OH now 43kg

Lucky I do hope he has been thoroughly checked for underlying health disorders? Is it worth getting a second opinion from another GP?

Lucky that must be so hard for both of you ?

I have no idea how old your DH is but would a check over by a geriatric sort of doctor be of any use? They may well have more experience of this type of condition.
How long has this been going on for?

He has had PD for about 10 years, so the underlying problem is gut immotility and general weakness. He always was very slim, but is now far far too thin.

I find appointments with the consultant really hard as I feel they are judging me for not feeding him up, but I am trying, honest guv!!

My father was always skinny and my mother spent almost 60 years trying to get some weight on him - he was fine health wise but she always thought people might think she was not feeding him. My son, when a teenager, could not believe just how much my father ate, as he as a growing lad, could not keep up with him! I feel for you in the predicament and hope he improves.

I don’t know if this will be helpful because my husband had leukaemia not PD so it might be different.

He found that anything with carbohydrate (stodgy) filled him up very quickly and didn’t digest.

I tried to provide high calorie stuff that would just slither through. Things like high quality ice cream, egg custard/ pannecotte type desserts made with double cream.

Savoury was egg again, scrambled with just the yolk (egg white gave bulk without calories) and lots of butter, homemade thin meat soups (red meat has more calories than white).

If he felt like a meal I would do duck or lamb.

Chocolate melted in the mouth and didn’t seem to hang about in the stomach. And he was allowed a bit of booze. Again we went for spirits - high calorie compared to quantity.

I can’t remember what else at the moment. It was a struggle to get enough calories in and the natural reaction was to go for carbohydrate but it didn’t work.

Fat and protein. Not healthy eating but you have to have a certain amount of calories to stay alive!

Hope this helps just a little.

That's a good idea to go for fat and protein Eglantine. Great idea - I will look and see what is in the larder now.

I have just been trying to persuade him to eat his meat from his plate - I feel a bit as though I am feeding a toddler!!

Presumably some sad, serious medical condition is the cause?

Have you told his specialist or gp that the prescribed food is bloating him .
What foods , if any can your husband manage to get down and keep down as I would be tempted to ditch the prescribed foods and puree everything but enriching it with cream and calorie laden ingredients.
Try not to get upset too much by it which I know will be so difficult to do , it may be the next stage of his illness and you have to look after yourself so that you can look after him .
I really feel for you but I'm sure he knows you are doing your very best and I'm certain that other people are not thinking ill of you and that you are not caring for him well. They will understand what is happening.
I feel as if I want to give you a big hug and so wish I could.

Thanks Nanabilly for your kind thoughts, and for all the helpful suggestions here.

I think we need to really tackle this with the consultant when we see her in a couple of weeks. I feel she has given up on him a bit - she told me he was dying, but I had always been told you do not die of PD but die with it.

That must be dreadful to see, Luckygirl. My sister has severe Crohns and is skeletal thin due to her condition. It's painful to witness.

Has your Dh been referred to a dietician? Perhaps they could help, although people here are also giving you what sounds like good advice. I hope you find something that helps.

6st is so small for a man it must be very distressing to see him so tiny
You say you’re trying to get meat down him but I m wondering if he needs meat homemade soup thickened with a potato might be easier
Does he have favourite food? Is it the swallowing ? Or he’s just not wanting to eat
So very difficult for you, hoping this will improve x

How difficult!

I know you are a strong woman Lucky but could you take a daughter or son in law with you to the consultant to testify to your efforts. It might be time for thinking outside the box.

I would also take the advice to use fewer carbohydrates and bulk up. When I expressed concern to mum's gp that all she seemed to eat was chocolate, the gp said, rather curtly, it's all calories!

In the nursing home where I used to work, weight loss was an ongoing problem. The cook used to add butter and full fat cream to potatoes. All the baked goods were made with butter, potatoes roasted in lard or dripping. Sandwiches made with egg, tuna fish or salmon, cheese and pickle or chutney, or just plain cheese. Corned beef was a bit, as were sardines in oil. All the puddings and custard were made with full fat milk, with added cream.
I'm sure you've tried all the above Lucky, I know how difficult it is. My own mother shrank before my eyes.

Lucky my heart goes out to you both.
We had a similar situation with my father.
(And as you say the swollen belly)
He had E-sure drinks every flavour but banana for quite some time.
However all of a sudden stopped taking them.
He would never drink water so that was a non starter.
As it was warm weather I made ice lollies.
Milk, yogurt, orange juice what ever I could think of.
Might be worth a try .
(As he was quite weak my sister or I would hold the lollies for him).

Presumably they have checked him for any other medical problems, or are they just accepting that it is the PD that is causing this weight loss?
Have they done blood tests for coeliac disease, other such digestive ailments and - sorRy to say this (but you do have DGC) have they checked him for worms? Thread worms can cause weight loss, loss of appetite and a bloated stomach.

Otherwise, just keep encouraging him to eat as much high calorie but low density food as possible, along with some protein.

Oh luckygirl I feel for you. It must be so hard watching him fade away. I expect the effort needed to eat is too much for him.
Sorry I haven’t any practical suggestions. Remember to look after yourself too. xx

Luckygirl all I can send is , love and sympathy in an impossible situation.
I am sure you have investigated everything as I hope will have you DH’s doctors.
Please God they don’t just give up on him.
There was a nutritionist a few months back who devised an eating programme for her father who has dementia, things easy to eat, easy to digest and nutritious.
I will go away and look for it on Google.
All I can do though is to wish you both well

www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/nutrition/eat-way-better-dementia-health/

This was the article.
I know the circumstances are different, but there may be some useful suggestions.

Oh , I had forgotten nuts especially ground almonds. I us d them to thicken soups, not potato. More calories and more nutrition. Also macaroons went down easily. They melted in the mouth, but packed with calories especially sandwiched with butter cream.

nourishbyjaneclarke.com/

Her website.

Yes, Jane Clarke did a Q&A session on here too a while ago.
Someone suggested to use potato powder to thicken soups (or ground almonds which are more nourishing as Eglantine suggests), it would not seem so bulky then, and add cream too; soups will be easy to swallow.

Will he take vitamins in liquid form too? I think there is one called Wellgenix and Floradix do one too:
www.superdrug.com/Health-Offers/Floradix-Liquid-Iron-and-Vitamin-Formula-250ml/p/228369?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PX%20-%20GSC%20-%20Generic&utm_term=4583657818201796&utm_content=Health&gclid=COHaqPHlztsCFcdLGwodghsAXQ&gclsrc=ds&dclid=CKK9x_HlztsCFVEi0wodgHEM6w