# What helps when you can't eat?



## Cors (Apr 6, 2009)

I have been dealing with a nausea, headaches and fatigue for the week and it doesn't seem to be getting any better. My throat is constantly parched, my lymph nodes swollen and if you look closely enough, there is some icky white-greenish goo at the back. Swallowing saliva is incredibly painful and medicine (painkillers and stuff for nausea) don't seem to help much either. 

I am so, so hungry and my stomach hurts. I haven't been able to hold any food down at all for the past few days. I can handle lukewarm water, but not milk, fruit juice or sugary drinks. Sucking on sweets and sugar cubes doesn't seem to help either. I don't think I am dehydrated and I am not diabetic, but I noticed that my breath is starting to smell all fruity. I also get faint easily and feel all weak in my legs. 

I am going to the doctor tomorrow but in the meantime, any idea how to get some food or sugar into my system? Tips on how to shut the gnawing hunger and stomach pains are also appreciated.


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## Carol W. (Apr 7, 2009)

What has always worked for me is watermelon! Cold cubes of watermelon to suck on and gently chew up and swallow. This gives fluid and sugar to a depleted system, and I have found it goes down VERY easily. Must be cold though! Room temp doesn't cut it. Let me know if this helps you at all......


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## Tracii (Apr 7, 2009)

Oh My please see a doctor.Let us know what the Dr says.


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## steely (Apr 7, 2009)

Try some chicken broth.It seems to help me.I hope you feel better soon.


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## Tad (Apr 7, 2009)

- Try chewing on ice chips to help get some liquid into you.

- Do you have ginger ale there? (a type of soda). If so, make some flat by stirring it for a while, and see if that will stay down (ginger helps settle the stomach, so sometimes ginger ale is OK when other sweet drinks aren't)

- If you don't have access to ginger ale, how about ginger tea? If it is OK plain, try it with a bit of sugar or honey added after, maybe?

- In general if your innards have been really off, the safest things to eat are BRAT (banana, rice, apple sauce, toast). At least, that is what they told us for a sick toddler, and it has worked well for me when I've had stomach bugs.

- For the infected throat, you might try gargling with hot, salty, water. As hot and as salty as you can stand it. The heat helps break up mucous, and the salt helps kill bacteria, so between them they can really help with _some_ infected throats (no promises, but worth a try).

- Some people swear by honey, especially unpasteurized honey, for sore throats. It might also stay down for you and give you some energy? (honey has natural anti-bacterial properties, and because it is sticky it will coat things for a while, but less processed honey might work better than the more highly processed kind). 

- I have a ginger-honey mix that I can buy, usually in little chinese grocery stores, which I find works wonders for a soar throat. Don't know if you could find this, but maybe you could send your partner out on a quest?

Good luck, hope you are on the mend shortly!


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## Orchid (Apr 7, 2009)

nutridrink which is sort of mix for patients who can not eat sold at pharmacy/chemist sort of liquid hospital food might be different name where you live you can buy this over the counter it contains all nutrition

the fruity smell going into ketosis? not good

go see a doctor asap

get well soon & take care


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## Cors (Apr 8, 2009)

Thanks for the well-wishes and suggestions. 

At least it isn't mono, which is great. It is more likely than not just a particularly nasty cold and I wasn't prescribed anything besides the usual hydration and rest talk. I do feel better now that I managed to hold some food and medicine down and hopefully I will be on the way up! 

Carol, watermelon used to work for me when I was younger! I remember how soothing it was. It is a pity that it isn't widely available here so I didn't get to do it this time. I tried some chicken broth and it satisfied the hunger pangs, though it came up again after. Ice chips and flat ginger ale worked too. The salt water hurt, a whole lot and caused some puking but my throat seems to be better now. Honey never worked for me and tend to cause more phlegm, but I might be using the wrong kind. Will definitely check out the mix you mentioned! 

Can't wait to get my appetite and energy back again.


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## Tracii (Apr 8, 2009)

This may sound odd but use only honey harvested with in 25 miles of where you live.I was told this by an old mountain man here in Ky.BTW he makes great moonshine too.
When I get a nasty cold I take a big shot of moonshine and go to bed.


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## Miss Vickie (Apr 8, 2009)

I hope you've gone to the doctor by now??? If not, what helps me when I'm sick is gatorade and popsicles. Just little wee sips of Gatorade, and popsicles which seem to go down more easily. But given what you've described, a trip to the doctor for hydration and nausea meds is definitely in order!


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## Celestial Ceece (Apr 8, 2009)

My opinion on this is that you should call your local weed dealer (or is it hash in the UK?) and get some of that. I know a lot of cancer patients and other people who have chronic illnesses and they have problems with eating/inability to eat and a multitude of other symptoms. Without marijuana, they wouldn't be able to eat. In fact, a new study that I heard about says that weed helps to shrink brain tumors. 

It is also good for pain, vomiting, and all kinds of other symptoms. There are ways to ingest it other than smoking, and there are also vaporizers and water pipes which help you inhale without getting all of the toxins and bad stuff. It comes in all forms actually! You just need to know where to find it.

I've seen it work first hand. I have a neighbor who is sick with cancer and can't eat without it. I had a close family member who was sick for decades with cancer and other ailments and if it wasn't for marijuana, that person would've died a lot sooner than they did. It really works effectively and there are a lot of people who can attest to it. http://www.onlinepot.org/medical/article43.htm

I know it is illegal but in some places it IS legal and it really does help. The munchies aren't just some stereotype. Marijuana is very effective at helping sick people eat. Try it, you just might like it. 

Trust me on this one! 

http://www.medmjscience.org/Pages/history/consumerreports.html

http://www.latimes.com/features/printedition/health/la-he-marijuanapro18-2008aug18,0,3980553.story

Good luck (and try it, honestly).


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## thatgirl08 (Apr 8, 2009)

When I don't feel well, I usually go for sugar free jello. Tastes sugary, but isn't so it won't make you feel more sick. Plus, it's light and unlikely to upset your stomach but will give you a few calories to work with. Hope you feel better doll. By the way, I'd have your doctor check for mono.. you have a few classic symptoms. I have it once and was feeling pretty much the same way.

EDIT: Sorry! I didn't notice you said you were already checked for mono and it wasn't that. My bad. Hope you're feeling better.


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## Cors (Apr 9, 2009)

Tracii said:


> This may sound odd but use only honey harvested with in 25 miles of where you live.I was told this by an old mountain man here in Ky.BTW he makes great moonshine too.
> When I get a nasty cold I take a big shot of moonshine and go to bed.



Interesting, wonder why. It is difficult to find honey harvested in my area though. I've always wanted to try moonshine (not when sick though, alcohol affects my sleep too much). How is it like? 



Miss Vickie said:


> I hope you've gone to the doctor by now??? If not, what helps me when I'm sick is gatorade and popsicles. Just little wee sips of Gatorade, and popsicles which seem to go down more easily. But given what you've described, a trip to the doctor for hydration and nausea meds is definitely in order!



Yep, went to the doc yesterday. Managed to drink, sleep (finally!) and nibble a little and I am already feeling much better. I didn't think of Gatorade, but I'll bear that in mind. The electrolytes will probably be quite helpful. I took potassium supplements, especially after throwing up and that seemed to help. 



Celestial Ceece said:


> My opinion on this is that you should call your local weed dealer (or is it hash in the UK?) and get some of that. I know a lot of cancer patients and other people who have chronic illnesses and they have problems with eating/inability to eat and a multitude of other symptoms. Without marijuana, they wouldn't be able to eat. In fact, a new study that I heard about says that weed helps to shrink brain tumors.
> 
> It is also good for pain, vomiting, and all kinds of other symptoms. There are ways to ingest it other than smoking, and there are also vaporizers and water pipes which help you inhale without getting all of the toxins and bad stuff. It comes in all forms actually! You just need to know where to find it.
> 
> ...



Thanks for the information! The sweet, cloying smell of weed puts me off, but I will look into it if I do get sicker. 



thatgirl08 said:


> When I don't feel well, I usually go for sugar free jello. Tastes sugary, but isn't so it won't make you feel more sick. Plus, it's light and unlikely to upset your stomach but will give you a few calories to work with. Hope you feel better doll. By the way, I'd have your doctor check for mono.. you have a few classic symptoms. I have it once and was feeling pretty much the same way.
> 
> EDIT: Sorry! I didn't notice you said you were already checked for mono and it wasn't that. My bad. Hope you're feeling better.



I am, thanks! I've had mono before, it sucked and I am glad that we can only catch it once. I didn't think of sugar-free items since I was obsessed with getting some calories in, but it would probably have alleviated the stomach pains. Will keep that in mind. :kiss2:


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## Celestial Ceece (Apr 10, 2009)

There are anti-nausea meds out there too. Like Phenergan (promethazine) and compazine and stuff like that. I have been prescribed these in the past and while this is going to sound gross, if you can't swallow or stomach the pills, they come in a suppository form too - so you can stick the medicine up your bum and feel a little better shortly thereafter. That is if you feel comfortable doing that. Of course, if you go to the hospital, they can also inject you with liquid forms of these meds so they hit your bloodstream instantly. 

But there are better ways of relieving nausea, trust me!


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