New to community, same symptoms as everyone else. Does it get better?
In 2021, I 32F (current age now) began experiencing digestive issues right after I received the second dose of Pfizer. My symptoms were pretty extreme after I would eat. It doesn’t matter what I eat, immediately get bloated like a balloon, cramps, and feel like the food doesn’t breakdown and digest properly. This results in Steatorrhea/oily stool. A friend recommended I take digestive enzymes because I started experiencing a little bit of weight loss. I’m 5’5, 142 pounds so any weight loss for me is fairly noticeable and not recommended. I don’t smoke or drink and I workout several days per week, always been active, into sports.
Once I started taking these digestive enzymes, I started to feel some relief overtime and I was able to get my weight back up. It’s gotten to the point where the digestive issues are chronic and I have to take these enzymes every time I eat. I cannot wean off them; it’s not a psychological dependence situation. Since they’re over-the-counter, it’s not really recommended to take more than the recommended dose. But for me to digest a meal, I need roughly three pills. With this knowledge, I felt that it was enough to get a proper diagnosis for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency based on the symptoms and get a more medical grade enzyme medication covered through insurance.
The first GI doc didn’t really know. He sent me in for a fecal Elastase and Calprotectin. Both came back normal, Elastase was at 800.
The second GI doctor seemed a lot more concerned and moved with urgency to get me tested further. Gallbladder ultrasound showed no concerns. All of my tests for celiac, HPylori, and gallbladder ultrasound came back normal. No SIBO since I don’t have the symptoms. My fecal elastase test this time around is at 570. Doc then asked if I want to move to more invasive tests such as endo/colon or other CT scans, but I just don’t know if these are going to really show anything because I don’t have chronic pain or inflammation, only problems when eating.
I cant get an MD prescription for the digestive enzymes unless the elastase levels are around 200 or lower, even though the over-the-counter pills I’m taking works just fine. The problem is that they are very expensive and looks super suspicious when I travel since I don’t have a “proof of medical need” for them.
I don’t have heartburn or acid reflux so no PPI needed. I don’t get constipation. No excessive burping. Everyone, even MD’s are scratching their heads. Thanks COVID.