A few years ago when my doctors informed me that I could no longer take Ultrase since they would no longer be on the market I was horrified! I LOVED my enzymes with a passion. Probably because I went so long with malabsorption issues. I had to switch to Zenpep right around my wedding day which I wasn't too worried about until my nurse practitioner told me there may be an adjustment period. Now I was even more horrified. Flashbacks of pre-enzyme days were haunting me: lots of gas, bloating, frequent bathroom breaks. I didn't want to spend my wedding day or honeymoon with gastrointestinal issues.
Soon after I started Zenpep (and after the short adjustment window) I fell in love for the second time in my life. I went from thinking I had very little digestive issues to realizing that this, yes this was how nonCFers lived. My CF tummy days were non-existent, no matter what I ate gas was never an issue, and I even gained weight.
Fast forward a few years and I am starting to feel that my love affair with Zenpep is slowly dying. I am not sure if my pancreas has changed or somehow giving birth changed my body (the problems seemed to happen after I gave birth. Not sure if it is causation or just a correlation). I am finding that I am getting more CF tummy days, more stomach sensitivities, and longing for the honeymoon period with my enzymes. I am not experiencing true malabsorption issues so I am not convinced I need to increase my eznymes, but I am no longer living the non-CF tummy dream.
I might try upping your dose by one just in case, to see if it helps. I already had to up my dose once during pregnancy and would have upped it again but I'm already at the max dose for my weight and am really afraid of killing my colon!!! I love Zenpep too though - I still have lots of issues and horrible CF tummy all the time, because my pancreas is unusually bad even for a CFer, but after starting on Zenpep my baseline weight went up 8-10 lbs! It was shocking and amazing. ;)
ReplyDeleteI had to up my dose during pregnancy too, but I thought it was because I was eating SO much more at one sitting. I went back to my old enzymes when I wasn't pregnant anymore. Maybe I should have just stayed at the higher dose. Maybe I will give it a try.
DeleteYeah, but I'm not actually eating more most of the time. I haven't ever been able to really eat more at one sitting because first I was having such issues with reflux and then with my belly being big and having no room anymore, LOL! But my digestion is really, truly awful, and pregnancy has been really tough on it for some reason. It's gotten to the point now that I almost can't eat any fat (esp meat or dairy) anymore. I'm hoping it gets better after I'm done being pregnant!!! I miss cheese ;)
DeleteThis also just occurred to me - I wonder if maybe you need a bit of an extra boost on enzymes while breastfeeding? It would make sense that because K is taking so many calories & so much fat from you, you might need a little extra help to absorb extra from your food...
DeleteI know you said you don't eat more, but reading that made me realize I still eat way more than when I wasn't preggo or nursing.
DeleteAlso, my digestive track was all wacky when I was preggo too. I think that is normal for all people, but add CF to the mix and it gets really crazy!
I went through a similar journey. I was on Pancrease for my whole life until they were discontinued a few years back and I made the scary switch to Creon. WOW! Like you, I didn't realize just how poorly my other enzymes were working. I am in love with my Creon and really hope their power doesn't fizzle out on me.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry you're back to those days of the horrid CF tummy. =\ I hope you and your team can get it sorted quickly and that you'll be back in tip-top shape in no time!
Glad you had much better results with Creon. It is so nice not having to deal with stupid CF tummy issues. I am going to mention it next time and clinic and see what my doc says.
DeleteI also love my Zenpep! I also freaked at the thought when my beloved Ultrace would be gone. But like you with Zenpep no gas, or tummy trouble. I just wondered if your on an anti-acid? If I don't take my prevacid, I find I have tummy trouble. I also took more while pregnant, and continued to take the same amount after I gave birth. Good luck I hope you can find a solution.
ReplyDeleteHmm. You ladies gave me lots to think about. I am not on an anti-acid, but the doc thought about putting me on one a while ago because he said that with the amount of enzymes I need most likely have acid issues.
DeleteIt is interesting you upped your dose while pregnant and stayed on that dose. Maybe I should have never gone back down to my old dose. I love having fellow cysters to share experiences!
As my nurse descibed it to. With extra acid in your stomach it disolves the enzymes before they have a chance to get in your digestive trach and do their work there. I never thought of it either.
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