Great thank you
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Gut puzzle. Decoding the stool test results.
- Thread starter Porke
- Start date
Great thank you
Yes the standard CDSA which has been the only type of test offered until recently. This is what you get when a gut test is ordered - many labs do them.
I have no idea if RedLabs still does such a test - you would have to look on their website.
What type of interventions are you using to deal with your GI issues?
What type of interventions are you using to deal with your GI issues
Pancreatic enzymes (high doses) and bile salts were very helpful in improving digestion and settling food sensitivities.
A wide range of prebiotics in small doses along with careful diet has dramatically improved stool consistency, reflecting I presume an improvement in flora balance and diversity, as revealed in uBiome tests.
I think probiotics have been helpful in at least preventing anything really nasty from taking up residence during a time when I took a lot of antibiotics.
I still take probiotics and think they probably have an indirect beneficial effect but they do not directly change gut flora composition.
Pancreatic enzymes (high doses) and bile salts were very helpful in improving digestion and settling food sensitivities.
A wide range of prebiotics in small doses along with careful diet has dramatically improved stool consistency, reflecting I presume an improvement in flora balance and diversity, as revealed in uBiome tests.
I think probiotics have been helpful in at least preventing anything really nasty from taking up residence during a time when I took a lot of antibiotics.
I still take probiotics and think they probably have an indirect beneficial effect but they do not directly change gut flora composition.
I suspect the reason for taking pancreatic enzymes is to increase digestion and have less fermentation to cause a problem in the small bowel. At least that what I am considering.
I have some Dipan 9 enzymes on hand. How big a dose do you take?
Can you please tell me about bile salts? I have had my gallbladder removed and so probably need them although I don't feel that I have a problem with fats. I "feel" that the problem for me is with grains and other carbs. I have had a lot of Candida and also likely SIBO (reflux).
I suspect the reason for taking pancreatic enzymes is to increase digestion and have less fermentation to cause a problem in the small bowel.
Not just the small intestine, the entire length of the bowel. The enzymes just supplement the normal secretions of the pancreas ensuring the protein, fat and carbohydrate are fully broken down, that we get the full benefit of our food and that our gut bacteria get the mix of remnants that promote a healthy microbiota.
Lots of undigested stuff reaching the colon can promote an unhealthy mix of weedy microbes that thrive on anything and crowd out the more beneficial, more fastidious species.
At my worst I took 7 Creon 40,000 per meal. Now I sometimes take 1 or 2 Creon 25,000 per meal.
The numbers refer to lipase units per pill. All pancreatic enzyme preparations should report their enzyme content so you can work out equivalents.
Please note that Creon is the only brand I know which uses such high doses. Also vegetable enzymes are not equivalent to those of pancreatic origin.
This is the bile salts prep that I used - I per meal. Fat in a stool test would be a good indication that bile salts might be beneficial.
Many thanks @alicec This is very helpful. Do you take the pancreatic enzymes with each meal? Occasionally with a snack ie nuts or something?
Is there any indication of fat malabsorption on tests other than a fat absorption test? ie CDSA or OAT?
Just with meals, but then I don't snack much. It's really up to you to decide when to take the enzymes. You will soon notice if they are helping digestion or not.
A CDSA would show fat malabsorption - also pancreatic enzyme status via the pancreatic elastase marker.
Just with meals, but then I don't snack much. It's really up to you to decide when to take the enzymes. You will soon notice if they are helping digestion or not.
A CDSA would show fat malabsorption - also pancreatic enzyme status via the pancreatic elastase marker.
Very helpful! I have had several CDSAs in the past - gallbladder removed in 1999. Will check out previous tests.
Which test do you think best to determine my current level of Candida/yeast? OAT or CDSA?
Which test do you think best to determine my current level of Candida/yeast? OAT or CDSA?
Probably neither, though I'm no expert on Candida testing. The link between what these tests say and what is going on in the gut seems to me to be very weak. Maybe antibody tests might be more appropriate, but I don't know enough about it to say definitively.
Probably neither, though I'm no expert on Candida testing. The link between what these tests say and what is going on in the gut seems to me to be very weak. Maybe antibody tests might be more appropriate, but I don't know enough about it to say definitively.
Thanks @alicec You have given me lots of information to work on - pancreatic enzymes, bile salts, looking at CDSA for fat malabsorption and also pancreatic enzyme status via the pancreatic elastase marker.
Antibody tests? I will try to find out but the fact is that I have very low SIgA - I am trying to improve this by using l-glutamine to heal leaky gut. If I understand it right!
I really appreciate all your help! You are amazing!