Since an eldery member of my family had an nasojejunal (NJ) tube fitted, it has become severely blocked several times (requiring admission via A & E and a hospital stay whilst they wait for a tube replacement). On each occasion it appears to have been directly linked to prescribed medication (for general health conditions not related to the cancer), despite the administering instructions being followed, and flushing well before and after each dose. Sometimes we're told by the medical professionals we encounter once the tube is blocked, that the formulation of medication we were prescribed, shouldn't have been used with a small-bore NJ tube at all. Although the medications being prescribed are supposedly in liquid form, they never seem to be truly liquid, but rather suspensions that don't dissolve in water, or the granular contents of capsules that don't properly disperse within water. We're desperate to reduce the number of blockages; it's getting to the point where taking any medication fills us with dread! There seems to be very little definitive information available, and the decision of what will or won't block an NJ tube appears to be extremely subjective and dependent upon the individual judgement of each medical professional. Any advice would be appreciated please.
