How do you know if you have EPI?

The symptoms of EPI can mimic those of other digestive-related conditions. Symptoms of EPI can vary, but common symptoms include diarrhea, unexplained weight loss, steatorrhea (foul-smelling, greasy stools), gas, bloating, and stomach pain.

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Consequently, how do you get tested for EPI?

The 3 main tests used to diagnose EPI are:

1. Fecal elastase test. This test measures the amount of elastase, an enzyme produced by the pancreas, in your stool.
2. Fecal fat test. This test checks the amount of fat in your stool.
3. Direct pancreatic function test.

Also, is Epi serious? Without treatment, EPI can make you malnourished -- you won't get enough important vitamins and nutrients from your diet -- and it can lead to other serious conditions, such as thinning bones (osteoporosis) or the blood condition anemia.

Also question is, what are the symptoms of EPI?

• Diarrhea. EPI can cause problems with undigested food moving too quickly through the digestive tract.
• Gas and bloating.
• Stomach pain.
• Foul-smelling, greasy stools (steatorrhea)
• Weight loss.

Is there a blood test for EPI?

Blood tests Serum iron, vitamin B-12, and folate concentrations may help establish the diagnosis of EPI. Prothrombin time (PT) may be prolonged because of malabsorption of vitamin K, a fat-soluble vitamin. Serum levels of antigliadin and antiendomysial antibodies can be used to help diagnose celiac sprue.

Related Question Answers

What foods irritate the pancreas?

Fried or heavily processed foods, like french fries and fast-food hamburgers, are some of the worst offenders. Organ meats, full-fat dairy, potato chips, and mayonnaise also top the list of foods to limit. Cooked or deep-fried foods might trigger a flare-up of pancreatitis.

What does EPI poop look like?

People with EPI cannot absorb all of the fat that they eat. The undigested fat that passes through the digestive system may cause oily or greasy-looking stools. These stools may also smell really bad, float, and be difficult to flush. Not all people experience steatorrhea, but it is the most common sign of EPI.

What is the difference between IBS and EPI?

IBS: IBS is marked by abdominal pain, bloating, bouts of diarrhea or constipation, and flatulence. However, people with IBS don't experience the weight loss that those with EPI do. Like those of EPI, IBS symptoms tend to occur after eating, but IBS may also be triggered by stress, infections, and other factors.

How can you test for pancreatitis at home?

Blood tests to look for elevated levels of pancreatic enzymes. Stool tests in chronic pancreatitis to measure levels of fat that could suggest your digestive system isn't absorbing nutrients adequately. Computerized tomography (CT) scan to look for gallstones and assess the extent of pancreas inflammation.

What foods should you avoid with EPI?

Avoid highly processed foods and those high in trans fat, hydrogenated oils, and saturated fat. Instead look for foods that contain monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, and omega-3 fatty acids. Olive oil, peanut oil, nuts, seeds, and fish such as salmon and tuna all contain healthy fats.

What type of doctor treats EPI?

If your doctor refers you to a specialist, it will likely be a gastroenterologist. Gastroenterologists specialize in disorders of the gastrointestinal tract—this includes the stomach, intestines, pancreas, liver, and gallbladder—and do many of the tests used to diagnose pancreatic conditions, including EPI.

Can you live without a pancreas?

It's possible to live without a pancreas. But when the entire pancreas is removed, people are left without the cells that make insulin and other hormones that help maintain safe blood sugar levels. These people develop diabetes, which can be hard to manage because they are totally dependent on insulin shots.

How common is EPI?

EPI is a common side effect of digestive tract or pancreas surgery. According to a number of studies of gastric surgery, up to 80 percent of people who have had surgery on their pancreas, stomach, or upper small intestine will develop EPI.

Can you gain weight with EPI?

Few people with EPI are likely to gain too much weight, even after they find a combination of foods they can tolerate. A combination of an optimal diet and enzyme replacement therapy should help you feel better and enable you to eat enough to maintain a healthy weight.

What are the symptoms of your pancreas not working properly?

Symptoms

• Upper abdominal pain.
• Abdominal pain that radiates to your back.
• Abdominal pain that feels worse after eating.
• Fever.
• Rapid pulse.
• Nausea.
• Vomiting.
• Tenderness when touching the abdomen.

What does fatty poop look like?

Steatorrhea. Steatorrhea (or steatorrhoea) is the presence of excess fat in feces. Stools may be bulky and difficult to flush, have a pale and oily appearance and can be especially foul-smelling. An oily anal leakage or some level of fecal incontinence may occur.

What does Steatorrhea smell like?

Patients with steatorrhea present with bulky, pale, foul-smelling oily stools. These fatty stools tend to float in the toilet bowl and often challenging to flush as well.

Why can't body absorb fat?

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) causes problems in how you digest food. Your pancreas doesn't make enough of the enzymes that your body needs to break down and absorb nutrients. When you have EPI, you don't get the nutrition you need because your body can't absorb fats and some vitamins and minerals from foods.

Why can't I digest fat?

The inability to digest fats in the diet is caused by the absence or inaction of the enzyme lipase. Furthermore, taking lipase to supplement the body's action will help the body retain some key vitamins and nutrients. In some instances, proteins could be the subject of food intolerance as opposed to food allergy.

What happens when you can't digest food?

A breakdown in pancreatic function can lead to a condition called exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, or EPI, in which you lack the digestive enzymes needed to properly digest food. Digestive issues, such as stomach ulcers, and autoimmune diseases like lupus can also lead to EPI.

What is oily stool?

Steatorrhea. Steatorrhea (or steatorrhoea) is the presence of excess fat in feces. Stools may be bulky and difficult to flush, have a pale and oily appearance and can be especially foul-smelling. An oily anal leakage or some level of fecal incontinence may occur.

Does Epi cause weight loss?

Even when you're eating a normal amount of food, EPI can lead to weight loss. This happens because your body isn't breaking down food into the smaller forms your digestive system can use. You may also lose weight because you're eating less to avoid the uncomfortable symptoms of EPI.

Can EPI go away on its own?

While there's no cure for EPI, your doctor will work with you to find treatments that can ease your symptoms and treat any underlying conditions and, ultimately, improve your quality of life.

Is Epi hereditary?

EPI is a disorder in which the pancreas fails to produce an adequate amount of digestive enzymes. Though little is known about the cause of PAA, researchers believe the condition is genetically inherited. EPI can also develop due to chronic pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas.