My 96-year-old mother is eating a lot but losing weight. Any advice?

Just a humble opinion…
Apparently she doesn’t have enough good bacteria in her gut to digest and convert the food into nutrients, it seems to be passing through undigested. The bile required for digestion in the upper vowel comes from the liver, which has over 500 functions in the body. Everything that we eat passes through our liver. Cirrhosis or scarring of the liver may be the cause. My wife had it. Also, my wife had a pinched; kinked tube exiting the liver, she dropped 60 lb over a five year period. Died @ 100 lb or less. Get her checked out immediately: (blood workup and scans)?
Carbohydrates (pasta, cookies, bread, grains) are digested in the mouth by saliva biome; proteins are digested by acid in the stomach, so if she’s taking any antacid tablets/ liquid to stop heartburn she should stop doing that immediately. What she should take for heartburn is the exact opposite. Any acid reflux can be stopped in a few seconds by sucking on a sour orange (Citric acid, or a slow sip of Kombucha, which is a fermented tea, very rich in probiotics and the perfect acidic strength to aid digestion, along with the good bacteria that your body needs for a heathy digestive system. 16 oz $3.00.
It’s 100% gut healthy, tiny, tiny amount % alcohol, not an alcoholic beverage, and you only need two mouthfuls over ten minutes to cure hiccups or acid reflux. Try to keep her upright during eating and for a while afterward. The food needs to stay down in the stomach to digest, obviously.
I sincerely hope this helps. Also watch her carefully for Dementia and Alzheimer’s, because the brain is directly affected by the gut, AND vice-versa. They are bi-directionally connected. Also look up Leaky Gut! This is where the bad bacteria (not killed by the good bacteria) take over the gut and some leak through the bowel wall into the blood stream; get carried to the brain, causing inflammation in the brain, and then there’s irreversible synapse damage and the brain starts to shrink.
If you are over 40 you need to study how you can stop this brain deterioration before it’s an issue threatening your life. Take my warning seriously. My wife did just two months ago. She had malfunctioning liver to a degree, but what killed her was a slow, insidious dying of her brain, eating fresh prepared veggies, meats, salmon; losing weight. Little by little, she lost it. All of it.
It’s extremely painful to Everyone involved. It’s a constant heartbreaking ache that never goes away, helpless 24/7. She was on Morphine Sulphate around the clock to help her with her pain. She had RigorMortise, in a fetal position, for a month before she died. Finally we couldn’t pry her mouth open enough to get a syringe between her lips.
Please get help: call your local doctor’s office, get her into free Hospice care at home. Medicare supplies an all electric twin
bed with railings, diapers, latex gloves, pillow, toilet over-ride chair; you have to provide the in home care and feeding, diaper changing, all of her care, basically. Nurses are available for free medications, advice, and supplies. Someone will be scheduled by Hospice to come once or twice a week to bathe her, change the sheet and pillow case.
Preventative care, Palliative Care in home should be on your minds.

An example was given to me: When a match is struck in the forest, you can use it safely and put it out, or you can wait until the forest is on fire, and then try to put it out.
Early on, you can be in control, wait too long and you lose everything.
I went into this day by day, naively, five years ago I could have done something to help my wife, but the doctors who did all of the testing didn’t advise me at all,
My wife and I were married 58 years ago. Losing her this way was preventable! I lost my life’s most valued treasure: my wife, still my sweetheart.
Please take care of yourselves!

Mine is the same. She has had chronic iron loss for the last 3 years, but even 3 years ago, decided not to test,rather, just treat the symptoms. Even an endoscopy at age 90 is risky. And for what?

I'm assuming she gets regular check-ups? Mention it to her doctor and whatever they say, do. At the end of the day, if she's happy and healthy at her age, enjoy every minute and don't worry. Bodies as old as hers are slowly losing muscle, abilities etc... It could be that her body is preparing for its natural destination.

My father had ALZ and mom has vascular dementia. Both off them had/ have lost a lot of weight as well. Just part of the aging process. So hard to see loved ones decline regardless of what health issues they have. Hugs! :)

150 to 105 without trying to lose weight—something is wrong. She needs a complete medical work up. Could be something fixable like thyroid; possibly gluten intolerance. Or could be something more troubling. Whatever it is, it needs investigating. It is not normal. It is not part of aging.

I would get her cancer screened. Don't let this panic you, it is SOP. it can just be a natural process for her. My mother was a heavy smoker and she had sudden weight loss and it was due to cancer. It just doesn't hurt to error in caution.

Hi there , I had a friend whose mother was going thru something similar… anyway I won’t go through the details, the dr’s couldn’t figure it out, my friend started doing research and it ended up being the medications she was on … she had lost so much weight, couldn’t do basic things on her own from weakness… they switched up her meds and she got better! I was baffled the dr’s didn’t catch it ! Anyway good luck ! 💚🙏

Check her blood sugar level.

Firehousegal: She should schedule a visit with her primary care physician for starters.

It could be cancer.

She's not going to live forever. Nobody does

I think it could be helpful to say over what period of time this has occurred.

I've read some responses already. It seems you have helpful ones.

I hope she continues to enjoy life and am happy she has you to watch for her best care.

I agree with so many posters who have suggested that you have your mother checked out with her primary care physician, just to see if there is some major reason for the weight loss other than age. This is not some misguided attempt to prolong the life of a 96 year old, but to make sure you have cared for your mother as well as you can, so that her eventual death is not painful if it does not need to be so. Best wishes to you.

Your mom should definitely be examined by a doctor regardless of her age. It could be something minor that can be treated (i.e., a vitamin defiency) like my mom had. My mom is 96 years old and I would never take it upon myself to do nothing. It is so easy to say she had a good life and do nothing but it is not the right thing to do. Even if a doctor's prognosis deems it's something serious then you should make the right decision on how to proceed. You will feel better knowing you did the right thing. You and your mom are in my prayers.

Get to the doctor ASAP!! My Mom lost a lot of weight at the end of 2021. At the end her Sept. 2021 doctor appointment Mom is getting dressed then she says can you check the lump in my breast? My eyebrows went up and thought why didn't she tell me. I've been her caregiver since 2007. Sure enough she had a good size lump. Totally explained why she recently went from a size 10 to a size petite 4. She has breast cancer. At age 91 and having Alzheimers dementia I said no to surgery. Dementia & anesthesia don't mix well. Mom is in no pain and I keep her busy with weekly trips to the beach to walk because she loves the beach. We take spur of the moment day trips. She just attended her 2nd concert to South Korean boy band BTS in Las Vegas. Her 1st BTS concert being in December 2021 at SOFI Stadium. Mom is living a good life right now and I don't regret not giving her the surgery. I'm just trying to make good memories and give Mom the best life possible.
I hope that everything goes well with your Mom.