How to ease into Using PEG

Got tube 9wk ago and ready to start using for nutrition
Still eating by mouth, but I seem to be losing weight for the first time
Don't want to disrupt intestinal tract which has been functioning pretty well

I'm a little afraid of the 1.2 jevity , so started with 1 can. Do we just keep adding another can each day? My big fear is bringing on diarrhea/constipation. No surprise that home health nurse has no idea about ALS or any relevant advice

Have you thought about blending up real food if you are worried about the jevity?

To answer on using it though, I would start with one can a day for several days and see how you are doing, then add a second can at the other end of the day and give this some days to see how you are doing.

Is the jevity you are using a high fibre? Don't forget lots of fluids is really important.

You might try calling your ALS Clinic, assuming you are using one, and ask to talk with the nutritionist. I found ours to be well versed in the needs of an ALS patient. My wife was not able to ease into it as she quickly lost the ability to swallow. The nutritionist calculated the number of calories needed for her to maintain her weight and determined the amount she needed in formula. We moved from Jevity to isosource 1.5. A few more calories but more fiber. We never went down the path of blending our own as my wife seem to tolerate the formula very well. She gained a few pounds back.

My PALS tolerated Jevity 1.5 pretty well. I would pour it into a Pyrex measuring cup, dilute it with some water to make it flow better through the tube, and warm it up a little in the microwave (like baby formula I guess). I read that if it is warm it is easier to digest.

He started increasing the amount over a period of time - mainly because he resisted taking it until he had lost so much weight that the disease seemed to speed up and then he realized he should have been taking more of it.

Good luck!

Well the sh*t hit the fan yesterday. I blame a week of jevity. Now I'm afraid of it. Going to look into real food blended but I hate adding another job for my husband. Of course, yesterday was a huge job . God I hate this

Sorry. There are a lot of other choices if the blending is too much for your DH. Liquidhope and another one that escapes my memory just now. But even trying other formulas that are more traditional. My sister had 4 different ones. I think she ended up with Compleat.

Blending is great and may not be that more work if you eat what he eats. And maybe he will eat better if you do that? I have no idea- maybe his diet is fantastic already but in my caregiving days I found I had no energy left and grabbed whatever I could - the low point being an 11 pm dinner of a teaspoon of peanut butter and a handful of baked peapods!

so sorry Kay, that must have been awful xxx

You can try another formula like some of what Nikki suggested and you can do some real food blended up too. It doesn't have to be all or none. You can make smoothies and thin them as well. hugs

We are using Isosource 1.5. We also tried Compleat but it didn't have as many calories. Sorry that one is giving you problems.

I asked the Nutritionist at the MDA Clinic if they had samples we could try so we wouldn't have to get a months worth of something he couldn't tolerate. They did have some. I also gave them the ones we could not use..

Hello all, Isosource is what the ALS clinic prescribed for me although I don't take it very often because I can now eat normally, but when I did take it, it seemed fine.
Al

Thanks everyone. My clinic is sending out a dietitian to evaluate. Fortunately I can still eat by mouth, although slowly. Will try different formula.

How much jevity were you taking every day Kay? You were still eating regular food as well?