My mother-in-law has developed an extreme appetite for sweets. Has anyone come across something like this?
This is a serious, genuine inquiry. I'm not just sniping at my MIL. She is 81. She's a handful. Lives in her home, with a full-time caregiver/companion whose main duty is to make a fuss of MIL and pay constant attention to her. It's more personality issues than dementia.
However, MIL has never had a sweet tooth that I remember and I've known her for 34 years. She takes tea and coffee black, without sugar. Not big on desserts or cakes, never noticed her tucking into petits fours after dinner. The most I've ever seen her enjoying is plain, boring shortbread and for a reasonable cook, she's never had any interest in baking or in serving proper puddings at family meals (humph!).
All of a sudden she's almost literally taking candy from babies in her craving for chocolate and it emerges that she flips out if she goes to a house where there isn't Diet Coke and ice cream available. As told to me separately, by my BIL and my son, rolling their eyes.
It isn't that I don't see why a woman of 81 shouldn't have as much ice cream as she likes. It's the radical change in palate, and the somewhat extreme appetite for sweet things that's troubling me. Shouldn't it be reported to her primary?
There is certainly evidence that our taste buds diminish as we age and sweet things apparently still taste good even as this happens. There is a strong link between Alzheimers and diabetes, if you do any reading on Alzheimers.net, you'll see articles about that.
CM, is there any chance that SIL will listen to you?
She is 90. She is underweight. I figure at this point...anything I can do to increase her calories is good. Boost with chocolate syrup and ice cream in the blender..... chocolate deserts after dinner. I throw vitamins into the cake mix...add a little extra buttermilk to the drink...anything to up the calories...
BB - no chance, no. I emailed her a research paper from the Weizmann Institute this morning, and I've just had her reply saying "gosh how interesting I'm going to ignore that thanks." Ugh. I mean, she has a First Class Honours degree in Pharmacology - I don't expect her to take my word for anything medical or scientific, obviously. But these people aren't cranks or amateurs. Doesn't she care what they have to say?
What leaves me dissatisfied is that if MIL had always enjoyed moderate quantities of sweet things it would make sense that she'd eat more of them as other flavours diminished. It's that never having been bothered at all, not so you'd notice, she's now gorging. Or, at least, when I say gorging - she didn't wait as everyone else did until the Easter egg hunt was over, she started noshing as soon as she found her first one and kept going all the way through. She swiped somebody else's chocolate rabbit at the dining table (!). She was seeking reassurance that there was ice cream for dessert while we were still on our appetisers.
It's just so out of character. Not the being a bit selfish part, I'm sorry to say, but the undignified gluttony in front of other people part, and for childish sugary stuff.
I think something's gone wrong in her brain. If anyone knows of any really authoritative sources working on this I'd be grateful and will try again to pass them on. Otherwise, then it'll have to be a case of "not my circus", I'm afraid.
It sounds to me as though MIL has had a stroke; Is that what you're thinking?
I am very happy to leave all medical matters to her family, not just because they're a medical family but also because MIL is a complete bloody nightmare. Games such as insisting that SIL accompanies her to appointments, but then refusing to allow her to ask questions and mocking any opinion she offers. I have heard her argue with my ex, Golden Child, about the correct dose of a painkiller until even he became genuinely exasperated with her (and I honestly couldn't blame him, for once!). She goes to the appointments she wants to go to, is what it boils down to; and I don't think that so far that would include anything that suggests there might be anything wrong with her head. Mammograms, bone scans and the usual checks are done regularly though.
I know she takes calcium and Vitamin D because of osteoporosis fears; and I think a statin but couldn't swear to it. Hmm, statins. I wonder...
That point about the dopamine is a very interesting one, too, thank you.
I'm certainly not the best qualified person to guess what's going on, not by any means; but I am more detached from her than her children are so perhaps changes are more noticeable to me. And it's nobody else's fault that her sometimes appalling personality interferes with any picture one might hope to get of behavioural changes.
Aaarrrgghh! Can't believe I'm joining in with the Let's All Worry About Poor Grandma party! On the other hand, I also hope I'm not just subconsciously ill-wishing her :(
Thank you everybody, I will re-read and follow up all the leads.
Mayo clinic article on denial, Golden.
Yes, good article.
It's a battle-picking exercise, isn't it.
Hm. Has anyone done that online course in Stress Free Living on the Mayo's website? Looks interesting.
But that's very interesting, Arianne - so you have good reason to believe the sweet cravings were a symptom of his illness, yes? That's exactly what was troubling me.