A healthy person can go for sixty days without food, but a sick person, maybe a few days.

An ill person will probably need some sort of hydration within 72 hours or less. It's possible you may try small ice chips? Once the body starts shutting down, dehydration is no longer uncomfortable for the person. You can use glyceryn on the lips to keep them hydrated.

Keep in mind that hearing is the last sense to go, so even if it may not seem like it they can most likely hear you. Speak normally, even if they don't respond.

Im sorry you are going thru this, and please let me know if you have any further questions.

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There are several factors involved. The primary factor is the condition of the patient. Often during terminal illness eating and drinking has been minimal, perhaps due to chemo or the disease process itself. What is the patient's diagnosis?

If a patient has been extremely weakened prior to being unable to swallow, they may already be in a dehydrated state and three to five days may be the maximum there body can be sustauned without fluids.


There is the famous case of Terry Schiavo. Her feeding tube was removed on March 18th and she passed away on March 31. Although she had been in a coma for many years, overall she was in a relatively healthy state by virtue of obtaining hydration and food via the tube.

Let me know if you have any other quesations and if yiu can orovide me with further detaukls, I may be able to provide you with some further help.

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