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Does anyone have chronic diarrhea ?
My husband was diagnosed with acinar cell pancreatic cancer of the head Oct 11 2024 he started with diarrhea prior to diagnosis May 2024 with c diff since then to loose stools have not gone away Tried creon Zenpep now protonix with viokase
Makes no difference they tested him for sibo and he was positive waiting for insurance to approve expensive antibiotic Takes Imodium lomotil and tincture of opium day 4-8 has 11-12 liquid stools talked to gastro today and he said 100 percent his pancreatic cancer but why isn’t enzymes working tried increasing dose does nothing Just wondering if others have this problem thanks
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I had that problem before removal of most of my pancreas (midsection and tail) was removed. It started about 3 months before I was officially diagnosed. I was also very nauseous at that time and couldn’t eat a regular diet without getting sick. I stuck to protein drinks and I had a veggie juicer from which I made juices and ate protein bars. Has your husband had any surgery? A low fat diet and eating small portions will help but I would THINK (just judging from my own experience) that the tumor would need to be removed or at least shrunk by chemotherapy for example. Has your husband had any procedures to remove or reduce the tumor?
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Also, about 3 years ago my son had sibo and took that very expensive antibiotic that I think you are referring to that empties all the bacteria out of your gut and then you kind of start all over again. It did help, but a lot of what helped him was a change in his diet and avoiding foods with high fat and/or sugar content and also he was lactose intolerant so avoids dairy foods. Seems like your husband might have 2 issues at hand. Best wishes that you find the needed help.
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1 ReactionThanks no surgery so far
He might try a different brand like Creon. I would suggest he get a fecal fat test or calprotectin. That will tell if his body can't absorb fat. Also fat soluble vitamins. It's possible he could have bile acid malabsorption or something unrelated to the pancreas. Does he still have a gallbladder? Does he have problems digesting fiber, like salad or fresh vegetables?
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2 ReactionsAsk your doctor about cholestyramine powder. It's a prescription, at least mine was. Also, everyone else's comments are very helpful--what you eat obviously has a huge impact. I'm sure you are trying yoghurt, probiotics too if the doctor OKs those. And watch out for coffee--
I hope his weight is not going down too rapidly; that was a major issue for me. Actually, having the surgery makes it worse for a while--over a year and a half and I am now fairly normal.
Mine was not as frequent or runny as his, but I take no drugs including Creon. I read the info on Creon that comes with it and it looked like it could cause the very thing that I was trying to prevent. Antibiotics as well make things worse. Sometimes I think the scalded milk I got as a child for diarrhea works better than the modern way with more drugs. Sorry, my attitude towards more drugs after more drugs is not good! How about peppermint tea and lightly buttered toast for a while? The Old Grump, Carrie (This is a serious issue and I am not making light of it. My best wishes for your husband--this situation is dire for lack of nutrition, dehydration, etc and just general exhaustion. It was my young female PC that prescribed some actual, no side effects help, not the oncologist, the radiologist, the dietician, the urologist, the ophthalmologist, the dermatologist, the counselor, etc etc. It does get to be a bit much--as all of you know.)
Thank you Yes we were using the cholystamine powder but that has a sucrose in it and did nothing to help so they are trying welchol it is frustrating when nothing seems to make a difference
Thank you yes we have tried creon Zenpep and viokase all ineffective but is now sibo positive