Dysphagia and Thickener.......We have tried different things told to us by hospice and others but just having to figure out how to get my husband to drink and eat. The consistency of everything is HUGE. He can chew and swallow but everything hangs up in his esophagus. It is heart breaking to watch him cough and choke. My caregiver saved his life twice because food was hung up. Any tips from anyone.....
Have you tried making his drinks a little less thick so he's better able to swallow it? If not please try that. (I used the product Thick It with my late husband)
Also I would only be feeding him pureed foods, and nothing but pureed foods. That way he will be less likely to choke on any of it, and there won't be anything to get hung up on his esophagus.
Best wishes.
I'm sorry you're both going thru such an ordeal.
Towards the end the lemonade, iced tea and other drinks were thickened so they were like thick pudding.
You might have to do the same thing and see what ratio of thickener to liquid is best.
AND you might also want to try a variety of temperatures.
It might be that a hot or cold food might go down easier because the throat recognizes that there is something there to swallow. Where a room temperature liquid might just sit there because his body does not know to activate the muscles to swallow.
This is just a thought....
Since he is on hospice and it is determined a short life expectancy , this swallowing problem getting worse is not rare .
I’m sorry this is difficult .
(((hugs)))
Is the esophagus not working to push food down to the stomach? Please see his doctor, or the doctor may make a referral to a speech therapist. They can do swallow test imaging and determine what you need to do for safe eating.
If it is simply a consistency issue, I have tried several thickeners sold in drugstores, and many are essentially cornstarch, and create a pasty consistency. Yuck!
I use something called "Thicken Up" made by Nestle. Or Thick & Clear, which is a hormel product. I only use it to thicken liquids. You probably don't need to use a thickener in foods. Just make sure foods are the consistency of pudding, applesauce, or pureed with a little liquid to help it slide down the throat better.
Depending on his overall condition and life expectancy, you could ask the doctor for a referral to a gastroenterologist, who can place a feeding tube directly into the stomach. This requires x-rays, surgery, and fasting before and after tube insertion. So, if he is already nutrient deficient, consider whether it is worth it. With a feeding tube, you can administer a high protein formula directly to the stomach to give his body what it needs to be strong.
You say hospice has given advice. If he is near end of life, then not eating is normal, and is your first clue the end is coming.
If this is end of life care and these thickeners being added and food forced then this is going to be a good deal quicker (if not more pleasant) final exit.
This food is going to get stuck with this stickener, unable to move and either cut off the airway or going to go into the bowel where it will turn to a cement like obstruction that will have more and more fluid removed from it by the bowel, making it harder and harder to move. The result will be killing the person.
You may be making one deadly cocktail her for the person you love. Discuss with Hospice. Stop trying to push foods and fluids, thickened or not.
My step mother in law with dementia and significant problems swallowing refused puree foods. She insisted on eating sandwiches . She was in the hospital for the seventh time in less than a year for aspiration pneumonia . While in the hospital her daughter brought her the sandwich she requested and the mother proceeded to choke to death .
Speak with the doctor. Follow the directions. Don't give if the person cannot handle it. You would then have to make the choice whether to move to tube or not.
Even using thickeners is VERY DANGEROUS FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS SWALLOW deficit.
Talk to the MD before proceeding.
I'm not familiar with what you call #2 thickener that comes in packets, but if that doesn't seem to work well, I would suggest trying something else.
I find it hard to believe that hospice hasn't been more helpful with this issue as I'm sure it's something that they deal with all the time.
There are a couple with xantham gums that my dietician friend recommended.
Try several formulas. Read the ingredients.