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Digestive Enzymes Make Symptoms Worse?!? Ugh Your Take On This?

ezgoindude

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ezgoindude Explorer
ezgoindude
Posted

Sup y'all,

So far at best I've the doc thinks it's ncgi or possibly an eosinophilic disorder but that's another story. Gluten free for 4 months now, only once I ate Glutened fries by mistake....

I noticed my stools, which are slowly improving, always float. I freaked out and thought my pancreas is crapped out so I by digestive gold enzymes from sprouts.

4 days into taking the enzymes, my old symptoms creep back. Stools not formed and oily, pain in upper right rib area, toxic gas.

It's been a week since I stopped the enzymes and my body has calmed down and slowly back the way it was.

Anyways my question, are some enzymes too strong? Do any of you recommend a brand? Are my guts too damaged to handle the enzymes right now you think?

Thx guys

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kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

I didn't feel they helped me.  I think they made my stomach hurt more.  Maybe you don't need them?

LauraTX Rising Star
LauraTX
Posted

I agree that digestive enzymes are not always necessary, and you just need to judge how they make you feel. You can try another brand, or just shelve the idea for now, but definitely go on how it makes you feel.  

 

I know the CVS brand are gluten free.  They have two kinds, there is a food intolerance one with higher enzyme amounts, and another one with not as much.  You can compare the amounts in your current brand to those, and if you want to try lower doses to start out, asses that and do what you think is best.

user001 Contributor
user001
Posted

I am not sure what digestive enzymes are? Are we talking probiotics? If so, I have been taking kyolic's kyodophulis for years and I helps me so much. It's free of many known allergens.

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

I am not sure what digestive enzymes are? Are we talking probiotics? If so, I have been taking kyolic's kyodophulis for years and I helps me so much. It's free of many known allergens.

Digestive enzymes are produced in several locations in the body to help us break our food down into nutrients. Because some are made in the small intestine, a Celiac's damaged small intestine might not make enough of them.

Probiotics put good bacteria back Into the digestive system. Lots of things can kill the good bacteria off or allow the bad to flourish - antibiotics, stomach viruses, celiac, anything that upsets the balance in our gut.

user001 Contributor
user001
Posted

thanks for clearing that up. I never used those before.

HavaneseMom Explorer
HavaneseMom
Posted

Hi ezgoindude,

I used the Enzymedica Digest Complete before I was diagnosed. It is their low dose version. I had constant stomach pain at that time, and the digestive enzymes really helped me digest my meals better. Now that I am gluten free and feeling better, I can't take them anymore. They really hurt my stomach now. I must not need them anymore and maybe you don't too?

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ezgoindude Explorer
ezgoindude
Posted
  • Author

Sup guys!

Yea it's been months with no diagnosis and I get really nervous as my new gi doc thinks the stools could be from pancreatic insufficiency or sibo on top of food intolerances.

Since cutting out grains dairy and soy I've had a dramatic improvement, but I can't gain any weight and my stools are never perfect.

Yea it'll be at least a month before I can try a different form of enzymes, when it brought back the gnawing pain I knew i had to stop the dosage

I wish I had a single guilt free food. Gets frustrating

1desperateladysaved Proficient
1desperateladysaved
Posted

I had a Genova Nutrient test 1 1/2 years back.  My digestive enzymes were found to be lacking.  I have been taking Genuine N Zimes Dr. Howell's Original Formula Extra-Strength also I have been gluten free for two years..  Recently did a stool test (after 4 days not taking enzymes) that measured enzyme levels.  My levels were found to be adequate.  I get to forget to take them once in a while.  Digestive enzymes really seemed to help me.  Often, however, natural remedies (seem to me) to give symptoms or make them worse before they make the symptoms go away altogether. ; That could be what happened just as my guess, or it is possible that foods you don't tolerate cause more problems while taking enzymes.  That also being my own idea.  I would consider other intolerances. 

 

The functional medicine nurse I see told me that the small intestine villi are supposed to tell the pancreas when to fire.  If they are too damaged; they can't do their job.  The damage is reversible.  Glad to say after 30+ years of symptoms, that my enzyme levels are getting better.

dilettantesteph Collaborator
dilettantesteph
Posted

I don't think that digestive enzymes will help you unless you aren't producing your own digestive enzymes.  After a glutening I get bad diarrhea from malabsorption that resolves if I take digestive enzymes.  After healing I can back off on the enzymes.  I can't see a reason why they should make you feel worse.  Are they gluten free?  I thought that I reacted to one kind, but I can take Country Life zyme-aid without problems.  They are certified gluten-free by GFCO.

 

Your GI doc should be able to test you for sibo and EPI and prescribe medication.

NatureChick Rookie
NatureChick
Posted

Enzyme levels can also drop if you exercise a lot, but you can also get them from eating raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. 

 

notme Experienced
notme
Posted

i had to experiment with digestive enzymes/probiotics until i got the right combination.  i also had much D and this has since cleared up but not until i got the right combination for me.  (i need them, you may not)  but i also suspect, because of the many years i was undiagnosed, that my pancreas is also not up to speed yet.  i also notice that if i forget to take the enzymes sometimes lately, i am still ok :)  so maybe mr pancreas is feeling better :)

ezgoindude Explorer
ezgoindude
Posted
  • Author

sup guys,

 

thanks for the tips!  It gets me mad cuz I feel alot better off of the enzymes, but what am I going to do with a $20 bottle? ha, I'm sure I can hand it off to one of the parents...

 

Yea, my improvement has been very slow this year, I'm actually will be prepping for a barium CT scan tomorrow so we can get a better idea of the middle.

 

I'll see about maybe trying a smaller dosage in the future when I at least feel stronger

HavaneseMom Explorer
HavaneseMom
Posted

sup guys,

 

thanks for the tips!  It gets me mad cuz I feel alot better off of the enzymes, but what am I going to do with a $20 bottle? ha, I'm sure I can hand it off to one of the parents...

 

Yea, my improvement has been very slow this year, I'm actually will be prepping for a barium CT scan tomorrow so we can get a better idea of the middle.

 

I'll see about maybe trying a smaller dosage in the future when I at least feel stronger

If you wanted to try a lower dose of enzymes, you could always open up one of the capsules you have and sprinkle a little bit, like 1/5 or 1/4 of the capsule contents on to your food, and just close the capsule back to use the rest later. Taking it with food might help it settle a little better too. I can't take anything on a empty stomach, so I was taking mine at the beginning of a meal instead of 15 minutes before like the instructions had said. Hope you feel better soon :-)

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