EPI Gas and Bloating Pains
Posted , 6 users are following.
Hi - Ive been diagnosed with EPI for a few months now and have had CP for about 3 years. 26 year old male taking 36K USP Creon, 2 per meal and one per snack. My issue is sometimes I really have a ton of gas and bloating that wont go away. I can deal with the pain (its not too bad for me tbh) but the gas and bloating is ruining my life. Neither Gas X or Beano help that much. Any advice out there to reduce the gas and bloating? Also, are these symptoms something that derives from my CP inflammation or a side effect of the Creon? Any advice would be a huge help.
0 likes, 14 replies
vedawms Tmaconaghy51
Posted
I use Dicyclomine, commonly called Bentyl. It is a lifesaver for me. I can take it 4x/day, but usually don't need to. No side effects, as far as I can tell.
eagle33050 Tmaconaghy51
Posted
have you tried probiotics. i take probiota 12 but its best to speak to your dr first and and i dont eat gluten
eagle33050 Tmaconaghy51
Posted
have you considered a test for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth?
Averagejoe01 Tmaconaghy51
Posted
Hi!
How were you diagnosed? What were your symptoms? I suspect I suffer from EPI with upper left abdominal pain, bloating, floating/greasy yellow stools. All scans and blood tests have been clear, so still searching for answers.
Shortie79 Averagejoe01
Posted
Ask for a fecal test to check for EPI.
Shortie79 Tmaconaghy51
Posted
Your symptoms are a combination of both. If your pancreas is inflamed it's not producing enough enzymes which will cause more bloating/gas than normal. I take a prescription, already listed by another person which works great! You should also see what foods is causing your symptoms. There's certain veggies that'll contribute like bell peppers, etc. Also oranges are a natural anti-inflammatory and it will help with pancreas pain. If you journal your foods and you see more symptoms with certain foods, then you'll know they're a trigger. You may also need to up the Creon too.
Tmaconaghy51 Shortie79
Posted
Thanks Shorite - I cant really pinpoint it to a certain food, I pretty much eat the same stuff daily and I have long periods of nothing with a day or so here and there of bloating and gas. I think its the Creon dosage, I took a few extra with my meals yesterday and I feel brand new today!
Appreciate the feedback bud
Shortie79 Tmaconaghy51
Posted
I'm glad you feel better. Even if you're feeling better, you should still journal your foods here and there. People who suffer from CP tend to develop food intolerances. It's a give and take relationship with our own bodies lol. Too bad we can't just eat whatever we want!
Tmaconaghy51 Shortie79
Posted
Seriously! I wish I could! I do have one more question - since I raised my Creon levels (I have done this before with the same results) the gas and bloating do go down but I am going to the bathroom A LOT in the morning... and really feel like I always have to go. I am guessing this is a side effect that I should just get used to? Was wondering if you had a similar experience.
Thanks.
Shortie79 Tmaconaghy51
Posted
Unfortunately, I cannot help you with that answer. I have the opposite problem but it's because my CP is caused due to my two ducts. I struggle to go potty and I developed gastroparesis (slow digestion) because of the CP so I have to take Reglan in order to digest foods in a normal amount of time. I usually only go potty twice a week even on Creon and a prescription laxative. If you're going potty more, then I would look into how much fats you're consuming. It's recommended if you have CP that you only eat 20 grams of fat a day. Since you upped the Creon, it could be, your body just needs a couple days to adjust and then it will go back to normal. It's a battle to find the comfortable medium with foods and medications.
Tmaconaghy51 Shortie79
Posted
Damn, this diseases can show its ugly head in so many different ways... I don't mind the excess poop (expect for the side effects), I couldn't imagine only going as much as you are! Feel for you brother!
Yes - I think its my body just getting back into the swing of things. I am just recently getting off an anti bacterial (for something different) and it totally messed my system up.
Appreciate it
Shortie79 Tmaconaghy51
Posted
No problem. I'm actually waiting to have my pancreas removed. It was supposed to happen today but apparently the hospital is requiring a contract from my insurance instead of authorization. I cannot believe paperwork is delaying my treatment. I've endured a ton of procedures from my diagnosis back in 2017 and I was born with a pancreas condition but never knew it until 2017 when it started really giving me grief. Now they're even saying I have to see two more specialist before I can have my surgery rescheduled, such crap! They had three months to get this coordinated and the coordinator didn't know she had to do this. I used to be a paralegal, I know more than she does and I am not even in the medical field … pathetic! If I could go to a different hospital I would but they're the only hospital that can do the surgery. Any questions you have don't hesitate to ask, good luck and hope you feel better soon.
vedawms Shortie79
Posted
Ugh, I'm so sorry, Shortie!!
Reefsider Tmaconaghy51
Posted
My experience suggests that Creon helped enormously with my gas and bloating issues, you just need to experiment with dosage. Ensuring you stick to a low fat diet is key as your pancreas can't cope with fatty foods and a red meat heavy diet is also too difficult for you to process. I had pretty severe malabsorption issues which exacerbated the gas and ghastly stools and once diet and Creon increased everything settled down a lot.