PEG Tube Feeding Question

NoDuck
NoDuck Member Posts: 134
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Hubby is 90% peg feeding 4 weeks into treatment. I cannot get enough calories in him. He is using FiberSource which is 300 calories per 8 oz. serving.

Full strength gives him diarrhea. So we dilute 50/50. But I can't get more than 8 oz. diluted food and 4 oz. of water in him at a time. He claims he's full and can't hold any more. I thought he was being stubborn but sure enough, any more than that and it starts backing up in his tube into the syringe.

12 oz. of liquid does not seem like it should fill him up or cause the stomach contents to start backing up. Is that normal? On weekends we can feed him every two hours and get to 2 liters liquid and about 1500 calories. But during the week, we have a 230 mile roundtrip for treatment and I'm limited to about noon to 8. He needs about 2200 calories.

I've seen folks on here talking about putting all sorts of foods in the tube. Ideas for higher calorie stuff I can add I? Because 150 calories every 2 hours is not getting it.

Thanks.

Deb

Comments

  • Noellesmom
    Noellesmom Member Posts: 1,859 Member
    #2
    not enough calories/not near enough hydration
    Talk to home health or whomever set you up to do this at home. Call his doctor. I'm sure folks here will come through with some excellent advice but he not only needs the calories, Deb, he needs to stay VERY WELL hydrated and it doesn't look like that is happening.
  • Mrs. Sarge
    Mrs. Sarge Member Posts: 206 Member
    #3
    Noellesmom said:

    not enough calories/not near enough hydration
    Talk to home health or whomever set you up to do this at home. Call his doctor. I'm sure folks here will come through with some excellent advice but he not only needs the calories, Deb, he needs to stay VERY WELL hydrated and it doesn't look like that is happening.

    Skandia shakes
    Check on Skandia shakes that you just add milk to, and I think they're about 700 good calories....just an option.
  • Ingrid K
    Ingrid K Member Posts: 813
    #4
    Mrs. Sarge said:

    Skandia shakes
    Check on Skandia shakes that you just add milk to, and I think they're about 700 good calories....just an option.

    overnight feedings
    You may want to ask for a pump so you can do overnight feedings. It would elimiate the stress of trying to get all the calories in during a certain amount of time, and it can be slowed down/sped up as tolerated. Slower feedings would ease some of the associated nausea and you can then still try and drink water during the day.

    just my 2 cents.
    Good Luck to you.
  • Kent Cass
    Kent Cass Member Posts: 1,898 Member
    #5
    Ingrid K said:

    overnight feedings
    You may want to ask for a pump so you can do overnight feedings. It would elimiate the stress of trying to get all the calories in during a certain amount of time, and it can be slowed down/sped up as tolerated. Slower feedings would ease some of the associated nausea and you can then still try and drink water during the day.

    just my 2 cents.
    Good Luck to you.

    Jevity?
    That's all I poured into my Civil War-era G-tube. They say the fiber content in Jevity is part of what makes it what is typically prescribed by the C Drs. Have you considered it?

    kcass

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