Sara

[Guest guest]

Sara,

The same thing happened to my son BEFORE he was diagnosed - they took a

fecal fat test and it was " inconclusive " - despite the fact that he was

stooling every hour on the hour 24 hours per day - and this up to 9

months of age.

I attributed that to his diet. I am not sure how old your son is, but

the fat my son was getting was from any ground meat, breast milk, and

his formula - THAT'S IT. He ate sweet potatoes, bananas, and other

non-fat items most of his day. I understand that your son has formed

poops with lots of oil - that's definitely fat - but his diet may not

be entirely fatty.

I do not give fecal fat tests much weight. It's so random - the stool

they test -in 72 hours there must be quite a bit -they don't test ALL

of it.

Another indicator may be his beta carotene levels. With a lot of oil

in the stool - my son's was generally orange - our pedi GI told me that

the gut pulls beta carotene from the system when trying to create stool

in my son's CF environment (inappropriate enzymes). Something to think

about.

Good luck and stick to your guns - he sure sounds like he's pancreatic

insufficient. What does your pulmonologist say? At our clinic,

they're the ones who prescribe enzymes.

Krishnan

Mom to Santosh, 6wcf and Leela, 4wocf

On Wednesday, October 29, 2003, at 08:27 PM, Rojas5915@...

wrote:

> Sara, brilliant!  Love, n

>   Re: oily stools again

>

>

>   The GI doc seems to think that his gene mutations could indicate

>   pancreatic sufficiency and his fecal fat stool test was really low.

>   I think I have figured out why the fecal fat stool test may have

>   been unusually low.  They told me to collect the stool for 72 hours

>   in a container.  By removing his stool from the diaper, I think I

>   was removing the stool but not the fat.  The fat is absorbed into

>   the diaper.  I might need to bring this to the GI docs attention. 

>   It was done before we started seeing him. 

>   We have tried Ultrase and now we are on Pancrecarb.  We used

>   anywhere from one enzyme per meal up to six.  We have been

>   increasing and decreasing enzymes for eight months. 

>   Zach's cf doc says that 90% of the time patients start enzymes and

>   the problem is fixed. Zach has had either all yellow mushy poop or

>   formed poop with lots of oil.  He has gone from the 10 pecentile for

>   weight in August to 5th pecentile in October.  He just can't gain

>   weight unless he is on antibiotic for an ear infection.  Then when

>   he goes off the antibiotic he loses the weight he gained.  Weird.

>   He will be getting tubes in his ears soon, so hopefully no more ear

>   infections.

>   It is all so confusing.  Hopefully the test results will come back

>   quickly.

>   Sara

>

>  

>   > I think you are right Sara. Have they tried several different

>   types

>   > of enzymes as well as doses? The greasy stuff is not normal. What

>   > makes themthink he is pancreatic sufficient? (Sorry if I missed

>   this

>   > info. I may have skipped over it during my hiatus)

>   > Lenora

>   >

>   > >Hi Everyone,

>   > >Zach's cf doc agreed with his GI doc to try going without enzymes

>   to

>   > >see if Zach could be pancreatic sufficient.  We won't have the

>   > >elastase stool test results for two weeks.  This morning Zach had

>   a

>   > >normal sized formed brown bowel movement and an enormous amount of

>   > >oil in his diaper.  I called the GI doc to tell him I was going to

>   > >give him enzymes again and his nurse said the GI doc preferred

>   that

>   > >he not be on enzymes, but it was ok to try them again.  I am so

>   > >confused.  What is this oil if it is not fat malabsorption?  I

>   have

>   > >a strong suspicion that Zach is pancreatic insufficient and we

>   just

>   > >haven't found the right dosage or right enzymes yet.

>   > >Sara - mommy of Zach 20 months

>   > >

>   > >