Benecalorie...how often?

[KinzaDAF]

I am now in Ohio visiting my parents. I had some Benecalorie sent here for my Dad and gave him some this morning, mixing it into some of the Philadelphia ready-made cheesecake filling. ( Dad was able to swallow this ok. ) I tried suggesting that Mom give more to Dad later, in some other foods, but Mom didn't want to give him more. I think she looks at it as something like a vitamin, that needs to be given only once a day. I thought she should be mixing it into whatever Dad can get down, and several times a day, figuring he needs the calories. I'm not sure exactly how much food Dad actually is able to get down each day but he has lost at least 10 pounds. My sisters report seeing him choking a lot, with food coming back up. ( I have heard him coughing quite a bit. ) Dad does have an appointment on the 17th to talk to a doc about getting a feeding tube, but 'till he *gets it, how often should he be given the Benecalorie? Should I push harder for Mom to give it to Dad more often or not??

Debbie

[BarryG]

If he is losing weight and can't eat much then I would say that the more calories and the more often the better. I don't use Benecalorie but the Resource 2.0 formula (also made by Nestle) that I am taking gives me almost 2000 calories per day and along with the small amount of food that I can eat it is really helping me. As far as I am concerned the more, the better. Convince your mom that it is not a vitamin, it is food.

[BethU]

Debbie ... I've been giving my husband 3 containers a day of the Benecalorie. He hates it, but it is the only nutrition he will accept. What Benecalorie offers is calories ... just plain basic nutrition. He needs to get calories in him somehow until he gets the tube. Barry is right, as always: Urge your mom to "supplement" his natural foods with everything she can.

About the food coming back up ... that's what happens with me, and it's really difficult to deal with. I seem to have to swallow every mouthful 20 times to get it to settle into my stomach, and each swallow risks a choke. I've been trying to slow the "regurgitation" down with slow breathing, and mentally talking myself calm, and am able to achieve a little pause between swallows.