While you were in intensive care you will have received your food as a liquid. You may have been fed through a nasogastric tube (inserted into your nose and down into your stomach), or by a drip straight into your vein. Your body will have used its stored fat and muscle for energy to help fight your illness.
When you are well enough to have solid food again, you may have difficulty eating because:
- you don’t feel hungry
- your mouth is too sore to eat
- food tastes different
- it hurts to swallow.
Start off with small portions and eat more often throughout the day. Instead of full meals, have small meals and two or three snacks each day. You can buy specially prepared milk drinks and desserts, like the ones you were given in hospital, that contain lots of vitamins and minerals.
Take your time when eating and relax afterwards to avoid indigestion. If some foods taste very salty or sweet, it is likely that your taste buds are taking time to get back to normal. This is common and will improve, but don’t add extra salt or sugar to your food in the meantime.
If you enjoy drinking alcohol, check with your doctor that it is safe to drink it with the medication you are taking and that it will not have a bad effect on your condition. Even if it is safe, don’t drink too much.
Sometimes, taking strong antibiotics and steroids can lead to infections. Oral candida (thrush in your mouth) which can give you a thick white substance on the roof of your mouth and tongue, making it painful to swallow. If you think you might have thrush, your GP will be able to treat it easily.
If you need more support or have symptoms that you’re worried about, you should see your GP.