#99793 07-19-2009 01:49 PM | Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 104 Senior Member (100+ posts) | OP  Senior Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 104 | John's PEG is plugged up; nothing will go through. Any ideas?
GM, for John who has SCC Rt tonsil with 3+ nodes, Stage T1 N2b MX; surgery 04/09; Rad X 33 completed 7/14/09...f/u imaging and scopes looking good as of Feb 2011
| | | | | Joined: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,128 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,128 | Nurses in hospital used cranberry juice (acid) and meat tenderizer to clear food clogs. Depending on what kind of PEG it is, a fine wire might do the trick. Otherwise, go back to Doc who put PEG in and get another.
With narrow PEGs, size 12F or 14F, it is especially important to flush the PEG with water after the food goes in or it will partially solidify. Also, some meds leave a crystalline deposit which can be prevented by flushing with water immediately after taking them. I had some buildup in my crappy (12F) PEG from Oxycodone.
Age 67 1/2
Ventral Tongue SCC T2N0M0G1 10/05
Anterior Tongue SCC T2N0M0G2 6/08
Base of Tongue SCC T2N0M0G2 12/08
Three partial glossectomy (10/05,11/05,6/08), PEG, 37 XRT 66.6 Gy 1/06
Neck dissection, trach, PEG & forearm free flap (6/08)
Total glossectomy, trach, PEG & thigh free flap (12/08)
On August 21, 2010 at 9:20 am, Pete went off to play with the ratties in the sky.
| | | | | Joined: May 2007 Posts: 666 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: May 2007 Posts: 666 | you can try to use a syringe (50ml water) apply suction/pressure, depending on where the clog is you can use a wire, especially at the outer end.
I clogged mine up many times.....
M
Partial glossectomy (25%) anterior tongue. 4/6/07/. IMRT start @5/24/07 (3x) Erbitux start/end@ 5/24/07. IMRT wider field (30x) start 6/5/07. Weekly cisplatin (2x30mg/m2), then weekly carbo- (5x180mg/m2). End of Tx 19 July 07.
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Joined: Oct 2007 Posts: 104 | You could try gently plunging with warm water, if that not effective pineapple juice, cranberry juice or coca cola. As mentioned above thorough rinsing of the tube after each use is very important. It should also be rinsed a couple of times a day when not in use just to maintain patency. If all fails contact Dr. who put tube in, it is possible it could have kinked inside the gut. This happened to one of my husband's PEG tubes and it had to be replaced.
Caregiver to husband Dx. Stage 4 SCC of gingiva with 3 nodes pos. Partial mandiblectomy with bone graft from iliac crest Dec. 2006. IMRT x30, Cisplatin x3. Completed Tx. March 15, 2007. Osteonecrosis & removal of graft & plate Oct. 2007. Recurrence of SCC Dec. 2007. Deceased Jan. 17, 2008.
| | | | | Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 104 Senior Member (100+ posts) | | OP Senior Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 104 | Ended up finding some thin plastic tubing that would fit, and after several careful tries, it cleared out! This was the first time the tube's clogged; J's been good about flushing it actually. Thx for the advice!
GM, for John who has SCC Rt tonsil with 3+ nodes, Stage T1 N2b MX; surgery 04/09; Rad X 33 completed 7/14/09...f/u imaging and scopes looking good as of Feb 2011
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2009 Posts: 1 Member | | Member
Joined: Jul 2009 Posts: 1 | Whenever I have a tube clogged at work I use a small amount of Coke or Pepsi and if you are diabetic Diet works just as good.
Daughter/Caregiver to Dad Dx with SCC Right BOT cancer. Stage IVa Right Radical Neck Dissection 7/1/09. Received IMRT x35. Erbitux weekly. Completed Oct 2009.
| | | | | Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 75 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | | Supporting Member (50+ posts)
Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 75 | Hi:
My dad's g tube clogged up today and my mother did not know how much coke to use. Do you just pour it in or inject it, and how much?
Thanks,
Boston
Squamous cell / BOT with lymph node involvment, Stage 4, HIV-, cisplatin 3 weeks of 7, stopped due to kidney issues and neuropathy,35 radiation treatment started 5/6/09,started weekly erbitux on 6/2/09. Completed tx on 6/24/09, biopsy 8/11/09 clean, PET Scan 10/5/09 clear, PET Scan 6/11/10 clear
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Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 6 | If there is a clog. Use a syringe full of soda, they told me use ginger ale. If there is a clog then the gravity wouldnt work. Im sure any type of carbonated soda would work. Try using a few syringes of sode pushed thru the tube on a weekly basis to keep it clean. That was what I had been told to do anyway. I was too busy with everything else to remember to flush the tube with soda. Luckily, I never had a clog.
ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive  | | | | | Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 706 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 706 | We would use a syringe full of club soda and pull the plunger out to make sure the clog had dispersed. My husband would also use fishing line with knots tied in it to unclog his PEG.
cg to husband, 48 Stage 1V head and neck SCC. First surgery 9/07. Radiation and several rounds of chemo followed. Mets to chest and lungs. "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain." Went home to God on February 22, 2009.
| | | | | Joined: Oct 2009 Posts: 5 Member | | Member
Joined: Oct 2009 Posts: 5 | when i was nursing we would unclog feeding tubes with coke and/or meat tenderizer any amount in any concentration that would work. also a 3cc syringe or smaller like a tb syringe delivers more force to unclog the tube meanne
Last edited by meanne; 11-05-2009 11:22 AM. Reason: name in wrong spot
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