Digestive issues with PEG tube feeding

[jujubee]

Hi all! Thanks as always for all the support folks provide in this forum. It means a lot.

My brother got his PEG tube a few weeks ago, and after using it successfully for meds delivery, he just started feeding with KateFarms Standard 1.4 nutritional formula. However, more often than not the formula goes right through him, accompanied by some nausea and then pretty immediate diarrhea. His dietitian suspects Relyvrio might be a culprit (rather than the formula itself), so we've tried spacing feedings well away from meds, but the issue still happens sometimes. It has been distressing and discouraging for him.

Has anyone else had this issue? His dietician is recommending adding fiber, but I'm wondering if anyone has any input or tricks they use for successful tube feeding and smooth digestion. Thanks for your thoughts!

Julianne

 

[Nikki J]

If the relyvrio is new too I would try pausing it for a week or so to find out. Diarrhea is a known and significant issue for many who take it. Once you know that it is or is not the issue you can decide what to do. If it is relyvrio you will waste a lot of time and effort chasing tube feeding solutions.

Sometimes it is hard to tolerate tube feedings if the PALS has been significantly malnourished. My sister had major issues and we had to change to a special easily digested formula. We also started extremely slowly. If he is doing bolus feedings a pump at a slow rate may work better.

 

[Doing My Best]

Hi Julieanne, my PALS has this problem too. When he first got his feeding tube (Dec. 2022) he started on Living Hope which is more of an organic whole food type formula, then when that didn't agree with him very well he went on Kate Farms standard 1.4, and a couple of months ago he switched to Kate Farms Peptide 1.5. The peptide formula was better for him for several weeks but just in the past week he's back to having very liquid diarrhea. I'm trying to figure out what else may have changed - he does eat a tiny bit by mouth, but really very little. I guess we need to keep experimenting. I'd be interested to hear if you try something else that helps. My husband is not on Relyvrio.

 

[jujubee]

Thanks to you both, Nikki and Doing My Best! Very helpful info. I will definitely update as we know more. I believe the dietician for KateFarms is also going to follow up, so I'll let y'all know what they say. Take good care... - Julianne

 

[blakej]

I experienced some of that too and am taking Relyvrio as well. I found if you back off the quantity at a sitting or drip it a little slower that can help elliviate the issue.