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Post by gale w on Aug 15, 2015 18:38:00 GMT
I typed this all out and then it was gone. argh. Anyway. His regular doctor had more blood work done plus urine tests-when she palpated around his bladder he felt some pain. Everything came back normal other than what you'd see with dehydration. She also prescribed bentyl (anti-spasmodic for the cramping) and an antacid. He's also taking Jarro-dophilus probiotic 3 times a day. He's improved somewhat-he has less pain and sometimes his stools are becoming more solid but most of the time they are not. The doctor now thinks it's a virus that is taking a long time to resolve. The nurse said that sometimes the diarrhea sticks around for up to a month. The problem is that he is on a bland diet and a bland diet doesn't have a lot of fat or protein in it. He is painfully thin. He was skinny to begin with-just over 100 lbs-and has lost almost 10 lbs. This, coupled with him not wanting to eat most of the time, is a problem. He's been eating some jelly sandwiches and will tolerate a little soy butter on them sometimes (I don't keep peanut butter in the house at all) and if I push it he will eat some chicken soup w/ rice. He's eating applesauce in between plus has been eating half of a banana every day, but is switching to a full banana. He only drinks water, which used to seem like such a good thing, but now it's just diluting what little electrolytes his body has left. I got him some gatorade but it really doesn't have a lot in it. I got some pedialyte but he hates the taste of it. I give him about 4 oz (mixed with some water since the flavor is too strong for him) and he takes a half hour to drink it. He said it makes him feel sick and the last thing he needs is to throw up. Any ideas for foods that are bland, yet satisfying, or something I can make? Muffins, maybe? He is supposed to avoid all dairy right now along with tomatoes and spicy foods. I'm guessing too much fat would be a bad thing but he needs something... eta: original thread 2peasrefugees.boards.net/thread/27564/
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imsirius
Prolific Pea
Call it as I see it.
Posts: 7,661
Location: Floating in the black veil.
Jul 12, 2014 19:59:28 GMT
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Post by imsirius on Aug 15, 2015 18:42:59 GMT
I didn't see your first post so not sure what's been going on.
What about rice? Plain white rice should fill him up but not too heavy. Mashed potatoes with no butter or milk? Sweet potatoes?
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Post by gale w on Aug 15, 2015 18:45:47 GMT
He doesn't like mashed potatoes. I can give him those things but I'm afraid he will keep losing weight if he doesn't have at least some fat and/or protein. He's also very picky, which doesn't help.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 5, 2024 18:23:14 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2015 18:50:24 GMT
Ensure drinks
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Post by Basket1lady on Aug 15, 2015 18:53:55 GMT
Why don't you keep peanut butter in the house? Is there an allergy or that you just don't like it? What about another spread--sunbutter or almond butter?
Does he tolerate soy milk? Maybe make a smoothie with that? Does Pediasure have milk in it? (probably does) Is there another supplement like that that doesn't have dairy?
Can you request a consult with a dietician? He/she may have some ideas.
This is a tough one. I'm glad that he's feeling better, but poor kid!
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Post by gale w on Aug 15, 2015 18:57:19 GMT
My oldest daughter is allergic to peanuts and nuts. I think soy butter has comparable amounts of protein/fat. I'm not sure if pediasure has milk. Pedialyte does not though. I'll look into ensure and soy milk products. He can have coconut milk too. I think I will call the doctor on Monday and ask about seeing a dietitian or nutritionist.
I also might get the flavorless pedialyte and mix it 50/50 with the flavored. Maybe that will help with the taste.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 5, 2024 18:23:14 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2015 19:16:21 GMT
Will your son eat rice with margarine and soy sauce? I did that a LOT while in Japan and when I got sick I would eat that a lot, too. I use butter but I don't have a problem with lactose.
Do you keep nori at home? We always have a big stash of it as DS loves to eat it right out of the package. Your son could also have onigiri with canned tuna or grilled salmon. My Okaasan used to make that for me all the time. Her's was the BEST in the universe and the history of Japanese cooking. The salmon has fat in it (albeit not a lot) but if he ate it he would get fat and protein from it.
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luvnlifelady
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,428
Jun 26, 2014 2:34:35 GMT
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Post by luvnlifelady on Aug 15, 2015 19:19:06 GMT
One thing I like that is fattening is plain pasta with margarine on it. (Golden Soft). Maybe that would avoid dairy since it isn't butter. Sure tastes good though. Maybe add some chicken if he would let you.
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Post by anniefb on Aug 15, 2015 19:26:43 GMT
I agree about the Pedialyte rather than Gatorade. Gatorade is unlikely to have the balance of electrolytes needed after severe diarrhoea and sugary drinks/food can make diarrhoea worse. I would also steer clear of fatty things for now as they can also make diarrhoea worse. The bananas and rice are good, also things like chicken soup or poached chicken.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Aug 15, 2015 19:26:39 GMT
I'm sorry your son is still feeling ill.
I gently will suggest that at 16 yrs old he is old enough to tell him that if there is a food that he can tolerate, that he must eat it for his own well-being.
Also, at this point I would let him have unlimited amounts of any food he was willing to eat.
And I agree that a consultation with a dietitian is a great idea.
Is his doctor worried about his low weight? Or worried about his weight loss? If he was starting at just over 100 Lbs, and he's lost about 10 Lbs, that's 10% of his body weight. I would be very worried. Has the doctor said at what point they will intervene to change the direction of his weight loss?
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IAmUnoriginal
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,894
Jun 25, 2014 23:27:45 GMT
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Post by IAmUnoriginal on Aug 15, 2015 19:28:00 GMT
For dairy-free options -- Smoothies made with fruit, Silk yogurt and Silk soy milk. The yogurt can be hard to find. We usually get it at Jewel. So Delicious makes ice creams from both soy milk and coconut milk. While not super nutritious, they'd get some calories in him.
ETA: a lot of margarines have some small traces of dairy in them. Fleishmans UNSALTED has no dairy in it.
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Post by mirabelleswalker on Aug 15, 2015 19:38:19 GMT
I wouldn't start piling on a bunch of fats at once since he hasn't been eating them. It could just make him sicker. I would continue with bland diet. Poached chicken might be good. Here is a recipe for homemade pedialyte. You can mix it with juice for flavor. linkI hope your son feels better soon!
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Post by peasapie on Aug 15, 2015 19:47:48 GMT
Yes. Risotto. Arborio rice, chicken broth.
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Post by gale w on Aug 15, 2015 19:50:33 GMT
I'm sorry your son is still feeling ill. I gently will suggest that at 16 yrs old he is old enough to tell him that if there is a food that he can tolerate, that he must eat it for his own well-being. Also, at this point I would let him have unlimited amounts of any food he was willing to eat. And I agree that a consultation with a dietitian is a great idea. Is his doctor worried about his low weight? Or worried about his weight loss? If he was starting at just over 100 Lbs, and he's lost about 10 Lbs, that's 10% of his body weight. I would be very worried. Has the doctor said at what point they will intervene to change the direction of his weight loss? Yes, she's definitely worried. He's always been at the very low end of normal for his weight and it's always been a concern. Normally he eats a lot and had been gaining lately but that was before all this started. She has not said at what point she would intervene. I don't even have a scale so I might have to get one to keep track of his weight. The only reason we knew how much he had lost is because we went to the clinic a couple of weeks earlier when he had a cat bite.
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valleyview
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,816
Jun 27, 2014 18:41:26 GMT
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Post by valleyview on Aug 15, 2015 19:55:07 GMT
Rice, baked potatoes, broiled meat, melons. Good luck!
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Post by hop2 on Aug 15, 2015 20:08:35 GMT
What about those before and after gel pack from gatorade for the electrolytes?
As for protein can he eat hard boiled eggs? they are pretty bland yet have lots of protein.
I hope he feels better soon, this has been a very long time.
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Post by PEArfect on Aug 15, 2015 20:17:02 GMT
If he's tolerating rice, try quinoa. Quinoa is high in protein. Just prepare it with chicken broth, or however you prepare your rice.
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Post by cahwoo on Aug 15, 2015 20:18:02 GMT
How about giving him Jello even in liquid form. We have given to babies that are on the brat diet.
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Post by gale w on Aug 15, 2015 20:18:08 GMT
I'm going to make some hard boiled eggs in a minute and he can eat at least one of those every day. He has a stomachache again now and doesn't want to eat. I did have a stern talking to with him and told him if he doesn't gain, he'll end up being admitted to the hospital. He doesn't want that so hopefully he'll be more willing to eat. I feel like he's eating often throughout the day but just in such small amounts and sometimes such bland low caloric foods that it just isn't enough. I found this list of foods to eat and avoid on a bland diet and was surprised to see crispy bacon on it. www.drpstokes.com/treatment_02.htm#DIET1
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Post by librarylady on Aug 15, 2015 20:21:40 GMT
Will he eat coconut? I have read that coconut or coconut macaroons will often stop diarrhea. I realize it might not work in his case, but.......
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Aug 15, 2015 20:23:58 GMT
I'm sorry your son is still feeling ill. I gently will suggest that at 16 yrs old he is old enough to tell him that if there is a food that he can tolerate, that he must eat it for his own well-being. Also, at this point I would let him have unlimited amounts of any food he was willing to eat. And I agree that a consultation with a dietitian is a great idea. Is his doctor worried about his low weight? Or worried about his weight loss? If he was starting at just over 100 Lbs, and he's lost about 10 Lbs, that's 10% of his body weight. I would be very worried. Has the doctor said at what point they will intervene to change the direction of his weight loss? Yes, she's definitely worried. He's always been at the very low end of normal for his weight and it's always been a concern. Normally he eats a lot and had been gaining lately but that was before all this started. She has not said at what point she would intervene. I don't even have a scale so I might have to get one to keep track of his weight. The only reason we knew how much he had lost is because we went to the clinic a couple of weeks earlier when he had a cat bite. I'm glad that she is concerned. I truly hope he is soon able to eat enough to turn his health around. And I'm gonna ask a dumb question, but is there any chance that his current illness is in any way related to that cat bite?
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MorningPerson
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,542
Location: Central Pennsylvania
Jul 4, 2014 21:35:44 GMT
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Post by MorningPerson on Aug 15, 2015 20:29:30 GMT
If he's tolerating rice, try quinoa. Quinoa is high in protein. Just prepare it with chicken broth, or however you prepare your rice. My experience with quinoa is different. My stomach normally tolerates just about anything, but it did NOT like quinoa.
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happymomma
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,078
Aug 6, 2014 23:57:56 GMT
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Post by happymomma on Aug 15, 2015 20:35:22 GMT
Cat bite? That jumped out at me. I wonder if this illness has anything to do with that? I have seen people in the hospital for those.
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Post by knit.pea on Aug 15, 2015 20:37:35 GMT
Have they had any reason to test him for c-diff?
Was he on antibiotics for the cat bite?
Sometimes antibiotics wipe out the good bacteria and then the bad bacteria grows exponentially.
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~Susan~
Pearl Clutcher
You need to check your boobs, mine tried to kill me!!!
Posts: 3,259
Jul 6, 2014 17:25:32 GMT
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Post by ~Susan~ on Aug 15, 2015 20:40:11 GMT
One of my favorite things when my stomach is upset is rice cooked in broth. Jello also seemed to help settle my stomach also. How about almond milk? I really like to make smoothies out of it.
I hope he gets to feeling better soon.
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Post by gale w on Aug 15, 2015 20:48:26 GMT
The cat bite was superficial but he was worried about it so I took him in anyway. They didn't do anything for it-just said to keep an eye on it. It never even got red. I did ask the dr at the clinic if it could be related to that, but she was sure it was not. They tested for c-diff (especially since he had been to a nursing home the day it started to see his grandpa) and they also tested for other pathogens that could have come from that. He hasn't been swimming or in any lakes or ponds lately either. I also asked if it could be insect related but they didn't feel that was it either. I think that ruling all of that out is what makes her believe it's viral.
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RosieKat
Drama Llama
PeaJect #12
Posts: 5,538
Jun 25, 2014 19:28:04 GMT
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Post by RosieKat on Aug 15, 2015 21:02:31 GMT
Avocado? I see that's on the OK list for the bland diet. You can even use them in smoothies or things like that if he doesn't like it as is. As for the Pedialyte, my kids often prefer the unflavored one mixed with some juice. Maybe you could even mix in a little lemonade or drink mix with it, so that it has flavor but not too much?
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Post by mollycoddle on Aug 15, 2015 21:17:49 GMT
What about some probiotics? It might help.
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Post by Eddie-n-Harley on Aug 15, 2015 21:22:10 GMT
If he likes/tolerates the hardboiled eggs, try some egg drop soup from your local chinese place. Or ask if they can make some fried rice, easy on the soy sauce, with just scrambled eggs. (And if he doesn't like it hot, maybe he'd like it cold.) Or maybe try some scrambled eggs and a piece of dry toast.
My preferred drink when I have a stomach bug is tropicana orange juice mixed with sprite (no substitutions). Don't really know why that is my go-to, but it always seems to stay down the best, and taste the best, and make me feel better. Hopefully it is not too acidic. And if he likes or tolerates that, maybe some lemonade? Does he like iced coffee? Gevalia now has an iced coffee made with almond milk. In my grocery store, there's a big box of it with the large shelf-stable boxes of almond milk, coconut milk, etc., and there are smaller (individual) boxes in the soda aisle with the other canned/bottled iced coffees. (With the drinks, I am thinking strictly of calories.)
You might also try some things from the baby food aisle. Don't laugh-- I sometimes buy Gerber's pear juice because it's basically straight up pear juice, with no added sugars, and it's not a juice blend like everything in the "juice" aisle. I'm not suggesting you get him toddler hot dogs, but maybe some pureed peaches or something would be a nice change from applesauce. Or it might be totally gross, I dunno. Just brainstorming here.
Hope he's feeling better soon.
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Post by theroadlesstraveledp on Aug 15, 2015 21:22:24 GMT
Why don't you keep peanut butter in the house? Is there an allergy or that you just don't like it? What about another spread--sunbutter or almond butter? Does he tolerate soy milk? Maybe make a smoothie with that? Does Pediasure have milk in it? (probably does) Is there another supplement like that that doesn't have dairy? Can you request a consult with a dietician? He/she may have some ideas. This is a tough one. I'm glad that he's feeling better, but poor kid! I would also recommend the consult with a dietician or nutritionist. *The Tropicana juice probably has too much acid in it and isn't recommended for those on a bland diet. And sometimes depending on the severity of the condition citric acid can also be something that should be avoided. That might be what is irritating his stomach and is present in a lot of items such as; gatorade, powerade, sodas, orange juice, and tea. I'd water that stuff down like other peas suggested.
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