Does your feeding tube reek?

Hi!  I'm four weeks out today.  I can't wait to get this stinky feeding tube out!  Yesterday I was at church with my daughter who hadn't had a bath.  I thought, "she smells so bad, I'm going to bathe her the moment we get home."  Turns out I was the stinky one!  Apparently the feeding tube goes into my small bowel.  I just assumed it went into my stomach. 

Did you have this problem?  Any solutions??
dawn

No, not yet..... I do have my feeding tube and I must say I HATE it also! It hurts and its in the way.

that being said, I am two weeks out and it has not seemed to leak.

Hugs!

Mine never smelled bad at all.

I am guessing that you aren't flushing it often enough or not using enough water.

So flu**** more often and use more water.  Hopefully that will help clear up the problem.

When do you get it removed?

I didn't know you are supposed to flu****  How do you do that?  No, I haven't been having water (I haven't been using the tube at all) because it is plugged or something.  The last two times I've tried to use it, I've used a lot of pressure to try and force it and the whole apparatus came apart.

I went to have it removed today and they couldn't get it out!!  They said there is a stitich that hasn't disolved and to go back in next Monday to try again!
dawn

Thanks for the info.  The surgeon in Portland tried to call Dr. K, but he was in surgery.  She read the operation report, but it was not very specific regarding how the tube was secured.  I heard the surgeon and her fellow talking about a bulb.  They put a syringe in the tube (to deflate the bulb?) and got nothing.

I am going back on Monday.  Hopefully she will have talked to Dr. K by then and all will be a go.
dawn

That is wierd! Mine was in for several months due to the complications I had and it never stunk. I had to flu**** with 30 ccs of water at least 4x per day. If I didn't do that, it would get stopped up and be hard to get anything into it. It got clogged twice, but thanks to old Coca-cola, it bubbled it through and unstopped it! I was nothing by mouth forever and depended on it to survive. It worked great. T

You know this is starting to make sense . . . it only stunk on Sunday and Monday.  I had stopped using it on Saturday because it was plugged up.  So I pu****er in it last night and again this morning and already it has stopped smelling.

Thanks for everybody's help!!!  I asked the surgeon what I could do to get it to stop smelling and she said "nothing"!  I should've known to come to the experts!
dawn

I had a feeding tube in the small intestines and it's called a J-tube. You should flu**** about 3-4 times a day whether or not you are actually taking feedings. 2 of those times should be first thing in the morning and one right before bed.  It should be flushed with water and at least one of those times, with soda. Do not use flat soda, the action of the soda helping to clean and clear our clogs is two part, one is the bubbles and one is the acid.

If you feed through it, it should be flushed after each feeding as well.

Was you not given a large syringe to flush with? If so, it'll be about 30 cc's of water for each flush and the same amount for the soda.

Before you start flushing with water, obviously, it's going to need to be unclogged. This might take several tries with soda. Fill it as far as you can and let it sit for about an hour before trying to flush with more soda. Try water, then do the soda, wait, etc...

I cannot believe you were not given proper instructions for caring for your J-tube. Sheesh.

Oh and it will smell when you pop the top on it each time due to the smell of our bowel/gas inside. But it should NOT smell otherwise. Make sure you are using a Q-tip, dipped in peroxide around the entrance of the J-tube, to keep new growth from forming around the tube as well as infection out. Do not inset the Q-tip, just clean the edges of the hole. Also doesn't hurt to clean the J-tube itself with peroxide.