Re fat intake : for Diane

[Guest guest]

Dear Diane,

Here goes with my own experience!

I have advanced CP with very little, if any, digestive function left

in my pancreas.

When I was first diagnosed last May, my gastroenterologist

prescribed 2 x 10000 Creon with each meal but said I might well want

to increase that and it wouldn't be a problem. He said patients

usually worked out more or less what they needed for themselves. He

advised a low fat diet but not too low because there would be

problems with vitamin intake and/or absorption if the diet was too

low in fats. He thought up to around 50 grams a day would be OK. I

actually interpreted the advice stringently and weighed out about 40

grams a day divided between meals and snacks. I lost quite a lot of

weight immediately......about 10lbs in as many days. At the same

time my gastro referred me to a leading pancreatologist in the same

hospital and I got my appointment with him a couple of months later.

When I saw the panc specialist, he told me to follow a more normal

diet, up to 100 grams of fat a day would be about OK, he said, and

he increased my dose of Creon. He gave me Creon 40, 000 and I take

1 - 3 capsules with each meal or snack. If the snack is just a piece

of fruit, I just take 1 x 10,000 Creon. I avoid all fried food and

high fat foods such as butter but I certainly don't weigh out the

grams any more. I can't really say exactly how many grams of fat a

day I have but it probably ranges from 40 - 100 a day. I can now eat

small amounts of cheese (or larger amounts if it's the very low fat

weight-watchers' variety), an egg now and then and meat, even a

grilled pork chop or a steak. I personally find red meat OK but some

don't. I no longer add up the " hidden " fat grams in my bread or

crackers, for example, and will add a little humous to a meal if I

wish, as I like it so much. In other words, I eat a lowish fat diet

but not obsessively so. I feel OK most of the time although I still

have odd bad days, certainly. I have put back the 10lbs I lost on

the very low fat diet. I work full time, whereas I was on the verge

of giving up before I started to take Creon.

I am not diabetic yet but will be any day according to my docs.

A typical day's diet for me might be :

Breakfast : 3 crispbreads or small pieces of toast with jam or

marmalde (no butter). At weekends ; an egg also. Coffee.

Mid morning : Coffee and a banana.

Lunch : Tuna, ham or turkey salad with a baked potato. Apple and

banana.

(Ok....I'm addicted to bananas!!)

Mid afternoon : Coffee (Yes...I'm addicted to coffee!!) and biscuit

(cookie?!)

Dinner : Soup (I like the organic veg ones), some sort of meat or

fish with rice, potatoes or pasta and vegetables. Nothing fried.

Dessert is usually an iced dessert at the moment because I love it

just now! It's a delicious non-dairy and low cholesterol one but

still contains some fat.

Supper : fruit and/or biscuit again....or more " ice-cream " !!! I'm

conscious that I won't be able to enjoy sweet foods much once I'm

diabetic.

If I'm eating out and the meal is higher in fat, I might even take 4

x 40,000 Creon but that is rare.

Unlike Heidi's, my pain tends to come on a bad day, almost

regardless of what I eat, rather than right after a meal. I felt bad

last week-end for example, both days were painful, but I hadn't

changed my diet. Yesterday I had visitors. I ate more cheese than I

usually would dare to, as well as humous at the same meal and even a

little aubergine salad which was fairly high in fat content. There

was a slight reaction to it to-day (just a touch of diarrhoea) but

very little additional pain as such. This disease can be difficult

to predict and I think symptoms might also change from time to time

according to the stage the disease is at. It does develop and change

over the years.

I really do think that trial and error, in discussion with the docs,

is the only approach. Generally speaking people find that low fat

and enzymes help. I have always had a fairly low fat diet anyway and

now I wouldn't be without my enzymes. I never eat without them. Like

Heidi, I keep stashes everywhere I go in case I forget to put them

in my handbag!! I like Creon but I know Heidi prefers Ultrace. I've

never tried anything other than Creon.

BTW, we ALL avoid alcohol like the plague. ALL docs agree on this

even if there are slightly different theories with regard to foods

and fat content. Whatever the cause of the CP in the first place,

alcohol cannot be consumed. I don't know if you enjoy a drink but,

if so, you'll get used to doing without, honestly. I thought I'd

never again enjoy a meal out or entertaining friends if I couldn't

enjoy a glass or two of wine with the meal. I've actually already

got used to it now. Alcohol damages the pancreas even if you're not

aware of it at the time so it's a major no-no whatever other foods

you find you can tolerate.

Good luck and good wishes,

Fliss