Re: Digest Number 2296 to Maggie

[Guest guest]

Dear Maggie,

In my judgement, you apparently have some severe

malabsorption problems. Your recent drastic weight loss

indicates that your GI was correct in his assessment that the part

of your pancreas that controls fat digestion isn't functioning, to

say the least. Did he do any additional testing to determine how

severe your insufficiency levels are, such as a fecal fat test or

C-peptide test?

While a low fat diet is the recommended way of eating for those

with chronic pancreatitis, if your weight loss is this much of a

problem you may want to discuss medium chain triglyceride

supplemention to help you to put on some more weight. There

are products that are available now in liquid or pill form that

provide medium chain triglycerides, which often aid an

underweight patient to put on more weight. There is a

supplement called Peptamen, which is like Ensure, but by

prescription only, that can do this, as well as capsules that are

taken with each meal, in addition to your enzyme supplements.

You may wish to talk to your GI about this with more emphasis

on weight gain.

I understand your weight loss difficulties, I am also 5'8 " and at

one point had gotten down to 99 pounds before I was

hospitalized in March. It has been a struggle to put any weight

back on because of my diagnosed chronic pancreatitis with

calicification, pancreatic pseudocysts and malabsorption. This

is not the first time I've had this difficulty, I experienced it two

years ago, and apparently now since my pancreatic function has

ceased entirely, the malabsorption has become a chronic

condition.

Consider yourself fortunate that your experiences with the

chronic pain are mild and far between. Most patients aren't that

lucky, but this doesn't mean that you shouldn't take your diet

control seriously, since if you provoke pancreatic distress by too

much fat, you may have more problems in the future.

A healthy diet with vitamin supplementation should help you with

your fatique. You need to speak with your GI about this, also,

and see what vitamin supplements he recommends. Most of us

are on several antioxidants and vitamins in addition to our pain

meds and enzyme supplements.

I hope this information has been of some help to you. Please

post again with any questions.

With hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina

SE & SW Regional Rep.

PAI, Intl.

Note: All comments or advice are personal opinion only, and

should not be substituted for professional medical consultation.