PEG tube Problems

Niqmaddu
Niqmaddu Member Posts: 2
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
I am having all kinds of problems with my PEG tube which I do have to use now. Pain, drainage, bleeding (surface, not deep). The doc who put it in can't fix it so he sent me to another who promptly nicked it. Now it drains, bleeds, causes pain, and leaks. The doc is talking about replacing it. Anyone have that done mid-treatment?

Comments

  • soccerfreaks
    soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member
    Jay, we've talked, but let's talk again. There should be no pain or drainage or bleeding from your PEG tube. Period

    If your doctor is not competent to take care of that, you need another doctor. As a matter of fact, I would advise that you seek out a nurse, a wound care therapist (they call them ET nurses around here for some reason) who can help with the wound that is that hole where your tube goes in, and can also help with what to do with that hole to keep it pain-free, drain-free, and blood-free.

    What you are experiencing is not normal in my estimation.

    While it sounds like you are on the way to having a new site, I would be sure to have a wound care specialist as part of the team from now on.

    Thoughts are with you, my friend.
  • marcialou42
    marcialou42 Member Posts: 3
    hi - i read the response from soccerfreaks and he is absolutely right - there should be no pain, bleeding, drainage etc - where are you from?? i had a tube replaced during treatment because it got blocked but it was a simple process - they just pulled it out and inserted a new one in the same sight but with your problems this probably would not work..where are you being treated??? you do need another doctor or health professional to help you....good luck and let us know how you make out....
  • boarsheadf16
    boarsheadf16 Member Posts: 1
    yes I had my PEG replaced mid-treatment. The procedure was uneventful and I came out with a new "lifeline" but now I'm 1 yr past treatment and still cannot eat and am on the peg for life support if you wanna call it that! I cannot gain wieght on the PEG and am withering away since I cannot eat food!
  • soccerfreaks
    soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member

    yes I had my PEG replaced mid-treatment. The procedure was uneventful and I came out with a new "lifeline" but now I'm 1 yr past treatment and still cannot eat and am on the peg for life support if you wanna call it that! I cannot gain wieght on the PEG and am withering away since I cannot eat food!

    sir or ma'am: something is definitely not right with your treatment. If you do not have a nutritionist, you need to get one. In the meantime, there are many things you can do to help yourself. I am obviously not aware of your exact circumstances, but I could not eat food either for the longest time, and yet found ways to gain weight. If you are using a product like Jevity, for example, they can increase your caloric intake (those cans come in like 1.2, 1.5 and 2.0 'sizes'). You can also do many things to put better stuff into your tube.

    While I chose not to do that, so that I would HAVE to eat eventually, others have advised me of various mixtures that will go into the tube that will improve your state.

    Do not just let yourself wither away. It is not supposed to be that way, and we can help you.

    Feel free to send me emails with any questions you have, and if I don't have answers myself, I will get them for you at once.

    We are in this together, my friend. And you should not be in the situation you describe.

    Take care.
  • Happymamabear
    Happymamabear Member Posts: 5
    Yes my husband had his peg tube put in just after treatment started about three weeks. He was already having problems with it the food would come back up in the tube and it would leak out. He did have it replaced in the gastro center in our hosp. and it worked great after that. he said it was not painful to replace. Good luck.
  • MJ70
    MJ70 Member Posts: 75

    Yes my husband had his peg tube put in just after treatment started about three weeks. He was already having problems with it the food would come back up in the tube and it would leak out. He did have it replaced in the gastro center in our hosp. and it worked great after that. he said it was not painful to replace. Good luck.

    A permanent peg tube

    After 10 years of of eating on my own and now need a permant peg tube becasue of aspirating pnemonia ,,,any

     g00d advise would be appreciated ..Thanks   Mel

  • patricke
    patricke Member Posts: 570
    TUBE PROBLEMS

    I strongly believe that a third opinion from another GI would be appropriate in your situation.  I had a PEG tube (never left home without it) for 13 1/2 years, and never had the problems that you are having.  I hope that you can resolve these issues real soon.  For excellent sources of nutrition I recommend Fiber Source HN, and Boost Very High Calorie, which should be available at your local medical supply store, and are hopefully covered by your insurance.

    For long term tubers, if your GI gives you the green light to put anything that flows into you tube, like mine did eons ago, I more than highly recommend investing (and it really is an investment) in a Vitamix blender.  We were turned on to the Vitamix by friends after Diane had literally burned out the motors of 5 conventional blenders in the process of blending table meals liquidey enough to go down my tube; it was an arduous, time consuming process.  The Vitamix will liquify anything, including the kitchen sink in 3, that's right three minutes to a consistency smooth enough to flow swimmingly down your tube.  So, for a number of years (I lose track) I have been enjoying the benefits of tubing whatever the family is having at every meal.  Of course one does have to watch out for those calories attached to the death by chocolate cake, I'll have a small slice please.  The blender is pricy, but for folks who have a medical necessity regarding being on a liquid diet, the company (very consumer friendly and helpful) offers a discount on their factory reconditioned models, which come with their standard warranty for all models.  You can check them out on the web and give them a call to find out about the details regarding the discount.

    When I am out and about I still rely on Fiber Source HN for my meals, and when traveling or camping I use Fiber Source and Boost Very High Calorie (breakfast).  My weight has always been stable while on the cans for many years, and of course since the blending began.  

    PATRICK   

  • Hard12Find
    Hard12Find Member Posts: 217 Member
    peg problems,

    I had issues when my tube was first put in with infection around the stitches, finally got a nurse to do a test and sure enough staph....got it cleaned up, pulled all the stitch remnents myself since they were hesitant to do it, , clean clean clean, and use a q tip to clean more, extrude as much of the drainage as you can, it will get better, after treatment was complete, but was still dependant on the tube, one night at about 10:30 pm, my tube just popped out onto my lap, freaked me out, called the nurse, and was told to go to the ER, so went to the ER, and they had a hard time finding one the same size, and then couldn't get it inserted, I tried off and on for the remainder of the night to put the tube in myself, with no luck, next morning they sent me to radiology where the threaded a small fiber that could be seen on the scope as a guide, and they were able to get the tube in, but it was not much fun, first time you are under general anesthesia, so you wake up sore, second time you will get a topical, but it didn't help much, not meaning to scare you but just sharing my experience, about a month later the second tube came out like the first one did, and I just said screw it, as I had been able to swallow small soft foods, and was less dependant...seemed like it was time to be moving onto food as best I could...Hope yours goes better, lasts longer.....mine was a life saver went from 230 lbs to 140 lbs during treatment, now somewhere around 160 170 and feel pretty good, not much stamina, but working on it....

    Remember its just another step in the road to being done with all that crap.....

     

  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member

    peg problems,

    I had issues when my tube was first put in with infection around the stitches, finally got a nurse to do a test and sure enough staph....got it cleaned up, pulled all the stitch remnents myself since they were hesitant to do it, , clean clean clean, and use a q tip to clean more, extrude as much of the drainage as you can, it will get better, after treatment was complete, but was still dependant on the tube, one night at about 10:30 pm, my tube just popped out onto my lap, freaked me out, called the nurse, and was told to go to the ER, so went to the ER, and they had a hard time finding one the same size, and then couldn't get it inserted, I tried off and on for the remainder of the night to put the tube in myself, with no luck, next morning they sent me to radiology where the threaded a small fiber that could be seen on the scope as a guide, and they were able to get the tube in, but it was not much fun, first time you are under general anesthesia, so you wake up sore, second time you will get a topical, but it didn't help much, not meaning to scare you but just sharing my experience, about a month later the second tube came out like the first one did, and I just said screw it, as I had been able to swallow small soft foods, and was less dependant...seemed like it was time to be moving onto food as best I could...Hope yours goes better, lasts longer.....mine was a life saver went from 230 lbs to 140 lbs during treatment, now somewhere around 160 170 and feel pretty good, not much stamina, but working on it....

    Remember its just another step in the road to being done with all that crap.....

     

    PEG to PEG

     

    I agree with Patrick Vitamix blender is the best on the market, but if you are like me and travel a lot you need something smaller to carry with you and I found NutriBullet works well. As for PEG tube get a Kimberly Clark Low-Profile Button it will give you your life back so you don’t have that tube hanging on you all the time

     

    Hondo

  • KB56
    KB56 Member Posts: 318 Member
    PEG tube replacement

    Jay, I had to have mine replaced mid treatment as the baloon that holds it in your stomach starting leaking so there was nothing to hold it inside me.  It was a piece of cake to have replaced and took about 10 minutes.   If your's is causing problems and the doctor nicked it, I would recommend gettting it replaced.

    They deadened the area aound the tube, pulled the old one out and immediately inserted the new one, inflated to baloon and I was good to go.

    No issue,

    Keith

  • AJAMES4
    AJAMES4 Member Posts: 1
    Peg tube issues...possible fixes

    As a lot of these threads are old I'm not sure how much this will help but I'm posting this with the hope that it will help someone. I myself as a nurse wasn't aware for many years but there is a peg tube (g-tube) called a MIC-KEY button. It's usually used in children however I have many adult patients with it. What's great about it is that it is simply...a button!!!! You only attach the tube when you need to do feedings, meds, flushes which is great since it seems that most complaints that I've seen have said thier problems have came from thier tubes pulling due to gravity. I will add however they work the best when you have a larger Mickey such as a 20 FR or so on. When you go into smaller sizes say a 14 FR. it's not impossible, it's just that they clog easier. Even if you already have a regular peg tu be in they can be changed to a MICKEY. If you have the balloon type simply tell your doctor, ( you will need the order) these are put in the same way. The balloons are filled with sterile or distilled water. If you have the ones in which the disc has to be removed by your physician, they still need to be changed at se point so let them know. Even if it's not time and you are having coplications with the one you have, ask about this option! They are great!! I change my clients in the home every 6 months...

  • Hopefull2017
    Hopefull2017 Member Posts: 2
    Has anyone had a problem with the hole in you stomach not healin
    My tube fell out in December 2016 and the hole in my stomach has not closed yet. Anyone else ever had this problem?
  • lornal
    lornal Member Posts: 428

    Has anyone had a problem with the hole in you stomach not healin
    My tube fell out in December 2016 and the hole in my stomach has not closed yet. Anyone else ever had this problem?

    PEG

    I had one that did not close.  I did the grape juice test.  I drank it, and if it came out on the bandage - it is open.

    I had to go in for an out patient procedure to get it closed from the inside - via the throat/esophagus.  Went through the GI department, since they are the ones that put it in originally.

    Lorna 2007/2014

    Note: This is an old post.  You can start a new one if you want more responses.

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,722 Member
    lornal said:

    PEG

    I had one that did not close.  I did the grape juice test.  I drank it, and if it came out on the bandage - it is open.

    I had to go in for an out patient procedure to get it closed from the inside - via the throat/esophagus.  Went through the GI department, since they are the ones that put it in originally.

    Lorna 2007/2014

    Note: This is an old post.  You can start a new one if you want more responses.

    PEG on

    H2017,

    Not closing up is not the norm. I’ve read the procedure on replacement of a PEG and they speak of the rapid closing of the hole when inserting a new tube (to not waste time).

    I like lornal’s grape juice test.

    Matt