Question for poik when he comes in.

My mother is now apparently down to about 40kg bodyweight. She is still taking metformin (1000mg x2/day) and januvia (100mg x1/day). This is what she was taking back when she weighed in excess of 60kg, as far as I can tell.

Is it usual to not reduce dose with bodyweight loss? And shouldn’t she be hypo-ing with this? She eats very little.

Fortunately she is now seeing a different GP, who has decided that BPs of 126/60 and 103/53 suggested she didn’t need her BP medication. I’m well on the outer again now as I recently suggested (again) that if they moved here (well, not into my house, but into a unit close by) I could help. I did this after Dad started complaining about having to do all the domestic stuff. I got an email today pretty emphatically refusing my help.

// with bodyweight loss? And shouldn’t she be hypo-ing with this? She eats very little.

not the usual side effect

> metformin and januvia

Both for Type 2 diabetes. I don’t know them. My mother was on insulin injection for Type 2 diabetes.
Is she checking blood sugar regularly, at least once daily?

mollwollfumble said:

> metformin and januvia

Both for Type 2 diabetes. I don’t know them. My mother was on insulin injection for Type 2 diabetes.
Is she checking blood sugar regularly, at least once daily?

I was given metformin some years ago for something else.. not type 2 diabetes (which I don’t have) It clearly has other uses

She is on it for Type 2 diabetes. What I am questioning is after losing about a third of her bodyweight and now being underweight, shouldn’t her dosage have been altered from what it was before?

(She is near enough to 87 now….I would prefer they went for quality than quantity of life. Like minimize medications)

Retirement village.

buffy said:

She is on it for Type 2 diabetes. What I am questioning is after losing about a third of her bodyweight and now being underweight, shouldn’t her dosage have been altered from what it was before?

(She is near enough to 87 now….I would prefer they went for quality than quantity of life. Like minimize medications)

What I am answering is a that a blood test for glucose is needed to tell whether her dose needs to be altered. And also whether she would do better on different drugs. You know that diabetes tends to get worse with age rather than better.

Most doctors don’t decrease medication when a person loses weight, but perhaps they should, and diabetes may be a special case.

I assume you know that weight loss may be a side-effect of having too much diabetes medicine, insufficient blood glucose.

At 86 years old there are almost certain to be multiple health problems, and only a qualified professional can tell how an increase or decrease in dosage for one health problem will affect other health problems.

Peak Warming Man said:

Retirement village.

Buffy could move in with her parents ;-\

Morning all.

25.1°C, 64% RH, 1/8 cloud (local, forming over the sand dune from the east), calm.

Sorting old deck timbers today, with interludes of surf-matting and bludging and weeding and fence repairs and screwing ornaments to the fence and getting paintings on the walls and whatever else comes along to distract me.

Apologies for the last post. Wrong thread.

buffy said:

Question for poik when he comes in.

My mother is now apparently down to about 40kg bodyweight. She is still taking metformin (1000mg x2/day) and januvia (100mg x1/day). This is what she was taking back when she weighed in excess of 60kg, as far as I can tell.

Is it usual to not reduce dose with bodyweight loss? And shouldn’t she be hypo-ing with this? She eats very little.

Fortunately she is now seeing a different GP, who has decided that BPs of 126/60 and 103/53 suggested she didn’t need her BP medication. I’m well on the outer again now as I recently suggested (again) that if they moved here (well, not into my house, but into a unit close by) I could help. I did this after Dad started complaining about having to do all the domestic stuff. I got an email today pretty emphatically refusing my help.

No, well depends on the drugs, but not those two.

Can still have disordered blood glucose due to age. Could be hypoing – is anyone testing or noting any symptoms of hypo?
I’d be looking at her kidney function (CrCl) as both of those medications should be reduced if kidney function is moderately poor (and often aren’t in older people).

The BP is rather low – it’ll promote falls and feeling unwell – diastolic below 60 does this, IME commonly in elderly.

Also, they should be getting a care package for the domestic duties etc.

http://www.myagedcare.gov.au/help-home/home-care-packages

Thanks poik. She does see a physician. I have no idea about her kidney function, I’ve not been told about any problems there. Her most recent adventure was with the Alzheimer’s medication, which produced bed wetting. Reduce the dose and it stopped (as far as I can work out). We are intending to visit again the weekend after this one, so perhaps I can see how she is faring a bit better. The place is a bit lala, but my sister in law and I have arranged that my brother will be there when we are there so discussions can happen if Dad is willing. I don’t think he will be. He does not recognize a problem, except that he has to do more domestic stuff than he is used to doing. He’s looking for praise all the time…

Peak Warming Man said:

Retirement village.

I’ll give you their phone number and you can persuade them. I’ve been trying for about 10 years now.

buffy said:

Thanks poik. She does see a physician. I have no idea about her kidney function, I’ve not been told about any problems there. Her most recent adventure was with the Alzheimer’s medication, which produced bed wetting. Reduce the dose and it stopped (as far as I can work out). We are intending to visit again the weekend after this one, so perhaps I can see how she is faring a bit better. The place is a bit lala, but my sister in law and I have arranged that my brother will be there when we are there so discussions can happen if Dad is willing. I don’t think he will be. He does not recognize a problem, except that he has to do more domestic stuff than he is used to doing. He’s looking for praise all the time…

I was quizziczal about this with my recent long term rash thing. People were telling me about liver and kidney failure but when I mentioned it briefly in front of any of the docktars, they gave the briefest shake of their heads.

Buffy,

http://www.iga.com.au/catalogue/#view=catalogue2&saleId=15857&areaName=IGA-QLD-8P-VA-Z1&page=9

Note: top left corner,

Arnott’s Shapes Barbeque Original
1/2 Price, Save $1.50
$1.50 each

Michael V said:

Buffy,

http://www.iga.com.au/catalogue/#view=catalogue2&saleId=15857&areaName=IGA-QLD-8P-VA-Z1&page=9

Note: top left corner,

Arnott’s Shapes Barbeque Original
1/2 Price, Save $1.50
$1.50 each

nah, doesn’t work. need to enter location for your specific catalogue.

ChrispenEvan said:

Michael V said:

Buffy,

http://www.iga.com.au/catalogue/#view=catalogue2&saleId=15857&areaName=IGA-QLD-8P-VA-Z1&page=9

Note: top left corner,

Arnott’s Shapes Barbeque Original
1/2 Price, Save $1.50
$1.50 each

nah, doesn’t work. need to enter location for your specific catalogue.

The location should be in chat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Michael V said:

Buffy,

http://www.iga.com.au/catalogue/#view=catalogue2&saleId=15857&areaName=IGA-QLD-8P-VA-Z1&page=9

Note: top left corner,

Arnott’s Shapes Barbeque Original
1/2 Price, Save $1.50
$1.50 each

I don’t think my Dad would be appreciative if I took barbecue shapes instead of home made yo-yos…

We have the originals back at our Safeway. I think they sell a power more than of the new ones. I should ask Chris at the checkout. He told me when they initially changed over the sales of barbecue shapes plummetted.

buffy said:

I don’t think my Dad would be appreciative if I took barbecue shapes instead of home made yo-yos…

We have the originals back at our Safeway. I think they sell a power more than of the new ones. I should ask Chris at the checkout. He told me when they initially changed over the sales of barbecue shapes plummetted.

Why do so many people, me and Mrs m included, still call Woolworths “Safeway”, as if it was a condom company?

mollwollfumble said:

buffy said:

I don’t think my Dad would be appreciative if I took barbecue shapes instead of home made yo-yos…

We have the originals back at our Safeway. I think they sell a power more than of the new ones. I should ask Chris at the checkout. He told me when they initially changed over the sales of barbecue shapes plummetted.

Why do so many people, me and Mrs m included, still call Woolworths “Safeway”, as if it was a condom company?

I can answer that. When we first moved to Hamilton, it was Woolworths. Shortly after it became Safeway, and that was the name for a long, long time. Only fairly recently they changed the name back to Woolworths. So it’s entirely habit.

buffy said:

mollwollfumble said:

buffy said:

I don’t think my Dad would be appreciative if I took barbecue shapes instead of home made yo-yos…

We have the originals back at our Safeway. I think they sell a power more than of the new ones. I should ask Chris at the checkout. He told me when they initially changed over the sales of barbecue shapes plummetted.

Why do so many people, me and Mrs m included, still call Woolworths “Safeway”, as if it was a condom company?

I can answer that. When we first moved to Hamilton, it was Woolworths. Shortly after it became Safeway, and that was the name for a long, long time. Only fairly recently they changed the name back to Woolworths. So it’s entirely habit.

like roelf vos in Tassie..