medication clogging feeding tube?

[Sunnyflmom]

My mom has a feeding tube (not sure if it's called a g tube or peg tube). She had been crushing her medications and mixing them with apple sauce to take orally. She is not comfortable taking anything by mouth any longer so all medications have to go thru the tube. The blood pressure one (Diltiazem, I think) does not dissolve well, mostly because of the plastic type coating. We had my pharmacist brother call the PCP to ask if he would write a script for an alternate. The dr called my dad to tell him to just give mom what he prescribed and if there are any problems that he should take her to the emergency room. That would basically mean making 2 trips per day to the hospital to have them unclog the tube. So frustrating. I get the impression that the PCP doesn't know anything about ALS and doesn't want to either. Any suggestions?

 

[Magpuff]

Plastic coating generally means it is a time release medicine and even compounding pharmacies won't make them into a liquid.

What my husband does with my plastic coated pill is to crush it up, remove the plastic, dissolve the rest in a little water and add it to my gravity bag which has my entire feeding for the day in it.

Then he shakes the bag so it is thoroughly mixed and I get it gradually during the day. The dietician doesn't recommend doing this but I know it works because it is my pill for urgency of urination and still no accidents.

Whatever works.

 

[Barbie]

Is your mom attached to this doc or is he just a doc to her? You may want to call his nurse and talk about the situation and see if he will talkwith you and your mom about her condition. If not, then I think you might want to find a new doctor...

Remember, you will need a good relationship with your doc-- things are not going to get easier.

 

[lgelb]

Depending on whether she's using the brand or generic and which release pattern, likely that med should not be used in a tube, anyway.

There are several other agents in the Ca channel blocker class, other classes that may work, and good options that can be crushed. As Barbie says, you definitely need an internist that can consider the choices and help you find alternatives that work (and that can take some trial and error). Your current guy sounds like a loser. Also, as she progresses, her dosages may require adjustment.

 

[Katie C]

Talk to her neuro

 

[tmackenzie]

My mom was on a peg as well. Certain medications we had to dilute in water to give to her by tube. Be sure to check with the physician, they may be able to provide them in liquid format. We always flushed the tube with water afterwards and each week ran coke cola through it.

 

[Sunnyflmom]

Thanks for all your responses. I think my dad may have found a solution. First off, we now think it might have been the potassium pill that (obviously crushed) was still clogging the tube and luckily that can be prescribed in liquid form.
The rest of the pills my dad continues to mix with warm water but learned that like James Bond, the cocktail works much better "shaken, not stirred". He puts them in a jar with warm water and shakes vigorously. Problem solved. Along with plenty of tube flushing too. And another thing dad learned was that if necessary, he can always pull back slightly on the syringe and anything lodged in the tube will be manipulated in a way that it can then be pushed back down with more liquid.