End of Life question. Is this normal when someone goes that long without eating?

Nakeeta….. I’m sorry you received several very snarky remarks. It’s very apparent that you care for your friend very much. The human body is interesting and no two are alike. When my husband was in the active dying process, he had pancreatic cancer, all he did for the last 2 weeks is vomit black fluid. And he still had bowel sounds even though he was not eating or drinking. We are each so different. I’m sorry you’re losing your friend. Just as others have said, when you visit you can talk of all the good times y’all had together and let him know how much the friendship has meant to you through the years. Liz

If you have ever had to fast from food for an extended period of time--your stomach will growl and grumble a lot. We fast the first Sunday of every month in my religion and sometimes it's almost funny--the tummies grumbling away. We're certainly not starving, but still.

Solid food you can live without. Fluids? No. It does seem like forever when someone is in this stage. I hope they have palliative/Hospice care for him so he is not in active pain.

Yes! I asked my mum's nurse about that (and poop) just the other day. She didn't go into much detail other than to say the digestive process is still active and eliminating even without food.

Gut noises are indicative of parasympathetic nervous system engagement (rest and digest). That means there is not fight or flight hormones releasing, you can think of it as the nervous system relaxing rather than panicking.

It is possible he is wasting, that is, parts of the body are breaking down, producing metabolic byproducts, which are processed by the gut.

The gut produces many neurotransmitters, hormones, and secretions regardless of food intake, if he is still producing urine, certainly the gut is processing fluids for kidney processes.

My answer may not have correct medical terminology, I am not an expert on humans, this same issue has occurred with animals I have treated with renal failure.

Some creatures even appear to be acting "normal" towards the end, as they waste away, some continue urination, some bloat with toxins, each creature is individual.

I am glad your friend has a friend. The subjects surrounding dying can be a real trigger here, of course, sorry you were attacked right out of the gate.

I think a palliative nurse or doctor will give you the best answer. This is so depressing...

Everyone's dying process is different. When my husband was in his 6 week dying process, he didn't eat anything for 41 days and didn't have any drink for over 25 days. His hospice nurse told me that he had broke their record for going that long without any food, as their previous record was a man who went 5 weeks, so you can see, no 2 dying processes are the same.
So just enjoy whatever time you have left with your friend, and make sure you leave nothing left unsaid.

An empty gut makes a lot of noise. And much of what we eliminate is bacteria, not food waste. We can EASILY live one month with no food intake but not without repercussions for kidney, etc. Without fluid and food we usually go only about 10 days, but that means NO fluid whatsoever, even sips. So yes, this may go on well over one month, perhaps two months. All dependent on age, condition, etc.