Well, I am wondering about pancreatic insufficiency...trying to cover all the bases here. I've been doing the Betaine HCL for a few days and in general feel some better but still having the wierd floaty poop and today am back to rumbly/grumbly/diarrhea, and the awful smelling gas hasn't gone away (this is fairly new also). I know it's sort of a dose dependent thing with the stomach acid..so will keep playing with that. I definitely am not taking enough to give me a burning gut, which is when you should back off I understand. Know what is wierd?? I have actually been HUNGRY for meals the past 2 days, and I can't remember the last time I was actually feeling HUNGRY!!! Like, "I'm starving" hungry...
The internal Dr mentioned the pancreatic insufficiency thing to me and of course I heard the radio commercials a few years ago. I never gave it much thought as I didn't have the floaty poop, (?greasy poop), but now I'm beginning to wonder. Since I can't seem to make any headway with this whole mess in spite of a crazy restricted diet, the cholestyramine, etc. In fact I haven't taken the cholestyramine in 2 days just seeing if that is part of my problem...who knows, my thought being maybe I need more bile acid at this point so taking the choleystramine maybe making things worse???
I truly don't think I am absorbing things like I should be, and if this pancreatic enzyme thing is part of the problem then I need to look at it right?? I briefly looked at over the counter pancreatic enzymes at the store one day last summer after my last round of Enterolab testing, but it seemed like it was made of something I reacted to like beef or pork. So I didn't go any further. Now I'm wondering.
I've been a good girl for the past year diet wise, magnesium/vitamin D wise, etc. And for this I seem to be slowly sinking under the surface. I need to do something because I am not going in the right direction!!! And I don't want to just keep treading water thinking it will get better when I should be looking for some other cause right??
Thoughts?? I go back and see my progressive internist on Monday-he's the only one who's mentioned this to me!! Never the GI's-they just talk about choleystyramine and steroids it seems...
Laine
Pancreatic Insufficiency
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Pancreatic Insufficiency
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are"-Teddy Roosevelt
Doctors pretend to be or are actually unaware of this, but pancreatic insuifficiency is very common with MC. It's one of the main reasons why steatorrhea is such a pervasive problem with MC. The pancreas is part of the digestive system, so it's vulnerable to inflammation when MC is active, just like any other part of the digestive system. So it's certainly possible to have pancreatic lipase insufficiency and insufficiency of other pancreatic enzymes. The problem virtually always resolves on it's own, as the other MC symptoms resolve. I don't know from the responses here if it does much good to try to treat it as a separate issue or not, but many have tried. Treating it often leads to the GI doc requesting all sorts of invasive tests (to look for problems with the pancreas) that can be risky (and unnecessary), when the treatment doesn't work. But if you're just suggesting taking pancreatic enzyme, that shouldn't hurt anything,and there's always the chance that it will help.
Pancreatic enzymes are probably all likely to be based on bovine or porcine extracts. I'm not sure that anything else would be effective. Porcine-based enzymes are probably the most likely to work because like the human digestive system, the porcine digestive system is monogastric. The bovine digestive system is quadragastric and not designed to digest animal fat.
Increased appetite is a big plus IMO, especially when you want to gain weight.
Those are my thoughts, anyway, FWIW.
Tex
Pancreatic enzymes are probably all likely to be based on bovine or porcine extracts. I'm not sure that anything else would be effective. Porcine-based enzymes are probably the most likely to work because like the human digestive system, the porcine digestive system is monogastric. The bovine digestive system is quadragastric and not designed to digest animal fat.
Increased appetite is a big plus IMO, especially when you want to gain weight.
Those are my thoughts, anyway, FWIW.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Pancreatic problems?
I ahve been diagnosed with LC since july 2018, on Octuber they made an elastasa study, the result >500 (normal >200) but I can not gaun weight. I am taking Porcine-based enzymes and I am able to manatin my poor weight. The naturopat found inflamated pancreas. Is there any possibiliuty to evolve to pancreatitis?
Ingrid
Hi Ingrid,
Welcome to the group. To help with methylation problems, most of us take this product:
https://www.iherb.com/pr/Thorne-Researc ... Caps/33646
Tex
Welcome to the group. To help with methylation problems, most of us take this product:
https://www.iherb.com/pr/Thorne-Researc ... Caps/33646
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
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dolson
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Hockey Mom
I would take pancreatic supplements. Your body is not absorbing your nutrients and Pancreatic supplements will help. Yes, been there with the floaty poop! Weight loss, hair loss, energy loss - The Works. I like CREON myself! Who wants to lose their hair? When I started taking CREON, my hair looked like Farrah Fawcett. WOW! I loved my hair. Try it, you'll be happy. Plus, you'll have energy! Dorothy