Ensure

My question is how long can someone survive on Ensure alone. My husband is 4 months post left tonsil cancer, somedays he will not eat at all this can go on for 4 to 5 days at a time. He will drink ensure, but food is out of the question. Has anyone else felt this way about food. Please let me know.


Linda

Comments

  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    Ensure
    Linda is he losing weight and if so how much; the importance thing is that he is getting enough food or ensure to maintain his weight. Also that he is keeping hydrated by drinking plenty liquids. I will agree that 4 months is a little long but everyone is different in how fast they heal. Keep encouraging him to eat regular food but don’t try and force it on him, also might try and contact his doctor and see what he has to say.

    Wishing you the best
    Hondo
  • HAWVET
    HAWVET Member Posts: 318
    Hondo said:

    Ensure
    Linda is he losing weight and if so how much; the importance thing is that he is getting enough food or ensure to maintain his weight. Also that he is keeping hydrated by drinking plenty liquids. I will agree that 4 months is a little long but everyone is different in how fast they heal. Keep encouraging him to eat regular food but don’t try and force it on him, also might try and contact his doctor and see what he has to say.

    Wishing you the best
    Hondo

    In my case so long ago, I
    In my case so long ago, I not only did not like to eat, but I also did not like to look at food. I just survived on Ensure, but had swapped to Boost because it had a better taste. Then slowly, food became more appetizing.

    Like Hondo said, you may want to contact his doctor for guidance. I think I was back to regular food about four months after treatment. By regular food, I meant I started eating but limited because of the saliva problem.
  • arndog64
    arndog64 Member Posts: 537
    HAWVET said:

    In my case so long ago, I
    In my case so long ago, I not only did not like to eat, but I also did not like to look at food. I just survived on Ensure, but had swapped to Boost because it had a better taste. Then slowly, food became more appetizing.

    Like Hondo said, you may want to contact his doctor for guidance. I think I was back to regular food about four months after treatment. By regular food, I meant I started eating but limited because of the saliva problem.

    My husband is the opposite,
    My husband is the opposite, he keeps eating things he can't and ends up with a sore mouth.
    So, he lives off of Jevity and Carnation drinks most of the time.
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    HAWVET said:

    In my case so long ago, I
    In my case so long ago, I not only did not like to eat, but I also did not like to look at food. I just survived on Ensure, but had swapped to Boost because it had a better taste. Then slowly, food became more appetizing.

    Like Hondo said, you may want to contact his doctor for guidance. I think I was back to regular food about four months after treatment. By regular food, I meant I started eating but limited because of the saliva problem.

    Well, I went nine months
    Well, I went nine months with out any food by mouth and only was on tube feedings of nutren. My tongue and mouth were very bad and took forever to heal. I ended treatment on 5/15/09.
  • ratface
    ratface Member Posts: 1,337 Member

    Well, I went nine months
    Well, I went nine months with out any food by mouth and only was on tube feedings of nutren. My tongue and mouth were very bad and took forever to heal. I ended treatment on 5/15/09.

    Gave away 2 cases today
    And I'm two years post treatment. The point is that we get very attached to the stuff. Although I'm eating just fine I've hung on to the stuff just in case. I think he is within the realm of physical/psychological need. Check with the Doc's and then if possible let him be.
  • DrMary
    DrMary Member Posts: 531 Member
    For some folks, years
    The Nestle site is full of letters from folks who have kids with severe allergies and have lived solely on Boost Plus.

    If it's the 320-calorie stuff, he should be drinking 6 of them (more, if it's not the high-calorie stuff) to get enough calories in.

    It might be time to talk to the nutritionist as well as the doctor; it would be best to get an informed opinion from someone who is looking at him and his test results.
  • Greend
    Greend Member Posts: 678
    DrMary said:

    For some folks, years
    The Nestle site is full of letters from folks who have kids with severe allergies and have lived solely on Boost Plus.

    If it's the 320-calorie stuff, he should be drinking 6 of them (more, if it's not the high-calorie stuff) to get enough calories in.

    It might be time to talk to the nutritionist as well as the doctor; it would be best to get an informed opinion from someone who is looking at him and his test results.

    I hope a LONG LONG TIME
    I've been 100% ensure since January and will be on it till I die so I hope I can make it a very long.

    I've gained 15 lbs on the stuff and not one episode of pneumonia form aspirating food since I went 100% tube.

    The tube does mess up my manly profile and my "best side" must now be from the back.

    I guess what I'm saying is that if you take enough you will do fine for as long as it is needed.

    I do have blood work done to check how my vitamins are and thus far I've only had one small dip in my vitamin D levels.
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    DrMary said:

    For some folks, years
    The Nestle site is full of letters from folks who have kids with severe allergies and have lived solely on Boost Plus.

    If it's the 320-calorie stuff, he should be drinking 6 of them (more, if it's not the high-calorie stuff) to get enough calories in.

    It might be time to talk to the nutritionist as well as the doctor; it would be best to get an informed opinion from someone who is looking at him and his test results.

    Won't let me edit my comment:
    Was wondering, why isn't he eating? Is it because it's too painful? Afraid of choking? Has a stricture? Do you mean he's not eating any food or not eating 'solids'. Took me a very, very long time to eat solids. Can he drink smoothies, eat puréed soups, and eat soft things like bananas or oatmeal? You don't really go into detail, so idk what the issue is. I know some people tried to kind of force me to eat in the begining, til I opened up my mouth and showed them the inside. That quelled that. Then when I realized I couldn't swallow, before I found out I had radiation damage, people were trying to tell me it was just in my head, and I should just relax... Yeah, ok. Lol

    So I guess what I am getting at is that it's important to find out the 'why' he's not eating. Strictures can be dialted, or he can work with a speech pathologist for swallowing exercises, or maybe you guys may need to approach food differently, at least for a while anyway. I had to totally change the way I ate. Everything from temperature, texture, amount, and the time it takes me to eat. I can't eat the way I used to. If you need tips for prepping food, I'd be happy to help.

    Wishing you both well,

    Sweets
  • Pete11
    Pete11 Member Posts: 1
    edited September 2020 #10
    I'm about 2 1/2 months out

    I'm about 2 1/2 months out and can't tolerate the lack of taste. Just grosses me out. No problem swallowing and no pain. I just find it distasteful (pun intended).

  • tbret
    tbret Member Posts: 76 Member
    I went about 7 months .

    I went about 7 months . Initially I was drinking Ensure and I slowly changed that to the higher protein lower calorie version... Uh... Glucerna . Oh how quickly we forget.

     

    One of the appealing things was that I could make meal times very short. I didn't have any fun chewing or swallowing so chugging ensure or glucerna was just easier.  It was also easier to ignore the fact that my sense of taste was completely wrong.

     

    As others have said you have to consult your doctor particularly if there's a lot of weight loss. I was drinking about 2100 calories of Ensure or glucerna every day. 

  • Logan51
    Logan51 Member Posts: 470 Member
    edited September 2020 #12
    what I learned

    I was pretty much like you with the taste until a little over 4 months out when, at the Company Golf Fiasco, I had a brat w/mustard, onions & relish. That's what got me started on Roadhouse Chili. Several others over the years have also stated that early-on the spicier foods are best to stimulate the sense of taste, and I sure found it to be true.