Is it heat exhaustion or depression?

Question

Is it heat exhaustion or depression?

Follow

Share

My mom just turned 79 and has thyroidism but I am not sure if hyper or hypo. She is borderline diabetic and has high blood pressure. For the last year or so I have noticed what appear to be signs of depression and just... giving up. She doesn't eat because she says she doesn't feel like it or that she is hungry but doesn't feel like chewing. She gets very dehydrated, weak and lethargic at times. Will giving her vitamin B12 shots or pills help? I am also thinking of putting her on ensure at least twice a day to get at least some nourishment ... please help... I don't want to lose her.

Senior Health Thyroid

This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.

13 Answers

Most
Helpful Newest
First Oldest
First

Hi there, I would take her to the ER or her primary doctor ASAP. They can offer a medical diagnosis and also a treatment if need be. It's also ALWAYS better to be safe than sorry.

Ana

Helpful Answer (4)

Report

In this day and age, your mom isn’t considered “that old”. However, she isn’t indestructible. Seniors, like my own mother, who were never active in their communities, had lots of friends, physically active and just generally involved and engaged with others will not suddenly become so as they age, even if we suggest or even “push” them to be. We tend to become depressed as we age when we realize that this really is all there is.

However, your description of Mom sounds like she has health issues and that could be what’s causing her to feel lethargic and depressed. And, even if we were medical professionals here, it would be unethical and could be downright dangerous to guess at a disagnoses or make suggestions on what you and she should do. You need to find out whether she is hyper or hypo thyroid. Different conditions, different treatments. If she is not on meds for her pre-diabetic condition and her hypertension, she needs to seek face to face medical advice. If she is having dental pain while eating, she needs to visit the dentist.

There are meds and treatments for everything you describe. I don’t think Ensure would hurt (serve it cold because it tastes awful warm) but she needs to she needs to see her doctor.

Helpful Answer (3)

Report

When was the last time that your Mom saw the Doctor? When did the doctor do some blood work to check your Mom's thyroid and B Vitamin blood levels and a Metabolic Panel, CBC and/or other lab work? If your Mom has not seen a doctor for at least 3-6 months, I suggest that you take your Mom to see her doctor as soon as possible considering the symptoms that you mentioned. I prefer that the doctor be the one to suggest B12 shots or pills or Ensure or other treatments which might be helpful as there may be some underlying condition that has the same symptoms but cannot be identified over the internet without lab work and other tests.

Helpful Answer (2)

Report

Its important to know which thyroid problem she has. Each one has its own symptoms. Is she losing weight then its hyper. Weight gain, hypo. My Mom had Graves which is the worst of the three. Thyroid gives off hormones and these hormones effect a lot of the bodys functions. Usually people feel cold easily. Mom had a rapid heartbeat which caused her lack of oxygen. Has Moms levels been checked lately. She needs to see her specialist. Ask for paperwork to have labs done so he has them when she sees him. All her problems could be caused by her Thyroid. Not eating isn't good for her diabetes either.

Helpful Answer (1)

Report

Something else to look at is whether she is drinking enough. You mention dehydration. Has she been checked for a UTI? Elderly people often have no physical symptoms but present depression and/or confusion. I would bring her to he PCP right away.

Helpful Answer (1)

Report

Sounds like her thyroid is underactive, which is hypothyroidism. She probably needs her medicine adjusted. This can act and look like depression. It will also raise BP, cholesterol, and triglycerides. She will feel much better when her medicine is increased.

Helpful Answer (1)

Report

Hate to say it but don't guess, just take her to see a doctor. They can do tests that can show without a doubt what your mom has. Know this: so many elderly people do not drink enough so dehydration and constipation occurs often, which leads to other complications: lack of appetite, confusion, UTI.

Helpful Answer (1)

Report

I agree, she needs to see her primary asap and you need to go with her. Does she have an endocrinologist yet? If she is having thyroid problems and is pre-diabetic (or diabetic at this point) she probably should be particularly at her age. These conditions can be closely related of course and each of them can cause depression. I have been told getting people to drink enough water as they get older is often a real challenge, I know it is with my mom. She happens to be diabetic, has been for years but didn't always manage it well and all of the symptoms you describe we have a do struggle with with her. It's a vicious cycle but one that needs to be interrupted because not only does it make a difference in her life, enjoyment of life now it also makes a difference in other body systems later. We are having to watch mom's kidneys closely now because she has had so many highs and lows in her BS over the years, she has both heart and vascular issues and had a stroke which very likely is related to her diabetes care (or lack of) over the years as well as heredity. It has become so clear to us now that we have been helping to manage her health just how interrelated it all is. You can see the affect each system management has on the other systems and management, really eye opening. I mean I heard this and believed it before but something about seeing it all at work...

Now, I'm not sure how cooperative your mom is or how involved in her health care you have been or she's willing to have you be but it's important. Not just for these issues but to establish a working relationship with your mom and her medical team so it's not as hard later when a crisis or something major happens or just as she ages and can do less for herself. It's all in the presentation though if you haven't been a part of it. You know her best but I would recommend easing into it, make it feel natural rather than giving her any reason to feel like your taking over (she may feel this way anyway or she may be fine with it), better for both of you to make it a posative thing as best you can and in truth being involved with your parent's medical care at a certain point brings you back into their lives more, creates a reason for regular involvement in each others lives that we often get away from simply because of life. When my mom starts getting upset and concerned about being a burden to her children, we point out that because of her health issues and our desire to be involved in her care we have all been in each others lives more. We see and talk to each other on a much more regular basis and we have always been close but we also have our own families and don't live in the same states, we have spent more time together, in person around her health and that has been good for us. Anyway, take mom to her primary and make sure her primary is the right one, she should be referred to an Endocrinologist at this point by the sounds of it.

Helpful Answer (0)

Report

I agree that Ensure needs to be served cold. It tastes much better than it used to when it was in a can. Ask your doctor if she can have the calories to add fruit to it, like strawberries or peaches - that makes it a bit more like a milkshake.

Helpful Answer (0)

Report

Please take your mother to her doctor. They should do thyroid blood work. If she has lost weight, she has Hyperthyroidism. If she has gained weight, she has Hypothyroidism. The doctor should gve her an RX to regulate the thyroid levels. Bear in mind, Thyroid Disorders are oftentimes hereditary.

Is it heat exhaustion or depression?

13 Answers

Recent Questions

Popular Questions

Related Questions