Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Anyone Take Digestive Enzymes?

traveljunkie

By traveljunkie
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

traveljunkie Rookie
traveljunkie
Posted

I've recently started taking enzyme supplements after researching low stomach acid, and it's role in food allergies/intolerances. I'm not taking them so I can eat gluten products...just to be clear on that. However, I do think they may be helpful with other food intolerances.

Any recommendations, or experience you want to share? Thanks everyone! :)

Charlene :)

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Rachel--24 Collaborator
Rachel--24
Posted

I take them always...even with snacks.

Mary Rita Newbie
Mary Rita
Posted
I've recently started taking enzyme supplements after researching low stomach acid, and it's role in food allergies/intolerances. I'm not taking them so I can eat gluten products...just to be clear on that. However, I do think they may be helpful with other food intolerances.

Any recommendations, or experience you want to share? Thanks everyone! :)

Charlene :)

I take them with every meal. I take 2 Vibrazyme complex by Natural Creations every morning on an empty stomach. I take another enzyme product after every meal.

celiachap Apprentice
celiachap
Posted

Enzymes I take daily:

SOURCE NATURALS Bio Align Daily Essential Enzymes

Open Original Shared Link

Kirkman Labs DPP-IV Forte (Dipepdidyl/peptidase IV Analog) Digestive Enzyme Supplement

Open Original Shared Link

I include Co-Q10, because it facilitates the activities of enzymes:

Jarrow FORMULAS Coenzyme Co-Q10, 30 mg

Open Original Shared Link

traveljunkie Rookie
traveljunkie
Posted
  • Author

Thank you for the responses.

Celiachap, I'm going to look into the enzymes you posted.

Do you find that they really help?

Charlene

JessicaB Explorer
JessicaB
Posted

Ok. Im new to all of this, whats an enzyme and why would you need to take one? Does it help break down your food or something??

Mr J Rookie
Mr J
Posted

with protein+fat meals eg. sausages take Jarrow zymes plus (3 caps hi-lipase pancreatic based) - take just before the protein with liquid eg. watery soup or vege juice

eat some veges with Houston brand "No Phenol" - fiber/yeast digesting zyme

during protein munch, papaya + bromelain + Houston brand "Peptizyde" - all proteases

with carb meals Houston "Zyme Prime" OR Garden of Life Omega Zyme + "No Phenol".

I use the bulk powder form of No Phenol, Omega Zyme, Peptizyde and ZymePrime - i find powder mixed with food works better than caps for me.

with carb+fat meals I take Prevail hi-lipase formula as well as the amylases i mentioned above.

every thing i mentioned with exception of Jarrow zymes plus are plant based zymes. the Jarrow formula is pancreatin from pigs. The reason is that the pancreatin seems to stimulate stomach acid in me - good for protein bad for carbs.

they help my slow moving stomach enormously - timing and food combinations make a huge difference as does taking a sufficient quantity of zymes. I don't combine carb and protein into one meal which makes life complicated but i get much better digestion. My stomach seems to cope with fat combos though.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


celiachap Apprentice
celiachap
Posted
Thank you for the responses. Celiachap, I'm going to look into the enzymes you posted.

Do you find that they really help?Charlene

Hi Charlene,

Well, I don't know since I've been taking them since last summer, and went gluten-free in March '05. I did gain about 15 lbs., and have more energy. It's an incredible change, but I think that 99 percent of the improvements are due to going gluten-free. I don't beleive that most people need enzyme supplements, but we are different in many ways and need help until we are healed, and maybe even beyond the initial restoration of villi and so forth.

I am going for a visit to a doctor at the celiac center at Colombia U. in NYC in a couple of weeks, to get a battery of tests.

I'll post the results here as soon as they are available.

Guest nini
Guest nini
Posted

I use a digestive enzyme formula from Market America, it is in the Isotonix line, it's a powder that you mix with a small amt. of water and drink. I also use their B vitamin supplement...

traveljunkie Rookie
traveljunkie
Posted
  • Author

Thanks everyone! :) I think it couldn't hurt to continue taking them. I do notice I have less digestive issues if I eat a large meal for dinner. They must be helping.

Charlene

traveljunkie Rookie
traveljunkie
Posted
  • Author
Ok. Im new to all of this, whats an enzyme and why would you need to take one? Does it help break down your food or something??

Hi Jessica,

Some people don't have enough enzymes to digest fats, carbohydrates, protein, etc. It can be caused by illness, pancreatic problems or aging. Symptoms are often food allergies/intolerances, because the body doesn't have the ability to properly digest food. So, the body attacks the undigested food particles thinking it's a foreign substance, this can lead to all kinds of problems. Just google "symptoms of low enzymes." Some people find supplements helpful with digestion.

Hope that helps somewhat! Good luck with your endoscope on thursday! :)

Charlene

loraleena Contributor
loraleena
Posted
I've recently started taking enzyme supplements after researching low stomach acid, and it's role in food allergies/intolerances. I'm not taking them so I can eat gluten products...just to be clear on that. However, I do think they may be helpful with other food intolerances.

Any recommendations, or experience you want to share? Thanks everyone! :)

Charlene :)

Yes I started taking them about a month ago. They seem to help with the bloating and gas I get after eating anything. I also heard it is good to take a probiotic as well.

shayesmom Rookie
shayesmom
Posted
Yes I started taking them about a month ago. They seem to help with the bloating and gas I get after eating anything. I also heard it is good to take a probiotic as well.

Actually, I believe that you can either take a digestive enzyme or if in a pinch, eat some raw pineapple or papaya as they contain pretty powerful protoelytic enzymes (Bromelain/papain). Aging does affect enzyme levels and I have read that Celiac's is also a disorder which presents lowered enzyme levels.

As for probiotics, it is an awesome supplement and is undergoing some pretty intensive research right now for disorders ranging from allergies and asthma, to cancer and even arthritis. Some researchers have even been debating on whether to define probiotics as another organ in the human body or as a superorganism since none of us could live without them in our intestinal tract.

I have seen medical studies where probiotics worked well in healing ulcerative colitis and I have also read articles which suggest that probiotics may replace some antibiotics in mainstream medicine within the next 15 years. Depending on your eating habits, they can be taken every day or even as little as one week out of the month (for those on organic and whole-food based diets). I also have used them for suspected food poisoning. One dose every 30 minutes until diarrhea stops....it took 2 doses. Works great on flus and colds too.

Sorry to ramble, probiotics is just one of those topics for me :D

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,671
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Paul1567
    Newest Member
    Paul1567
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Rejoicephd
      Draft gluten-free ciders… can they be trusted ?

      By Rejoicephd · Posted

      That and my nutritionist also said that drinking cider is one of the worst drink choices for me, given that I have candida overgrowth.  She said the combination of the alcohol and sugar would be very likely to worsen my candida problem.  She suggested that if I drink, I go for clear vodka, either neat or with a splash of cranberry.   So in summary, I am giving ciders a rest.  Whether it's a gluten risk or sugars and yeast overgrowth, its just not worth it.
    • Inkie
      Tea Bags and Gluten

      By Inkie · Posted

      Thank you for the information ill will definitely bring it into practice .
    • Scott Adams
      Tea Bags and Gluten

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      While plain, pure tea leaves (black, green, or white) are naturally gluten-free, the issue often lies not with the tea itself but with other ingredients or processing. Many flavored teas use barley malt or other gluten-containing grains as a flavoring agent, which would be clearly listed on the ingredient label. Cross-contamination is another possibility, either in the facility where the tea is processed or, surprisingly, from the tea bag material itself—some tea bags are sealed with a wheat-based glue. Furthermore, it's important to consider that your reaction could be to other substances in tea, such as high levels of tannins, which can be hard on the stomach, or to natural histamines or other compounds that can cause a non-celiac immune response. The best way to investigate is to carefully read labels for hidden ingredients, try switching to a certified gluten-free tea brand that uses whole leaf or pyramid-style bags, and see if the reaction persists.
    • Scott Adams
      Inconclusive results

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      This is a challenging and confusing situation. The combination of a positive EMA—which is a highly specific marker rarely yielding false positives—alongside strongly elevated TTG on two separate occasions, years apart, is profoundly suggestive of celiac disease, even in the absence of biopsy damage. This pattern strongly aligns with what is known as "potential celiac disease," where the immune system is clearly activated, but intestinal damage has not yet become visible under the microscope. Your concern about the long-term risk of continued gluten consumption is valid, especially given your family's experience with the consequences of delayed diagnosis. Since your daughter is now at an age where her buy-in is essential for a gluten-free lifestyle, obtaining a definitive answer is crucial for her long-term adherence and health. Given that she is asymptomatic yet serologically positive, a third biopsy now, after a proper 12-week challenge, offers the best chance to capture any microscopic damage that may have developed, providing the concrete evidence needed to justify the dietary change. This isn't about wanting her to have celiac; it's about wanting to prevent the insidious damage that can occur while waiting for symptoms to appear, and ultimately giving her the unambiguous "why" she needs to accept and commit to the necessary treatment. This article might be helpful. It breaks down each type of test, and what a positive results means in terms of the probability that you might have celiac disease. One test that always needs to be done is the IgA Levels/Deficiency Test (often called "Total IGA") because some people are naturally IGA deficient, and if this is the case, then certain blood tests for celiac disease might be false-negative, and other types of tests need to be done to make an accurate diagnosis. The article includes the "Mayo Clinic Protocol," which is the best overall protocol for results to be ~98% accurate.    
    • Scott Adams
      Medication

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Welcome to the community! Generally, for a gluten challenge before celiac disease blood tests, Tylenol (acetaminophen) is considered safe and should not interfere with your antibody results. The medications you typically need to avoid are those like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve) that can cause intestinal irritation, which could potentially complicate the interpretation of an endoscopy if you were to have one. However, it is absolutely crucial that you confirm this with either your gastroenterologist or your surgeon before your procedure. They know the specifics of your case and can give you the definitive green light, ensuring your surgery is comfortable and your celiac testing remains accurate. Best of luck with your surgery tomorrow
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.