You are here:

Palliative care - fluid, food, and digestion

Alternate Names

Constipation

What It Is

It is normal for a person who is dying to not feel like eating. A serious illness can cause body systems that manage fluids and food to change at this time. They can slow down and fail. Also, medicine that treats pain can cause dry, hard stools that are difficult to pass.

What You Might Feel

Loss of appetite

Trouble chewing, caused by:

Mouth or tooth pain
Sores in the mouth
Stiff or painful jaw

Constipation:

Fewer bowel movements than usual
Hard stool

Nausea:

Feeling sick to your stomach
Throwing up

What You Might Do

Fluids:

Drink sips of water at least every 2 hours when awake.
Fluids can be given by mouth, through a feeding tube, an IV (a tube that goes into a vein), or through a needle that goes under the skin (subcutaneous). When fluid is given under the skin it is called hypodermoclysis.
Keep your mouth moist with ice chips, a sponge, or oral swabs made for this purpose.
Talk to someone on your health care team about what happens if there is too much or too little fluid in the body. Decide together whether to give more fluids than are taken in.

Food:

Cut food into small bites, and chew slowly.
Eat food that is soft and smooth, like soup, yogurt, applesauce, or pudding.
Blend or mash foods so they don’t need to be chewed much.
Drink shakes or smoothies.
If you feel nauseous, try dry salty foods and clear liquids.

Digestion:

Keep a list of when you have bowel movements.
Drink sips of water or juice at least every 2 hours when you are awake.
Eat fruit, especially prunes.
If possible, walk more.
Sit up when you try to have a bowel movement on a toilet, commode, or bedpan.
Talk to someone on your health care team about stool softeners or laxatives.

When to Call the Doctor

Call your hospice nurse or doctor if you have nausea, constipation, or pain that cannot be managed.

Disclaimers

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition.
A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.
Call 911 for all medical emergencies.
Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).