, 2021
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They have autoimmune, with manifestation of Lupus. Swelling in mouth and rashes and itching. Bilastine (modern anti histamine) did nothing, Benadryl for a few days no big difference, now I have them on cyproheptadine, gave a test dose of 1mg 2x a day for one day and now just gave them 4mg and plan to give them another 4mg later and then before bed for a total of 12mg a today. They are also taking 70mg of pregnenolone daily now and a little bit of fat solubles, D, K, E, will have them on A soon.

Even eating apple sauce or soft boiled eggs is a challenge for them. Getting very little protein and calories per day. So I am giving them 4 cups of milk a day, with a teaspoon of gelatine and some salt in each and some honey. They are very against sugar and hesitant to even drink orange juice, and now are wanting to get off coffee to see if it helps (i don't think it will). So getting them to drink honey and salted milk is a success. I am trying to get them to have 80g of protein a day and hopefully can accomplish that with milk.

Have thought about trying to feed them liver but I have a feeling it will just be wasted, they never even ate it when they were more healthy. So I will probably pick up a vitamin A supplement to go along with the D, E, and K2 mk4 they are getting. Their diet is atrocious otherwise, very low in nutrients. Last night my sister made him a coconut milk and vegetable soup and I doubt it even had 5g of protein in one serving.

What do you think about a decent B-vitamin supplement with the better forms of the vitamins for now? They are taking a really bad Kirkland brand with the poor forms of B's in there in thoughtless ratios right now. The one I'm looking at getting them has benfotiamine and the r5p and methyl folate forms. I know the supplement isn't ideal and can cause issues too but it seems to be a better idea than them just starving of these things in the meantime.

Dr. peat recommended me give them an orange julius with ice cream and orange juice, I will have to work up to that. They are so afraid of sugar because their fasting blood glucose was slightly high. They keep complaining that they don't want to become a diabetic, the doctors really did a number on them. Side note, these problems all started shortly after my family member was egged on by their doctor to lose weight after a knee surgery. They essentially developed sarcopenia by starving themselves. They weren't even overweight before. It was insane. The doctors have been zero help. The tests they ran were the bare bones, they only checked TSH, didn't check hormones or anything else.

I'm also considering starting them on a small dose of oral or transdermal testosterone but not sure if this is too risky right now. Maybe it will help?
 
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BearWithMe

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The recommendation of ice cream and orange juice is a very good recommendation.

Be very careful with anything that could boost metabolism - testosterone, progesterone, thyroid... and yes, even coffee. Boosting metabolism when calorie deficient can backfire really, really horribly.

Is that family member an adult? The way you talk about "them", it seems that you are pushing your ideas on "them" really hard. This usually only trigger resistance and mistrust. I know you mean it well, but if you talk to "them" the same way you talk here, it is no wonder they are hesitant to try your ideas.
 
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jnklheimer

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They're an adult. My use of the pronoun "they" and "them" shouldn't imply much more beyond the literal definition. I understand your concern though, sometimes someone needs to be handed a glass of warm milk and told to drink it, though.
 
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Luann

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Your family member is lucky to have someone knowledgeable and who points out the harm done by mainstream dr's. So many well-meaning people will just take pride in enforcing what the hospital says for patient to do.

Idk how members here feel about giving vitamin A.

My experience is that it is best to work around, with, and ahead of "doctor" advice rather than challenge it head-on, vast majority of people are biased toward the institution. Edit: or find a Peat-ish professional. My dad switched to coconut oil... after his chiropractor recommended it.
 
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gaze

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don't give them vitamin A. that will reduce the appetite even more. it may be difficult, but buying a centrifuge juicer and making the potato juice might help get them digestible protein that may help the system heal. getting nutritional or brewers yeast, and boiling water and putting a table spoon or two in it, and then letting the sediment drop to the bottom and drinking the liquid, can give a B supplement. They really need sugars and protein in them, and the saturated fat in the ice cream helps reduce stress even more. you need to try and tell them that they're elevated blood sugars are from stress, and eating more sugar reduces stress which lowers blood sugar. I would not give them test, or any other metabolic stimulant until you can convince them to eat more fuel, or else it will do more damage. as much milk, calcium, cheese, fruit, that you can get into them, the better.
 
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jnklheimer

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Joined
Jan 9, 2021
Messages
356
Your family member is lucky to have someone knowledgeable and who points out the harm done by mainstream dr's. So many well-meaning people will just take pride in enforcing what the hospital says for patient to do.

Idk how members here feel about giving vitamin A.

My experience is that it is best to work around, with, and ahead of "doctor" advice rather than challenge it head-on, vast majority of people are biased toward the institution. Edit: or find a Peat-ish professional. My dad switched to coconut oil... after his chiropractor recommended it.
thanks for the nice words.

don't give them vitamin A. that will reduce the appetite even more. it may be difficult, but buying a centrifuge juicer and making the potato juice might help get them digestible protein that may help the system heal. getting nutritional or brewers yeast, and boiling water and putting a table spoon or two in it, and then letting the sediment drop to the bottom and drinking the liquid, can give a B supplement. They really need sugars and protein in them, and the saturated fat in the ice cream helps reduce stress even more. you need to try and tell them that they're elevated blood sugars are from stress, and eating more sugar reduces stress which lowers blood sugar. I would not give them test, or any other metabolic stimulant until you can convince them to eat more fuel, or else it will do more damage. as much milk, calcium, cheese, fruit, that you can get into them, the better.
ok, thanks for the suggestions. ill hold off on anything but pregnenolone and cypro for now.
Sure, but they won't drink it if you don't convince them it is a good idea.
hopefully they start feeling better and stick with it based on their own accord
 

GreenTrails

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Joined
Jul 31, 2020
Messages
169
They have autoimmune, with manifestation of Lupus. Swelling in mouth and rashes and itching. Bilastine (modern anti histamine) did nothing, Benadryl for a few days no big difference, now I have them on cyproheptadine, gave a test dose of 1mg 2x a day for one day and now just gave them 4mg and plan to give them another 4mg later and then before bed for a total of 12mg a today. They are also taking 70mg of pregnenolone daily now and a little bit of fat solubles, D, K, E, will have them on A soon.

Even eating apple sauce or soft boiled eggs is a challenge for them. Getting very little protein and calories per day. So I am giving them 4 cups of milk a day, with a teaspoon of gelatine and some salt in each and some honey. They are very against sugar and hesitant to even drink orange juice, and now are wanting to get off coffee to see if it helps (i don't think it will). So getting them to drink honey and salted milk is a success. I am trying to get them to have 80g of protein a day and hopefully can accomplish that with milk.

Have thought about trying to feed them liver but I have a feeling it will just be wasted, they never even ate it when they were more healthy. So I will probably pick up a vitamin A supplement to go along with the D, E, and K2 mk4 they are getting. Their diet is atrocious otherwise, very low in nutrients. Last night my sister made him a coconut milk and vegetable soup and I doubt it even had 5g of protein in one serving.

What do you think about a decent B-vitamin supplement with the better forms of the vitamins for now? They are taking a really bad Kirkland brand with the poor forms of B's in there in thoughtless ratios right now. The one I'm looking at getting them has benfotiamine and the r5p and methyl folate forms. I know the supplement isn't ideal and can cause issues too but it seems to be a better idea than them just starving of these things in the meantime.

Dr. peat recommended me give them an orange julius with ice cream and orange juice, I will have to work up to that. They are so afraid of sugar because their fasting blood glucose was slightly high. They keep complaining that they don't want to become a diabetic, the doctors really did a number on them. Side note, these problems all started shortly after my family member was egged on by their doctor to lose weight after a knee surgery. They essentially developed sarcopenia by starving themselves. They weren't even overweight before. It was insane. The doctors have been zero help. The tests they ran were the bare bones, they only checked TSH, didn't check hormones or anything else.

I'm also considering starting them on a small dose of oral or transdermal testosterone but not sure if this is too risky right now. Maybe it will help?
I'm so sorry about your family member's health problems. I would like to make a suggestion, and I hope you don't mind. I am reading the Gut and Physiology Syndrome by Natasha Campbell-McBride, M.D. and following her diet suggestions. I can fully understand your family member's concern about sugar and diabetes. When I tried Ray Peat's suggestions of orange juice and ice cream my A1c came back "pre-diabetic", which I had never even been close to before. So the orange juice and ice cream (Hagen Daaz) didn't work for me.

I am suggesting that you give your family member some homemade grass fed beef broth, something he can drink, and something that is full of nutrients, and easily digestible. You can gradually add some vegetables if agreeable, and then try some homemade applesauce or something like that. Eggs are a little harder to digest, so you might wait on that. I highly recommend Natasha's books.
 

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