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Listmates:
 
I'm on the Alzheimer's list now since my Dad is suddenly worse.  One of my
listmates there talked about her aunt who was at the moderate dementia
stage, but stopped eating and lost about 35 pounds over six months.  Because
of this weight loss, they recently put her in a nursing home and started to
feed her by tube.  In this last week she was given some anti-Parkinsons
drugs and antibiotics, and she is now in fetal position and can hardly be
awakened and can hardly move.  It is quite sad and scary and happened very
quickly.
 
This just got me to wondering if anyone considers checking for celiac in the
elderly when they start losing weight and stop eating. (I realize other
things could be happening, too.)
 
Does autoimmune disease only happen in the young and middle-aged? Is
stopping eating something that happens with younger celiacs sometimes? (I'm
one of the g/f c/f'ers from the autism list.) This woman is on thyroid
medication, so I suppose its possible she might have already had some
autoimmune problem. I've become aware since dealing with my Dad that medical
problems in the elderly are generally seen as unsolvable and something our
elderly just have to tolerate. (My dad's doctor has even said, "Well, in a
younger patient we might _________, but we won't try it because it probably
wouldn't help anyway...)
 
Thanks for your input...
 
Susan Owens
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                            (Walter & Susan Owens)
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                            Dallas, Texas  USA