Enteral Nutrition Formulas (Systemic)

Before Using This Enteral Nutrition Formula

If you are taking any of these enteral nutrition formulas without a prescription, carefully read and follow any precautions on the label. For enteral nutrition formulas, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to any of the ingredients listed for your enteral nutrition formula. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy - Studies on effects in pregnancy have not been done in either humans or animals.

Breast-feeding - This enteral nutrition formula has not been reported to cause problems in nursing babies.

Children - Caution should be used when giving enteral feedings to children less than one year of age. Very young children may not be able to eliminate the feeding from the body. Although there is no specific information about the use of enteral feedings in older children, it is not expected to cause different side effects or problems in these children than it does in adults.

Older adults - Older adults may be at risk of developing problems related to the use of a nasogastric tube (tube going through the nose into the stomach), such as aspiration (sucking fluid into the lungs) or removing the nasogastric tube. The enteral feeding itself has not been shown to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults.

Medicines - Although certain medications and enteral nutrition formulas should not be used together at all, in other cases they may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your health care professional if you are taking any prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of enteral feedings. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Breathing problems or
• Dehydration or
• Diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes) or
• Diarrhea or
• Heart problems or
• Hyperglycemia (high levels of sugar in the blood) or
• Hyperlipidemia or
• Lactose intolerance or
• Liver problems or
• Pancreas problems - Enteral feedings may make these conditions worse; your doctor may recommend a special formula for your condition

• Intestine problems or
• Stomach problems - These problems may prevent enteral formulas from being absorbed properly

• Kidney problems - Higher blood levels of certain ingredients of the enteral feeding may result, and a smaller amount of enteral feeding may be needed.

• Malnutrition, severe - Heart and nerve problems have been reported when feeding a patient who is severely malnourished; enteral formula may need to be used in smaller amounts