Wife needs to feed by peg tube, cannot swallow because of various cancer radiation after effects. Any experience with this?
Every so often she gets nausea with violent regurgitation. This morning, there was dark brown backflow from her peg tube. Anyone have this happen and find a solution? Thanks and stay well.
Jay, I'm sorry to read of these challenges you and your wife are facing. I have some experience with a PEG tube, but it was post intubation and multiple life threatening but non cancerous issues.
It's been about 17 years so my experience knowledge is beginning to fade, but generally, the PEG tube was inserted after several months of intubation, traching, ventilator weaning, and recover from all of that.
B/c dysphagia (swallowing disorder) was involved, I could only feed Nestle's special formula, which was provided in crates by the dozen, about 12 boxes at a time. So everything was just Nestle's, nothing more.
When the PEG tube became clogged (after I once overslept from exhaustion), I used apple juice (per doctor's instructions) to clean it, and it worked well.
As to your wife's nausea and regurgitation, I can't answer that but wonder if it's an effect of the cancer meds, which for years have been notorious for nausea and vomiting side effects. I know that there is/are counteractive meds, but you may not want to use any more meds in addition to what she already is getting.
There may be interaction though between what she's consuming through the tube and a specific side effect lingering post treatment. Have you researched the specific cancer meds to determine if there are any interactions, or counter actions? Sometimes drug manufacturers can be of help, if you can track down someone in the labs where they're analyzed.
I think though that what I would do is call either her oncologist, or the infusion center where she gets chemo. If she's through with treatment, I'd call the oncologist or whoever is monitoring her post treatment care and ask about the backflow. She/he should be more familiar with it and have suggestions.
You mentioned the side effects from the radiation and the PEG tube; has she been diagnosed with dysphagia? If so, what level, and what liquids can she have? And how long has she been fed through the PEG tube?
Did she have any specific dark brown backflow before she had the PEG tube? Or is this something completely new?
My gut reaction is that something either in the liquid nutrition or in her digestive system is interacting, but that's just a guess, not a medical intuition. W/o being nosy, was her cancer one that affected the digestive system?
My father had a Hickman Lock (a tube inserted into the large vein in his chest) so he could be fed through it, receive medications & have blood drawn. It allowed him to get through several episodes when he couldn't eat due to cancer treatments. He recovered each time, it was removed & he lived a number of years longer. The biggest concern was making sure to follow the cleaning & handling instructions to the letter so he didn't get a staph infection. Mom was meticulous & he never got an infection. That was back in the late 70's early 80's; so, I'm sure things have changed. I would go on Google or use the search engine of your choice & see what information you can find.
My mother had a feeding tube. Once in a while there was the brown back flow, it was undigested food and stomach acids. She was given water and antacid for this and it quickly resolved. Your wife may need an antinausea med, such as Zofran, please ask her doctor about the best plan for her
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It's been about 17 years so my experience knowledge is beginning to fade, but generally, the PEG tube was inserted after several months of intubation, traching, ventilator weaning, and recover from all of that.
B/c dysphagia (swallowing disorder) was involved, I could only feed Nestle's special formula, which was provided in crates by the dozen, about 12 boxes at a time. So everything was just Nestle's, nothing more.
When the PEG tube became clogged (after I once overslept from exhaustion), I used apple juice (per doctor's instructions) to clean it, and it worked well.
As to your wife's nausea and regurgitation, I can't answer that but wonder if it's an effect of the cancer meds, which for years have been notorious for nausea and vomiting side effects. I know that there is/are counteractive meds, but you may not want to use any more meds in addition to what she already is getting.
There may be interaction though between what she's consuming through the tube and a specific side effect lingering post treatment. Have you researched the specific cancer meds to determine if there are any interactions, or counter actions? Sometimes drug manufacturers can be of help, if you can track down someone in the labs where they're analyzed.
I think though that what I would do is call either her oncologist, or the infusion center where she gets chemo. If she's through with treatment, I'd call the oncologist or whoever is monitoring her post treatment care and ask about the backflow. She/he should be more familiar with it and have suggestions.
You mentioned the side effects from the radiation and the PEG tube; has she been diagnosed with dysphagia? If so, what level, and what liquids can she have? And how long has she been fed through the PEG tube?
Did she have any specific dark brown backflow before she had the PEG tube? Or is this something completely new?
My gut reaction is that something either in the liquid nutrition or in her digestive system is interacting, but that's just a guess, not a medical intuition. W/o being nosy, was her cancer one that affected the digestive system?
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