Thickening Liquids

wbcgaruss
wbcgaruss Member Posts: 2,482 Member
edited May 2021 in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Hello folks. I just want to make everybody aware of a product that thickens food and drinks in case you have trouble with coughing or aspiration during eating or drinking. I was introduced to this during my time in rehab in 2019 and recently started using it again. I never heard of this product or idea before so maybe some of the folks on here are in my situation. It seems I am coughing a bit more lately on thinner liquids like coffee or tea. I remembered I had this in the cabinet and it really helps. You don't need to use a lot it seems to go a long way. When I first got out of the hospital in 2019 and into rehab they would not let me drink anything without some of this in. The coughing is protecting me from aspirating but with this I don't cough or cough very little. When drinking or eating some thinner consistencies us folks with the H&N experience cough but for some reason when you thicken things you just swallow without aspiration risk. I guess things move a little slower and the airway gets sealed. I found this as the reason--

 


How does thickening liquids help prevent aspiration?

The rapid rate may be too fast for the patient's pharyngeal muscles to compensate, thus allowing aspiration. Thickening the liquids is meant to slow the flow of liquids to allow more time for airway closure, which could potentially reduce the risk of aspiration.

The goal of “thickeners” is to make all liquids, including beverages and soups, a thicker consistency that is less likely to cause aspiration. Thicker liquids travel more slowly down the throat and that makes them easier to control. If someone with swallowing problems drinks water, juice, or coffee, it can travel down the throat so quickly that the muscles and nerves used for swallowing don’t act quickly enough, and some of the liquid can get into the lungs. Thickened drinks move more slowly, giving the body more time to control and direct the fluid toward the stomach.

 

Instant Food and Drink Thickener - Resource ThickenUp is clinically shown to reduce the risk of aspiration for people with swallowing difficulties compared to thin liquids. Make almost any hot or cold food or beverage thicker without altering the taste.

 

Here is some info from the Univ. of Iowa on it https://uihc.org/health-topics/using-thickened-liquids-safer-swallowing

 

There are other products out there but I found this one to not affect the taste of the food or drink.

Take Care-God Bless-Russ

 

Container

Thickenup Open

 

 

Comments

  • LitlCJdoll
    LitlCJdoll Member Posts: 245 Member
    edited May 2021 #2
    Thank you, Russ.  I hope this

    Thank you, Russ.  I hope this helps those here who need it.

     

    I used to spend $75-85 for the big jug of thickening gel ----+ that Iis until my last MBS swallow study. Leading up, I had been through many many FEES fiberoptic endoscope swallow videos, plus Esophagram studies. And 3 prior cancer Modified Barium Swallow studies.

     

    However the 4th MBS was so terrible, it was my Worst one yet.  

     

    Russ, I aspirate Every Consistency. All of it. They showed me on the video .... I aspirate Thin Liquids. I aspirate Thickened Liquids. And I aspirate Pudding consistency/ Runny puree. ALL of it. It penetrated to my vocal cords... Early Spillover ...No Control. I even aspirated when it went down, hit a stricture in my esophagus, then came back up----- I aspirated the Reflux. !!

    Damn.

     

    Its why I have my #6 pneumonia / infection with an antibiotic Resistant E. Coli, right now.  ( yes, when they cultured it out from my Broncos copy  in the hospital, they tested the E. Coli I have right now, and its resistant to Ciprofloxacin, Levaquin.. That class of antibiotics . so I'm on something different now, and if it doesn't help soon they are admitting me for IV drugs. I'm trying this first at home.

     

    Anyway, I no longer have to buy thickened because its now shown / proven that I aspirate ALL of it across the board.

    Oh happy day

     

    Crystal P.S. my doctors will eventually take away all my "comfort liquids" as well. That is. all I'm allowed is Sips. A teaspoon or less at a time in my mouth, to swallow .. Eventually they will  take away that too.

  • Stephie75
    Stephie75 Member Posts: 185 Member
    #3

    I just wanted to leave a comment on this... When I was at my first speech therapy appointment a couple days ago she told me that drinking water was the best thing to drink for your main fluid due to your body's own capability to aspirate it quite easily. Water is the easiest. (it made me think about how many people have drowned, and people push the water out of their lungs... I can't imagine that happening with a milkshake)

    Eating is one thing, but people should be careful and take it slow and always have the water around, IMO.

    Crystal you need constant IV and PEG until you can get a break!!! Geez!

    -Steph

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