Polyneuropathy can be an excruciating complication of diabetes that may be difficult to treat. This nerve pain may respond to two uncommon supplements. Nerve pain (polyneuropathy) is hard to treat. Even heavy-duty narcotics may not ease the pain adequately. This is bad news, especially for people with diabetes. Up to 16 percent of them may suffer with diabetic neuropathy and often get little help alleviating the pain. Certain supplements can be helpful, though.
Our Hospice nurses told me that people usually die about two weeks after they stop eating and that not wanting to eat shows that the body is shutting down and metabolism is changing. They said not to urge him (my husband) to eat but to offer light food and liquids only if he wants them.nfortunatey my Mom is dying from pancreatic cancer. She was diagnosed 7-17-10. She stopped eating 19 days ago. Hospice comes everyday...and for the last 7 days they prepared me for her to pass in 24 hours.
I realize this is an older post but wanted to put some better information. Patients in active dying can go usually 1-2 weeks with food or water. It takes little to no food or water to sustain them and the body will cannibalize existing fluids in the tissues. Our hospice nurse the longest she had seen was 32 days because all that was functioning was heart and lungs. My father in law is in hospice now, on day 12 with no food or water. Hospice will not administer IV's because it will flood the lungs and cause death faster, food causes cramping in the bowels and a lot of pain. He's not starving, he just sleeps deeper and longer every day.