Ensure

cardine45 · Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Posts: 225 Location: Kalamazoo, MI

I was curious if anyone else drinks Ensure to supplement some of the nutrients lost in their diet. People seem to look at me funny when I drink it and I never know if it's because they think it's a weight-loss drink (which I most definitely don't need) or if they think it's only for old people (I'm 26). I wouldn't necessarily say it's great tasting, but I only go for the milk chocolate kind because the strawberry is too sweet and weird tasting and vanilla is bland/strong all at the same time in my opinion. My favorite part is that it is lactose and gluten-free and says so right on the front of the can.

I had a doctor tell me a few years ago to try supplementing with it, and I got my current doc to write a prescription for it because I wouldn't be able to afford it otherwise. My boyfriend works at a medical supply company, so he's able to bring home my monthly supply. I don't know if I would have to get it through a similar company if I didn't have him, because I assume I can't just go to Walgreen's and walk out with 90 cans of Ensure and only pay my co-pay.

voix · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 151 Location: Colorado

I drank it when I was eating 3 or 4 times the normal amount of food a day to keep from loosing weight.

I didn't know that you could get insurance to pay for it; you're a genius.

cardine45 · Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Posts: 225 Location: Kalamazoo, MI

I'm not really a genius. It was a few years ago when my doctor first mentioned to me that she didn't think my body was digesting anything. She suggested that I start drinking ensure 3 times a day to supplement, but I didn't realize how expensive it was. Then about a year ago right before I lost insurance for 6 months to start my new job, another doctor said the same thing, but I said I couldn't afford it. She said that I was underweight enough that my insurance should cover it if I had a prescription for it. I had also been working at an assisted living facility at the time and a lot of our residents had prescriptions for it, and I got to see the problems they went through in keeping their insurance company paying for it.
My biggest problem was that when I first mentioned to my current doctor that I was drinking ensure, he said it would be healthier to make my own. At that point I didn't ask for a prescription, but when I disocvered how hard it was going to be to make my own along with all the other food I made from scratch, I decided I needed to ask for it. 10 days later, I asked him at my next appointment, and he said he would write it for me. Thank goodness my boyfriend works at the company supplying the ensure for me because I guess the insurance company gave some grief before approving it. I didn't ask for specifics, but they had to prove that either I was underweight by a certain percentage or that I had lost a certain percentage of my weight in a certain period of time.
I'm still on the first month of this, so I'm just waiting for the insurance company to come back and say they won't cover it, but I'm sure my boyfriend and his co-workers will have a good way to overcome that considering they deal with it everyday.

voix · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 151 Location: Colorado

Well, that is a lucky string of coincidence. How would you make ensure on your own? To be honest there is a funny taste to it, maybe an after taste, that made me stop drinking it often. I think I left one can in a hot car once and the flavor scared me. lol.

I got an iv of a myers' cocktail last week, and it made a difference. The doctor recommends an iv every week, and the nurse said that it would have a cumulative effect as the nutrients built up in the body from a place of deficiency.

cardine45 · Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Posts: 225 Location: Kalamazoo, MI

To make your own, the doctor suggested looking up recipes, but the basic ingredients would be protein powder and ice cream. When I told him I'm lactose intolerant, he said to try lactose free ice cream which was frustrating. I'd rather just drink the ensure, which I agree, it has a somewhat funny aftertaste, but I know it doesn't have anything I'm allergic to, and it's already made.

voix · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 151 Location: Colorado

oh, that's what's in ensure. I was into malted milk (and soy milk and almond milk) before I realized that I had a problem with gluten.

I agree that finding something safe and already made is a huge draw, especially if you are already probably cooking so much.

hey, did you see this on the ensure site? http://ensure.com/recipes/index.aspx It is recipes for the ensure drink. Not recipes to make Ensure, but recipes to use ensure in. There are savory recipes, which surprised me.

cardine45 · Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Posts: 225 Location: Kalamazoo, MI

I haven't actually looked at the website, but they have it listed on the can so I planned on it someday. Probably this weekend. Thanks.

WestWalker · Joined: 08 Aug 2006 Posts: 307 Location: West Coast

I have a hard time figuring out how to get enough calcium so I drink Ensure with Calcium. I used to use Ensure a lot before I was dx because I just could not eat at all I was always too sick. It is expensive and I don't have the option of insurance paying for it so that's great if you can get your plan to pay. Ensure tastes a lot better than it used to so i'm just happy about that.