peg question

CherieLW
CherieLW Member Posts: 472

Can you control how slow your peg takes in liquid. Tonite mom used the dial on it to open,  then put syringe of ensure in the tube and let it drop in without plunger part. Seemed a lil fast.  Is this typical? Dad felt a lil sick afterward but I'm guessing it's bc nothings been in his stomach for weeks.  Any tips to make feeding comfortable?  Thx

P.s. Thx for all your support and prayers,  he's hanging in there! 

Comments

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    How high you hold the syringe makes a

    difference in how fast it flows....I can't remember how many times I had to fill the syringe to empty a can of Ensure, but it seems like 3 1/2 or something like that....so by lowering the end with the syringe, and spacing out the times she fills it, will slow down feeding.   A number of people have used the pump, to feed very slowly during the night....that seems to help get the food in and keep it down....he might want to inquire from the RO or the Onc about getting one, if the gravity method is too fast. 

    I'm sure the first feeding was a bit nauseating if he hasn't had anything at all in his tum for days....

    p

  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    Hi Cherie

     

    I been on the PEG tube for a little over a year now and eat only using the syringes. My food is blended up using a Nutribullet and then I can put the food in just as fast or as slow as I want. I still work full time so I am always on the go traveling on the road between Texas and Louisianan. It makes eating with a PEG tube a bit inconvenience but I am getting use to it. It may take your dad a little time to get use to using, and I am sure everyone is a little different how they react to the speed they are able to handle it. The most importance thing it to make sure he doesn’t over eat.

     

    God Bless

    Hondo

  • yensid683
    yensid683 Member Posts: 349
    Phrannie's right

    How high you hold the syringe tube (using like a funnel) above the stomach does effect the rate that it flows into the stomach.  I had a PEG for 5 months through treatment and recovery and I found that I only needed the plunger for thicker things, like pureed items, but for the most part used the 'funnel' method.  Rate does make a difference, too fast and you can wind up feeling ill.  It is an individual thing.  There were days that I could take it in as fast as I could pour it, other days I had to make it much slower, it was all about how 'off' my stomach felt that day. 

    A tip...whenever your Dad has to cough or sneeze while he's using the PEG, make sure he clamps it off beforehand.  I didn't the first time and sprayed the Jevity all over the chair and table.....

    Hope your dad is feeling better soon

  • fishmanpa
    fishmanpa Member Posts: 1,227 Member
    Gravity Bags

    I only used the syringe to flush mine. I used a gravity bag when feeding. I was using Osmolite 1.5 for 4 weeks post Tx. I would flush the PEG then fill the bag with Osmolite and add another 8oz of water for extra hydration and set it up on a drip that took about 20-30 minutes to finish. It took a couple of tries to get the drip speed right. Too fast and I tossed my cookies. I put up a wall mounted plant hanger (decorative mind you) behind my recliner so I could "eat" in comfort. Now that I've been off tube feedings, we can use the plant hanger for plants ~smile~

    The gravity bags came in real handy for hydration as well. Fill one with water and slow drip it in and Presto! Much better after getting 20+oz of water. Definitely worth checking into. 

    "T"

  • CherieLW
    CherieLW Member Posts: 472
    fishmanpa said:

    Gravity Bags

    I only used the syringe to flush mine. I used a gravity bag when feeding. I was using Osmolite 1.5 for 4 weeks post Tx. I would flush the PEG then fill the bag with Osmolite and add another 8oz of water for extra hydration and set it up on a drip that took about 20-30 minutes to finish. It took a couple of tries to get the drip speed right. Too fast and I tossed my cookies. I put up a wall mounted plant hanger (decorative mind you) behind my recliner so I could "eat" in comfort. Now that I've been off tube feedings, we can use the plant hanger for plants ~smile~

    The gravity bags came in real handy for hydration as well. Fill one with water and slow drip it in and Presto! Much better after getting 20+oz of water. Definitely worth checking into. 

    "T"

    Thx everyone for the advice.

    Thx everyone for the advice.  I'll pass this on to mom n dad.  After seeing dad last nite,  he didn't want to use the tube. Think he thought it was too early,  but he promised me he'd use it.  I called to check and he did :) 

  • CajunEagle
    CajunEagle Member Posts: 408
    CherieLW said:

    Thx everyone for the advice.

    Thx everyone for the advice.  I'll pass this on to mom n dad.  After seeing dad last nite,  he didn't want to use the tube. Think he thought it was too early,  but he promised me he'd use it.  I called to check and he did :) 

    Oh....and Cherie

     

    be sure that what is being fed through the tube is not too hot or cold.  Keep it at room temperature, if possible.  It is a pretty miserable feeling to have nutrition going in the stomach that is too extreme in temperature for the stomach linings.  The sensory nerves in our mouths normally recognize what temp the stomach can take, and he ain't using them.  He'll get the hang of it.

    Larry

  • CherieLW
    CherieLW Member Posts: 472

    Oh....and Cherie

     

    be sure that what is being fed through the tube is not too hot or cold.  Keep it at room temperature, if possible.  It is a pretty miserable feeling to have nutrition going in the stomach that is too extreme in temperature for the stomach linings.  The sensory nerves in our mouths normally recognize what temp the stomach can take, and he ain't using them.  He'll get the hang of it.

    Larry

    Good point!

    Thanks so much Larry.  I didn't even think of that.  Right now we are giving him Ensure.  The doc says he wants him to have 4 or 5 a day, but that is nice to know when we get to that point!

    Cherie :)

     

  • fishmanpa
    fishmanpa Member Posts: 1,227 Member
    CherieLW said:

    Good point!

    Thanks so much Larry.  I didn't even think of that.  Right now we are giving him Ensure.  The doc says he wants him to have 4 or 5 a day, but that is nice to know when we get to that point!

    Cherie :)

     

    PEG Food

    Cherie,

    There are much better liquid foods to use. Have your father speak with a nutritionalist. They can prescribe canned liquid foods that are much better than Ensure and insurance covers them. I was presribed Osmolite 1.5 and it was delivered to my home along with syringes and gravity bags. 

    Positive thoughts and prayers,

    "T"

  • hwt
    hwt Member Posts: 2,328 Member
    fishmanpa said:

    PEG Food

    Cherie,

    There are much better liquid foods to use. Have your father speak with a nutritionalist. They can prescribe canned liquid foods that are much better than Ensure and insurance covers them. I was presribed Osmolite 1.5 and it was delivered to my home along with syringes and gravity bags. 

    Positive thoughts and prayers,

    "T"

    Gravity bag

    I had a g-tube and used a gravity bag. I was never given instructions for a syringe to feed, only to use with crushed meds. I do recall that I wasn't supposed to lay down during feeding or for 30 minutes after.  

  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    hwt said:

    Gravity bag

    I had a g-tube and used a gravity bag. I was never given instructions for a syringe to feed, only to use with crushed meds. I do recall that I wasn't supposed to lay down during feeding or for 30 minutes after.  

    Hi hwt

     

     

    Same problem here I left the hospital with no instructions on how to use or how to take care of the PEG tube; stuck it in and through me out the door. I asked for help and Denny came to my rescue his wife gave my wife a hold lot of instructions and one year later I am doing well and finally gaining weight.

     

    Take care

    Hondo

  • TracyLynn72
    TracyLynn72 Member Posts: 839
    What Phrannie said!

    I had to experiment on where to hold the syringe the first few times. Higher up so the tube was straight was WAY to fast...down low by my side was way to slow. I found a spot where my arm was on the arm rest and it seemed to work best. I threw up my first few feedings because it was too fast. I take Nutren and it's 500 calories a can. They wanted me to do 5 a day and that wasn't going to happen. It was too much, my body couldn't hold it all. I did 4 a day and started feeling WONDERFUL pretty quickly. After about a week or two I had to cut back to 3 a day because the 4th one was starting to make me vomit. At 3 a day I was able to gain a few lbs and maintain it, so they were pleased. I'm now on 1 a day and real food. Prayers for your dad...once he gets it figured out...he will feel a TON better!!! 

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,722 Member
    PEG

    Cherie,

    For food, two cans of Jevity, hangém high, fast drip and relax in the recliner.

    For medicine, crush the pills, mix with liquid, fill syringe and squirt away.

    For flushing, fill syringe with water, squirt and repeat, less than 1 minute.

    For shower, I let it dangle.

    For bed, close by my side.

    Side bar:  He must keep swallowing EVERY day, no kidding.

    Matt

  • jim and i
    jim and i Member Posts: 1,788 Member
    Jim had a pump that you could

    Jim had a pump that you could set fast of slow. Ask his doctor to prescribe. I would set it up at night and set the speed to drip until he had to get up in the morning for treatment. Osmolite 1.5 was his salvation and still is. Much better than over the counter stuff because it has lots of fibre in it. Be sure he swallows at least some water to keep those swallow muscles going. They are the only muscles you can't get back when you lose them.

    Blessings.

    Debbie

     

  • robswife87
    robswife87 Member Posts: 209
    Used gravity bags

    We used gravity feed bags. 1000ml put hooks on walls and then borrowed a iv pole. It has a wheel gauge on the bags to allow adjusting for drip rate.

    Our insurance covered none of the supplies or food. I was able to find some on ebay and amazon for a decent price.

    Blendtec gaves us a refurbished blender for free and I started liquifying real food and putting in syringes toward the end. He did much better with real food over the ensure. 

  • robswife87
    robswife87 Member Posts: 209
    Used gravity bags

    We used gravity feed bags. 1000ml put hooks on walls and then borrowed a iv pole. It has a wheel gauge on the bags to allow adjusting for drip rate.

    Our insurance covered none of the supplies or food. I was able to find some on ebay and amazon for a decent price.

    Blendtec gaves us a refurbished blender for free and I started liquifying real food and putting in syringes toward the end. He did much better with real food over the ensure. 

  • George_Baltimore
    George_Baltimore Member Posts: 303

    Used gravity bags

    We used gravity feed bags. 1000ml put hooks on walls and then borrowed a iv pole. It has a wheel gauge on the bags to allow adjusting for drip rate.

    Our insurance covered none of the supplies or food. I was able to find some on ebay and amazon for a decent price.

    Blendtec gaves us a refurbished blender for free and I started liquifying real food and putting in syringes toward the end. He did much better with real food over the ensure. 

    Did Rob apply for SS Disability

    Once you're on SS Disability, Medicare covers formula, bags, and syringes.  If you have a Medi-gap insurer, they cover the rest of the 20%.

  • CherieLW
    CherieLW Member Posts: 472

    Used gravity bags

    We used gravity feed bags. 1000ml put hooks on walls and then borrowed a iv pole. It has a wheel gauge on the bags to allow adjusting for drip rate.

    Our insurance covered none of the supplies or food. I was able to find some on ebay and amazon for a decent price.

    Blendtec gaves us a refurbished blender for free and I started liquifying real food and putting in syringes toward the end. He did much better with real food over the ensure. 

    Thanks everyone for the

    Thanks everyone for the info!

    Dad is doing ok with PEG so far, feeding himself.  I'm glad that he is getting nutrients now, I feel like its some stress off the rest of my family! 

    Matt- He is still taking most of his meds by mouth, however some liquid pain meds by tube. 

    Thanks everyone for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers!

  • mls351w
    mls351w Member Posts: 90
    enlightened again!

    Just another example of the great information on this site! I wish I had found it before treatment started instead of years afterwards.

    I guess that I have finally found one small area where my oncs let me down. NO ONE gave me any info on the proper use of the syringe. I was never told about gravity feeding or gravity bags. I filled my sryinge with Ensure or water, stuck the plunger bagk in, and SLOWLY forced the liquid through my tube. Took maybe 15 seconds per load. It was about three and one half loads as I recall. If I forced it through too quickly, it would make me vomit what I had just ingested, nothing more. I thought that's what the syringe was for. It worked great for me personally.

    I do not think I would care for the gravity bags anyway and I would definatly not want the overnight hook-up personally. I wanted to get the stuff in as quickly as possible. I agree with the temperature comment. Room temp was best.

    So, am I the only person out there that used the syringe/plunger for a feeding pump??

    Mark S.

     

  • lorig01
    lorig01 Member Posts: 83
    mls351w said:

    enlightened again!

    Just another example of the great information on this site! I wish I had found it before treatment started instead of years afterwards.

    I guess that I have finally found one small area where my oncs let me down. NO ONE gave me any info on the proper use of the syringe. I was never told about gravity feeding or gravity bags. I filled my sryinge with Ensure or water, stuck the plunger bagk in, and SLOWLY forced the liquid through my tube. Took maybe 15 seconds per load. It was about three and one half loads as I recall. If I forced it through too quickly, it would make me vomit what I had just ingested, nothing more. I thought that's what the syringe was for. It worked great for me personally.

    I do not think I would care for the gravity bags anyway and I would definatly not want the overnight hook-up personally. I wanted to get the stuff in as quickly as possible. I agree with the temperature comment. Room temp was best.

    So, am I the only person out there that used the syringe/plunger for a feeding pump??

    Mark S.

     

    I used the syringe plunger for feeding

    Hi. I had a feeding tube for 7 months after stage III tonsil cancer last year.  I never did the gravity feed or slow drip pump. I used the syringe.  Initially, I had to "eat" very slowly in order to prevent vomiting.  But after a few weeks I could consume a can in 15 or 20 minutes. I used the syringe like Mark used in the prior post. I was scared and cried the first time I tried the feeding tube but after a few times I really liked it and like so mnay others mentioned, I felt really good after a few weeks of getting some proper nutrition.  My only problem later was I was afraid to get rid of it for fear that I could not consume enough to survive! But I slowly weaned myself off and now 10 months after treatment I can eat just about anything and I can enjoy most foods.  I hope your dad starts using it because he will start to feel so much better once he is getting some calories and nutrients into his body. Good luck!