Join a Community That Understands You

Get answers from those who share your health journey

Left Image 1Middle Image 1Right Image 1

Explore Over 11,000+ Conditions, Medications, and Symptoms.

Get a personalized feed by signing up for free.

avatar

dinosaur2202

Updated 10mo ago

Advice on GJ Feeding Tube Placement

I just got my first GJ feeding tube placed and am looking for advice. It was a really hard process but finally starting to heal from the procedure. I can already tell the difference in absorbing nutrients and meds (instead of having malabsorption and allergic reactions from MCAS) through my J tube. One of the main reasons I got it was due to my severe jaw dislocations and arthritis that occur from EDS. But since I'm not getting food into my stomach does anyone have tips on what to do when hungry? Still trying to get down a good system of when to eat orally.

Can you help? connect today

avatar

kactus

3y

Hi. Dietitian here! This is different for everyone, but because you're not feeding into your stomach, it's not being stimulated which makes you feel hungry despite having all your nutrients given into your small intestine. With a GJ tube it starts in your stomach and bypasses it into the jejunum which is the 2nd part of the small intestine to absorb nutrients. Sometimes they might put a balloon in your stomach to help create a full sensation and keep hunger away, but it seems like they might not have done that with your procedure. Definitely talk to your doctor about whether or not you can eat by mouth to ensure it won't mess with the tube placement. If you can you should eat foods that don't trigger your MCAS and are soft enough that don't require a lot of chewing so you're not dislocating your jaw (I've done this a few times and it is not a fun process and I also have dysphagia that makes swallowing difficult sometimes). Protein shakes would be good for feeling full but you just have to make sure that your protein shake isn't causing bloating, excessive gas, or constipation. Drinking a lot of water can also help, and it can help prevent constipation from protein shakes. I hope this helps!
avatar

dinosaur2202

3y

Thanks💕 I know I have a balloon keeping the tube in place but not sure about if it will help my stomach feel full. I love food so much being on a soft diet is really hard for me. Lots of times I'd rather not eat than have another protein shake. Now that I'm getting the right nutrition will have to play around with what foods are safe and I actually want

The content in this post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

feed-footer-0

Free unlimited access

to all community content

feed-footer-1

Find others who are

medically similar to you

feed-footer-2

Pose questions and join

meaningful discussions

pp-logo

Alike is a transformative platform that goes beyond just bringing together patients; it meticulously connects individuals based on multiple critical factors, such as age, gender, comorbidities, medications, diet, and more, fostering a community of knowledge, support and empathy.

appStoreBtngooglePlayBtn

© 2020-2024 Alike, Inc