Food makes me feel sick

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jackflash22
jackflash22 Member Posts: 524 Member
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

I'm still having problems with feeding. Every time I put anything in my stomach I get dreadful pains with gas and feel sick. I've tried ensure 2 cl, ensure plus and Osmolite. I can digest the first one on an empty stomach but 4 hours later the second one seems to staying my stomach Undigested and my stomach blows up, noises like a drain or coffee perculator on the boil come from my stomach . I can feel my intestines lifting and churning. The pain is intense and I go in a cold sweat. I feel really ill. For a week now I've only managed 2 formulas a day. I'm losing weight.im in contact with my dietician at the hospital and she tried me on a continuous feed pump at a low speed, I was on it 7 hours during the day then the pains and sickness started. I was in pain till 2 in the morning until a painkiller helped. It was worse on the pump than before. Now they are going to put me on Vital and extra calories to put in my water. I can drink water all day that doesn't hurt. I'm desperate for a solution I feel like giving up and not eating.im so uncomfortable that I can't do my housework or walk far, my stomach feels that it will drop out. These are the symptoms that kept me in hospital 3 weeks, I thought when I came out all would be OK. My daughter wants me to buy a blender and go real food but I'm scared of blocking my PEG tube. I cant swallow. ive contacted several people on my cancer team and my doctor. I've asked to see a GI specialist but appts take time. Anyone with ideas what might be going on.

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  • Kritter
    Kritter Member Posts: 147
    #2
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    I can feel your pain..

    I can feel your pain in a way. I too am having no luck eating. But yesterday I started baby food into my PEG at 35CC every 3 hours. Seems to be working. 

    Can you get them to do a  * stomach emptying test* or have you had it done? Mine was they put 50 CC into my stomach, placed me under a picture x ray machine for 1 1/2 hours. Told I have a delayed stomach, takes too long to get the food from stomach to colon. So gave me Reglan every 8 hours. It does help, if I watch the amount of drink or food goes into my stomach each hour. 

    I had the same gurgling, noisy stomach as well, until I would just drain it, it smelt so bad...UGH! I found or we are pretty sure it is the milk or milk by products... so no dairy at all for me. 

    I am thinking of a blender,, Hondo uses one with great success, maybe he will chime in and let you know more about it. I want the nutri-bullet. I watched and infomercial on it. And said works great with feeding tubes. 

    I hope you find relief soon.... Prayers and Hugs... Kritter

  • hwt
    hwt Member Posts: 2,328 Member
    #3
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    Kritter said:

    I can feel your pain..

    I can feel your pain in a way. I too am having no luck eating. But yesterday I started baby food into my PEG at 35CC every 3 hours. Seems to be working. 

    Can you get them to do a  * stomach emptying test* or have you had it done? Mine was they put 50 CC into my stomach, placed me under a picture x ray machine for 1 1/2 hours. Told I have a delayed stomach, takes too long to get the food from stomach to colon. So gave me Reglan every 8 hours. It does help, if I watch the amount of drink or food goes into my stomach each hour. 

    I had the same gurgling, noisy stomach as well, until I would just drain it, it smelt so bad...UGH! I found or we are pretty sure it is the milk or milk by products... so no dairy at all for me. 

    I am thinking of a blender,, Hondo uses one with great success, maybe he will chime in and let you know more about it. I want the nutri-bullet. I watched and infomercial on it. And said works great with feeding tubes. 

    I hope you find relief soon.... Prayers and Hugs... Kritter

    Sorry to hear

    You have to have nutrition! I might take your daughter's advice and try real food in the feeding tube. A clogged tube would be much easier to deal with than malnutrition.  If you are anxious about starting off with food, what about trying soup thru the tube first?

  • jackflash22
    jackflash22 Member Posts: 524 Member
    #4
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    Thanx

    thank you for good advice, you are saying the same thing as I think I should do but hesitate to do so, the nutr-bullet is a £100 and if its not successful I  wasted my money. If I use real food and my stomach still reacts I don't know what to do next. I have just had my first ensure of the day and already it's churning and making noises although it's more uncomfortable than pain. It's the second one that's gives me the problems and pain. I think I'll try some canned soup see what that does.

  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #5
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    jackflash22 said:

    Thanx

    thank you for good advice, you are saying the same thing as I think I should do but hesitate to do so, the nutr-bullet is a £100 and if its not successful I  wasted my money. If I use real food and my stomach still reacts I don't know what to do next. I have just had my first ensure of the day and already it's churning and making noises although it's more uncomfortable than pain. It's the second one that's gives me the problems and pain. I think I'll try some canned soup see what that does.

    Hi Jackie

    I had nothing but problems trying to do the milk when I first got my PEG that is when Denny had his wife call my wife and told her what she does for him. I had to start easy with just veggies only, I lost a lot of weight at first but now I am able to eat anything that is what I been doing now for the last 2 ½ years and had not had any more problems. I hope you find something that works for you soon.

     

    Tim Hondo

  • wmc
    wmc Member Posts: 1,804
    #6
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    Jackie I wish I could say or do something....

    Jackie I wish I could say or do something that would make it better, but I just don't know what. I have had that before where it rumbles and the pain is just awful. All I can think of, is you're producing too much acid and the intestines can't produce enough mucus-rich alkaline secretion containing bicarbonate to nutralize it.

    The blender might be the way to go. There are only a few that will blend to liquid. I think they are The Ninja and Nutro Bullet pro [the big one] and there around $200 us.[$173 euro]

    Bill   

  • corleone
    corleone Member Posts: 312 Member
    #7
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    jackflash22 said:

    Thanx

    thank you for good advice, you are saying the same thing as I think I should do but hesitate to do so, the nutr-bullet is a £100 and if its not successful I  wasted my money. If I use real food and my stomach still reacts I don't know what to do next. I have just had my first ensure of the day and already it's churning and making noises although it's more uncomfortable than pain. It's the second one that's gives me the problems and pain. I think I'll try some canned soup see what that does.

    Question

    How are your bowel movements? Are they normal; or you have been constipated for a long time, and if yes, do you at least pass gases (sorry for these type of questions, just want to rule out any intestinal/bowel obstruction that might give these type of symptoms). I am aware you have been hospitalized, and they must have checked for that (I hope). If these are OK, then you should continue to do what you already have: take less (volume) liquid on the tube, but administered more frequent and at a slower rate, and eliminate dairy (milk) that might cause fermentation.

  • jackflash22
    jackflash22 Member Posts: 524 Member
    #8
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    corleone said:

    Question

    How are your bowel movements? Are they normal; or you have been constipated for a long time, and if yes, do you at least pass gases (sorry for these type of questions, just want to rule out any intestinal/bowel obstruction that might give these type of symptoms). I am aware you have been hospitalized, and they must have checked for that (I hope). If these are OK, then you should continue to do what you already have: take less (volume) liquid on the tube, but administered more frequent and at a slower rate, and eliminate dairy (milk) that might cause fermentation.

    when I was in hospital they

    when I was in hospital they said it's probable a bowel stricture and had me on the surgery list. Every day they cancelled it as sometimes the bowel starts to work again which it did in my case. I take laxido every other day so my bowels open. It's possible I have a narrowing. I have a lot of acid today. I take ranitidine for the acid but it doesn't help much. I went grocery shopping today but ended up sitting on a chair cos I suddenly felt weak and ill. I'm getting down with it. My cancer surgery and radiation didn't give me as much agro as this.

  • wmc
    wmc Member Posts: 1,804
    #9
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    jackflash22 said:

    when I was in hospital they

    when I was in hospital they said it's probable a bowel stricture and had me on the surgery list. Every day they cancelled it as sometimes the bowel starts to work again which it did in my case. I take laxido every other day so my bowels open. It's possible I have a narrowing. I have a lot of acid today. I take ranitidine for the acid but it doesn't help much. I went grocery shopping today but ended up sitting on a chair cos I suddenly felt weak and ill. I'm getting down with it. My cancer surgery and radiation didn't give me as much agro as this.

    Just an FYI Too much acid.

     

    Your body will produce more acid to digest the following:



    1. Food and drinks that commonly trigger heartburn include:

      • alcohol, particularly red wine.
      • black pepper, garlic, raw onions, and other spicy foods.
      • chocolate. 

      • Dairy. Sour cream, milk shake, ice cream, regular cottage cheese, milk.

      • citrus fruits and products, such as oranges and orange juice.
      • coffee and caffeinated drinks, including tea and soda.
      • peppermint.
      • tomatoes.


    2. Hope this might help.


    3. Bill


  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #10
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    jackflash22 said:

    when I was in hospital they

    when I was in hospital they said it's probable a bowel stricture and had me on the surgery list. Every day they cancelled it as sometimes the bowel starts to work again which it did in my case. I take laxido every other day so my bowels open. It's possible I have a narrowing. I have a lot of acid today. I take ranitidine for the acid but it doesn't help much. I went grocery shopping today but ended up sitting on a chair cos I suddenly felt weak and ill. I'm getting down with it. My cancer surgery and radiation didn't give me as much agro as this.

    jf, just wanted to tell you

    jf, just wanted to tell you i'm sorry you are having so much trouble and pain and i pray the doctors find a solution before too much longer. 

    God bless you,

    dj

  • jackflash22
    jackflash22 Member Posts: 524 Member
    #11
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    wmc said:

    Just an FYI Too much acid.

     

    Your body will produce more acid to digest the following:



    1. Food and drinks that commonly trigger heartburn include:

      • alcohol, particularly red wine.
      • black pepper, garlic, raw onions, and other spicy foods.
      • chocolate. 

      • Dairy. Sour cream, milk shake, ice cream, regular cottage cheese, milk.

      • citrus fruits and products, such as oranges and orange juice.
      • coffee and caffeinated drinks, including tea and soda.
      • peppermint.
      • tomatoes.


    2. Hope this might help.


    3. Bill


    Diet

    bill, Im only on formula food and water, so none of the above apply to me. I've been on the same diet for a year and now it's turned against me. Feeding is a chore I hate. It takes so long, if I pour the formula down the tube too fast I get the violent pains, I can't understand why. I took to the feeding OK for a year then suddenly became intolerant to it. It's my only means of survival. I force myself to have 3 formula feeds although it's time consuming and painful. My life has been taken over with feeding. Even when I'm not in pain my stomach is so swollen it's heavy and uncomfortable to walk and move about so I've become a couch potato. I'm hoping my problem will be solved soon. I'm to start yet another brand of formula and calorie mix to put in my water to keep my strength up. I'm so near to giving up.

  • donfoo
    donfoo Member Posts: 1,771 Member
    #12
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    jackflash22 said:

    Diet

    bill, Im only on formula food and water, so none of the above apply to me. I've been on the same diet for a year and now it's turned against me. Feeding is a chore I hate. It takes so long, if I pour the formula down the tube too fast I get the violent pains, I can't understand why. I took to the feeding OK for a year then suddenly became intolerant to it. It's my only means of survival. I force myself to have 3 formula feeds although it's time consuming and painful. My life has been taken over with feeding. Even when I'm not in pain my stomach is so swollen it's heavy and uncomfortable to walk and move about so I've become a couch potato. I'm hoping my problem will be solved soon. I'm to start yet another brand of formula and calorie mix to put in my water to keep my strength up. I'm so near to giving up.

    time for something new

    Jackie,

    If you are still only trying formula stuff out, you need to try another route; it can't get worse. You do need a blender than can get the mixture to a fine enough texture that won't clog the tube. Then start trying very small amounts of different foods, one at a time to see what does not upset your stomach.

    For example, banannas generally are quite gentle. Take a quarter of a banana and blend with water. Try that and see how that works. Do the same with one vegetable or fruit at a time. Same thing with protein powders. Not the mixed up stuff, the pure stuff you can get at health food stores. There is whey and soy protein powder. Take a small scoop and mix with water. Try that.

    I'm sure you will find some natural and organic food that will be acceptable. Overdue to get to feeling better. Don

  • avisemi
    avisemi Member Posts: 172
    #13
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    Sorry to hear about this.  My

    Sorry to hear about this.  My husband was also supposed to have that surgery but didn't at the end. He did horrible with the 2 cal and a 1.5 (can't remember the name).  Though thankfully he does very well with Boost VHC. The nutritionist was very surprised by this ( we tried on our own).  She recommended adding water to it. so we just put more water when flushing the tube. We like it because 8oz have 530 calories so he just needs 4 a day to maintain his current weight.  We are going to start putting smoothies too.  Good luck!

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