Feeding tube nutrition suggestions needed

@nbkod7b I am impressed with the nutrition you are getting through the G tube using a blender. My dad had a G tube, and used the commercial preparations. My first thought for extra calories was ice cream, but you are already doing that. In trying to gain weight, fats have so much more calories per gram of weight than other foods and would help you gain weight. As for not clogging the G tube and lines, have you tried olive oil to add calories?

This link gives some health benefits of olive oil. It can easily be mixed into the other foods you are putting through the blender.
https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-01-11/more-olive-oil-may-bring-longer-life-study
Have you discussed with your doctor what is right for you? I am sure not clogging the G tube or any lines is important. One of the issues that comes up with liquid feeding is that you don't have bulk to keep the stomach expanded and when it shrinks, it's hard to get enough nutrition because it has to go in so much slower. My dad had a bag like an IV bag up on a pole and it dripped in slowly toward the end of his life. Also make sure you stay upright, so stomach contents are not coughed up or aspirated. Your doctor or nurse probably reviewed that with you I would expect.

Have you tried applesauce, or does that have too much pectin in it for a g tube? Baby food may offer a suitable consistency of it. Applesauce might slow transit time, allowing more time for absorption of your other foods. Yogurt (lactose free) helped me to maintain my weight, but kefir seems a better bet for g tubes.

You absolutely need to get a registered dietitian to help you access the resources to keep you healthy. I know insurance will cover the cost of tube feedings if it's permanent. It's difficult to get the nutrition you need just blending food. Volume is an issue, so there are formulas that are concentrated to provide 2 calories per ml so they provide the nutrition you need in a small volume.

Thank you! I had forgotten about olive oil. I had used it some in the past but dropped it out of the rotation. I wasn't aware of the benefits of sitting upright and will try to do that more. Thanks again.

Thank you for suggesting applesauce. I haven't tried it but will. Yogurt is another good suggestion. I remember trying it when I first got the tube and was trying to figure out what to use but don't recall why I stopped. I'll see if I can make it work.

Thank you for your response. I consulted with a dietitian who helped helped me set up my feeding regiment. I have gone from a low of 123 pounds up to 170 currently. My goal is an extra 10 pounds. I am in Mexico tube feeding are not covered by insurance and the prepared formulas I investigated have shipment costs more than double the price of the product itself which is why I am looking for suggestions.

I have terrible IBS. I’ve lost 30 pounds and now weigh only 100 pounds. The doctor is talking about putting in a feeding tube. I can steal two and swallow but can’t seem to gain weight. I’m just so weak and feeble.Has anyone here had a feeding tube and was it a good experience or a bad experience?ALSO, IF YOU HAVE IDEAS OF THINGS THAT ARE EASY TO DIGEST, BUT HELP YOU GAIN WEIGHT?I would be much grateful

@lauraherbert - welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Really sorry to hear you're feeling weak and feeble and have unintentionally lost weight.

I moved your post here so you could meet members like @jenniferhunter @nbkod7b @linh and others. They can speak to whether they've had a feeding tube, and if so, the pros and cons for them. They also may be able to make suggestions about easy to digest food that would help gain weight.

Have you found any foods that work for you so far?

@lauraherbert It sounds to me like a feeding tube would be an extreme choice. If I understand correctly, you can swallow, correct?

My dad had a feeding tube because he lost the ability to swallow after a head injury and he had to relearn it. I helped him with him feeding tube. It's a messy thing punched though the stomach wall and it has to be cleaned and flushed. It can get infected or pull out and need to be surgically reinserted and you have tubing hanging off your belly with a clasp on it. The food is liquid canned drinks like Ensure or Boost that elderly people use because they loose too much weight. Those are usually available at the pharmacy section of the grocery store. If you can swallow, you could just drink some of those without a feeding tube. As nutrition goes, it is a lot of fats, carbs and vitamins and not really great nutrition.

Have you explored the possibility of food allergies as a cause? Perhaps taking digestive enzymes may help if you don't digest food well. Gluten issues cause inflammation of the gut if a person is susceptible and that actually may decrease the the surface area for digestion by flattening the villiae in the intestines. That is what happens with Celiac disease which causes malabsorption, and a gut may heal if gluten is taken out of the diet entirely. I did that. That requires research because there are so many sources of hidden gluten in foods. Basic food like meat and fruits and vegetables are good options as long as you avoid any grain with gluten. Corn and oats don't have gluten, but there could be cross contamination if there are some errant plants of wheat left over in a corn field from another season that gets scooped up during harvesting.

I have recently been through a lot of gut issues and pain, and it seems to have been caused by dairy products and also some physical issues with my pelvis that twists of out of alignment. Because that encircles the colon and large intestine, it can can cause pain and even constipation because of pressure. My physical therapist helps me with this. I do have other food issues and sensitivities as well as gluten and I have over time taken a lot of foods out of my diet that bother me. Have you seen a nutritionist? I even had a recent colonoscopy and the gastroenterologist took a biopsy to check for issues, but there were none. I had an ultrasound to check my ovaries because bloating and constipation can be a symptom of ovarian cancer. All of that was good, so I think my issues are food sensitivities and physical alignment of my body that I'm working on in PT.

The most calorie dense food is fat and if you are able to eat dairy, ice cream would be a way to get a lot of fat calories. Fats have about twice as many calories as proteins and carbohydrates. Olive oil is a heart healthy fat. Those are the 3 different types of food and most foods have a combination of them in differing proportions. Egg yolks are also a good source of fat with some additional proteins.

What suggestions have your doctors made, other than suggesting a feeding tube? Do any of my suggestions bring up questions that you would ask your providers?