peg feeding

Replies

By Maryann

Re: peg feeding
Thu 1 Jun 2006 00:19

Hi Scorpio

My Mum also gets fed through a peg tube due to her swallowing, prior to getting the tube my Mum had chest infection after chest infection and this was because she was aspirating everything. So, I was advised to give nil orally and adminster everything by tube, which I must admit Mum has had very few infections in past 5 years since having tube inserted. I do on good days give Mum a few spoonfuls of mouse when her form is able to manage it. So I would say from my experience if your son has swallowing problems maybe you should ask whether the fluids can be administered through tube.

Hope this helps
Take care
Maryann x

By scorpio

Re: peg feeding
Thu 1 Jun 2006 15:08

Hi Maryann, thanks for your reply. Does your mother take any fluids orally? Tony has tea and water via his mouth - anything else makes him choke. I am loth to take this away from him as he is a tea addict. How do you care for the mouth when there is no fluid going in it? Soon he will be having an op on his brain that will almost certainly stop his swallowing completly. As I said before, the chest infections are getting worse. That is worrying but, so far, we have coped. Nice to hear from somebody else who looks after a peg feeder. I don't know any one else who does.

By heather

Re: peg feeding
Thu 1 Jun 2006 16:12

Hi Scorpio and Maryann
I don't look after a peg feeder but I do have to do oral hygiene for someone who is absolutely no liquids by mouth quite often and we find fresh pineapple to suck really good. Keeps the mouth feeling fresh and seems to be quite antiseptic so if you can arrange to have pineapple so it can be sucked not accidentally swallowed it might help.

Good luck -two mighty labours of love going on there I think
Heather

By Maryann

Re: peg feeding
Thu 1 Jun 2006 16:23

Hi Scorpio, My Mum doesn't take any fluids orally, her gallot has completely weakened, so the swallow is quite bad, but on good days we can manage few mouthfulls of strawberry mouse. My Mum would ask for a drink, I never say that she can't as this would upset her, but because my Mum has no short term memory, she forgets she has asked !

I guess with your son its something he really enjoys, which is a really hard decision for you both, but I remember they told me that if I carried on giving Mum food and drink by mouth it would make her life shorter as with how server the chest infections were. It was really hard taking things away from her that she so enjoyed, but that was nearly 6 years ago and we have maybe had 5 or 6 infections, so i know I made the right choice.

As for cleaning Mums mouth, well it all depends on her form, I do on good days get a really good brush around and she can rinse for me, this can take up to 20 minutes to do mouth care twice a day and maybe a few attempts. Mums teeth are in great condition, no fillings, extractions and we had a checkup just recently, she would get the odd mouth ulcer though.

I don't know anyone else looking after peg tube feeding so its nice to share experiences.

I hope that your sons operation goes well.

Take care
Maryann x

By Maryann

Re: peg feeding
Thu 1 Jun 2006 16:57

Hi Heather

Never heard that before, thanks for the information. Not sure whether I could try this with Mum as she wouldn't suck on it, if it tastes nice it would be gone! But is good to know - thanks

Take care
Maryann x

By scorpio

Re: peg feeding
Thu 1 Jun 2006 18:24

hi heather thanks for the tip but tony has such a senstive mouth he cant have any thing like fruit cola or harsh toothpaste as his mouth breaks out in ulcers. he has a problem at present with the tips of his otherwise perfect teeth going brown dr thinks it may be reflux

By scottishstudentnurse

Re: peg feeding
Thu 15 Jun 2006 15:43

Hi ladies,
Scorpio try asking at the hospital. I know patients we have in when they are in nil fluids we use pink sticks they are like pink soft lollys and you dip it in the water and just was the tongue and round the teeth and it seems to clean the horrible products that build up in the mouth and it means that you do not need to use tooth paste.
Hope this has helped.
Jean

By paulsmum

Re: peg feeding
Sat 9 Sep 2006 19:57

Hi
I was advised by the Dentist to use a spray called Corsodyl for my son. Not only does it freshen his mouth but is also good for sore gums, ulcers and hygiene.
Sue

By nic-RNLD nurse

Re: peg feeding
Sat 15 Dec 2007 11:35

Hi Guys,
Well I'm new here and came across the site by accident as was swatting up on the latest news on PEG feeding. I am a learniing disability nurse and have been for 18months. Throughout my training and I still continue to use this technique, those nil by mouth, I give a little pinapple juice on a pink piece of sponge on a stick. Its difficult not to tell someone not to swallow the piece of pineapple in my experience and this works just as well, providing them with a nice drink, a fresh mouth and a the pineapple acts as an anticeptic. You can use the same technique with water too. Always consult your doctors/nurses first. Many people with PEG feeding systems can drink via their mouth, but many can't, this again should be discussed with your doctors and nurses, especially if a person is getting recurrant chest infections.
Hope this helps alittle.

By Tricia

Re: peg feeding
Sat 15 Dec 2007 17:42

Thank you nic that was useful information I hope you will continue to monitor the board and able to help other carers with their questions when possible.