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Severe weight loss and malnutrition

Posted By Ealing234

"Severe weight loss and malnutrition"

About: Ealing Community Partners - Adult Community Services / Ealing Adults’ Nutrition and Dietetics Service Northfields Surgery West Middlesex University Hospital / Accident and emergency West Middlesex University Hospital / Older people's healthcare

(as the patient),

I picked up a sort of virus in Ealing Hospital in March 2023, friends caught the original form from me as well. But the whole thing mutated into the severe form of Postnasal Drip I still have today.

Eventually I was no longer able to swallow solids, so naturally asked for Liquid foods and my medication (Blood Pressure and Heart) in liquid form. However this was denied, even after Cardiology (Imperial College) started asking the same too.

I was even told no to my face in Northfields Surgery when asking certain Doctors.

The only end result was I just wasted away, using a blender for my foods did not cure things. In the end I could not walk, often not even talk as I became a very skeletal version of the 20+ stone person I was before who liked his food. I made sure I visited Northfields Surgery so they (Doctors and Reception) could see my weight loss first hand and why I was in need of liquid foods and Medication (then Amlodipine, Ramipril, Digoxin and Apixaban, with Bumetanide water Tablets too).

Eventually I went in the Surgery using a wheeled walking frame and asked to be an A+E patient as I could no longer function due to severe malnutrition. This resulted in nearly 10 hours in Resuscitation in West Middlesex Hospital towards the end of July, and a week in the wards while my strength was built up. But the swallowing issue will now rear it's ugly head at  least once a week still. 

The point is, the doctors at Northfields GP Practice could see what was happening without being able to eat properly with their own eyes. They and reception could see how emaciated I had become, 

Can I just add, the Dietitian department at Mattock Lane were 100% brilliant, they confirmed what I had suspected, that the Ensure Compact I have been prescribed in large amounts is going to push my blood sugar levels way too high.

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Responses

Response from Paul Gibbs, Patient Experience Lead, West London NHS Trust 7 months ago
Paul Gibbs
Patient Experience Lead,
West London NHS Trust

Submitted on 05/09/2023 at 10:35
Published on Care Opinion at 10:35

Dear Ealing234

Thank you for telling us your story which covers a number of health care providers and we hope you are now feeling more comfortable.

We are pleased to hear the advice you obtained from our Dietitians was helpful and we will pass your comments to them.

We cannot comment on the services provided by other trusts and offer the PALS email address of London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust: LNWH-tr.PALS@nhs.net

They will be able to assist and ensure your concerns are raised with the services concerned and give you feedback.

Kind regards

Paul Gibbs

Patient Experience Lead

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Update posted by Ealing234 (the patient)

I have applied to be Transferred to another GP service along with a Pharmacy there as I have little faith in either at Northfield, and this would also put GP and Pharmacy under the same roof as my Cardiology consultant.

However despite being given a Reference number and estimated switch over date of two weeks, however there has been no further response or the promised call back to confirm and ask questions some weeks later.

The severe nasal drip is a water issue I believe, not a nasal drip proper. There is clearly too much liquid in the head area, including left ear, and even when my nose is bone dry I am suffering water running from head into throat and mostly 24/7 now as well, affecting breathing. This is a left had side issue, see the following. All major ailments from the last two or more decades have been affecting my left side only. Be they feet or joint issues, originally like Arthritis, but the GP seemed to believe it was a circulation issue, and that made sense to me as it replaced the cramps I used to get, and blood tests rules out rheumatoid and also Gout. I also get very severe pain in the upper left leg if stood still, it to me feels like veins rather than muscles/tendons etc, this was around when I was in my 30s, only when still, not so bad when walking without stopping, but went away with the circulation/arthritis issues, but have come back, but far more painfully, while the circulation issues have gone again, all left side of leg/feet/nasal/head side only.

Can I ask, is this affecting the left had side only a serious worry?

Thank you for responding to the original post, it means a lot to know people are listening.

Response from Paul Gibbs, Patient Experience Lead, West London NHS Trust 7 months ago
Paul Gibbs
Patient Experience Lead,
West London NHS Trust

Submitted on 08/09/2023 at 13:27
Published on Care Opinion at 13:27

Dear Ealing234

Thank you for your update.

We have asked our Nutrition & Dietetics team if they can offer some home care advice for you. Please email our PALS team by emailing pals@westlondon.nhs.uk so we can liaise with you direct.

In the meantime, should you have concerns about your health care needs, please do not hesitate to call 111 or visit your nearest A&E dept. for advice, information and support.

Kind wishes

Paul Gibbs

Patient Experience Lead

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