My fil eats very little. They want him to eat meat his iron number is 13 and they said it is supposed to be 50. Yet he doesn’t like meat anymore. He does eat beans, eggs, ensure a few other things but he lost 25 lbs in the hospital. The man has no appitite and forces it but eats little.
Any suggestions for the appitite coming back? So far the dietician hasn’t limited his food just wants him to get his appitite back and eat protien too.
Thanks again! 
Is your father in law on dialysis? On PD? Why was he in the hospital? It’s hard to say what’s going on, knowing so little–and we are not doctors. When people have been very ill, it is common for them to lose their appetites.
It does sound like he is having an especially hard time eating meat, though, and to me, that’s a red flag that if he is on dialysis, he may not be getting enough treatment to feel his best. (If he is not yet on dialysis, it may be getting close to time to start). Losing an appetite for protein can mean that toxins the kidneys would normally remove are building up in the bloodstream.
As Dori said, you haven’t given us much info. Um, I can personally tell you that after I had peritonitis, my apetite went away and did not come back for a long time. Also, my protein levels stayed low for a better part of a year, actually it was about 9 months before I fully recovered.
Welcome to Home Dialysis Central, Neddie! We’re glad to have you here, and appreciate you sharing your knowledge with us.
Thanks Neddie for that info on no appetite. My husband just had peritonitis and he has had no appetite and diarrhea.Even though the peritonitis is gone, his appetite has not returned and he still is battling diarrhea. His protein level is very low and he is weak. He also has “waves” of feeling very bad during the day/night.
The doctor I used to work with told patients that they should eat if they weren’t hungry. It’s not easy to do, but amazingly, sometimes eating actually stimulates appetite. Another thing that stimulates appetite is activity. Getting up and moving can help build strength and endurance while getting the GI tract moving. Sitting or lying around, which is easy to do when you don’t feel well, doesn’t let the body know it needs nourishment.
There are nutrition supplements that are high in protein that can help people on PD get the protein they need to offset the protein that PD removes. The dietitian at your dialysis clinic should be able to tell you what supplements are best for you. I had patients who broke protein bars into small pieces and ate them like candy throughout the day.
Well they told him for 1 month to eat what he wants to help him get his appitite up. Then next month they will evaluate his numbers and tell him what to cut out or eat more of. He is supposed to eat more protien, but doesn’t like meat really anmore. He likes, eggs, cheese, beens.
She said for now he can have alittle more salt. He isn’t supposed to because his heart but his bp is so low it is scary.
If he doesn’t like meat, do you mean beef? You say he likes eggs…that’s good. Will he eat chicken, turkey, pork (not ham), veal, and fish? These are all good sources of protein. There are powdered egg whites that can be added to foods or drinks to increase the protein content. Protein powders are relatively cheap and available in grocery store cooking sections.
You say he likes beans. Talk with the dietitian about the types of beans he likes to eat. Some may cause him to have high phosphorus and itching. High phosphorus can cause weak bones.
If the reason he doesn’t like meat relates lack of seasoning, Several dietitians I know are recommending seasonings from a company called Pleasoning. Your doctor or dietitian can order free samples for patients to try.
http://pleasoning.com/index.asp