Ongoing War: Iced Coffee vs. Enzymes

DjFunkyFife

New member
Hello Everyone. I have a question that hopefully some of you who are more knowledgeable than me (which should be just about everyone! haha) or who've learned by trial and error (which hopefully is SOMEONE!) can help me answer. I've recently gotten addicted to iced coffee, with cream. (While on the surface this may not sound good, it has replaced soda, which is a good thing in my opinion... less sugar (fyi, i like parentheses!) )

My question is this: How do i take enzymes with iced coffee???? this is frustrating me because i take enzymes with every cup. I make my own coffee, so i know exactly how many calories and fat i'm getting. in each cup i use Half and Half. i use 100ml (about 3.5 oz) which has 100 fat calories, 10 grams fat, 6 grams sat. fat. Now, if that was a solid snack, i would take probably 5 or 6 pertzye at the beginning of the snack, and it would be just fine. But this isnt working with my coffee. If i take that same amount at the beginning of the cup, it seems to not work. I asked my clinic about that and they really dont know. I told them that sometimes it take me more than an hour to drink it.. they suggested taking another enzyme in an hour, but this isnt working either. I'm getting the same symptoms (tho not as bad) as if i miss my enzymes with a reg. meal. I dont need to explain to you all what happens when we miss enzymes, we know!

Has anyone successfully figured out what to do with iced coffee and enzymes? i'm stumped! I'd rather cut my toes off than give up iced coffee!

Thanks for your help.
 

nmw0615

New member
I am a major coffee drinker. Like you, I translate calories into enzymes. I take half before and half after. But I'm a fast drinker. I pretty much chug my coffee. You could also see if your clinic is okay with you upping one enzyme at a time to see what dosage will work.
 

Angelo

New member
anytime you spread out a meal (liquid or solid) over time, I suggest spreading out the enzymes to match. with all my meals, I take a couple to start, then spread out the rest of the enzymes throughout the meal. try that and see if it helps.
 
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windex125

Guest
I'm new to taking enzymes just became PI last year. I make a yogurt cup with fruit for breakfast I take 2 before I start eating. but sometimes I will grab a cookie 2 hrs. later, and I do not take a enzyme, is that a bad thing? one cookie needs a enzyme? I'm still confused at this stage. I take 2 before each meal, and if I have ice cream a hour after dinner, I will take one. Right now I am hit or miss. I hv been experiencing some cramping lately, so maybe I am not taking enough? Pat/60 I hate this.....
 

ethan508

New member
For me 1 cookie needs an enzyme. I won't have huge GI problems if I miss pills for a small snack but I've learned that it means the snack was wasted (mal-adsorbed) (FART). Plus who eats just one?
 

DjFunkyFife

New member
What Ethan says is pretty much correct. Obviously the amount of enzymes needed varies from person to person. If i ate one cookie, i'd take 1-2 enzymes.. depending on the cookie. Any time there's fat involved (and i also read on here that any time there's protein involved (which i never knew)) you need enzymes. I've been (knowingly) dealing with CF for 15 years now, and i'm still learning new things about all the aspects of this disease. Sometimes they contradict what i had learned earlier. And, no offense to doctors, but i've learned just as much (or more) from the internet, this forum, and trial and error than i have from doctors. Obviously the reason for that is that we all have different systems, and they react to everything differently. But yes, if you're insufficient, you would need some amount of enzymes to deal with any fat (and protien) content that you'd take in. Someone please correct me if i'm wrong. Hypothetically, if i have soemthing that has basically no fat, but has protien, i need to take enzymes still? (i've never done that, it could be a reason why i have some stomach problems i cant explain, cuz i was only going off fat, not protien)
 

AH11201

New member
This isn't talked about very widely, but you may have low stomach acid that could be affecting your digestion. I've found recently that taking HCl (hydrochloric acid) supplements with Pepsin can help a lot, as can having a little bit of apple cider vinegar in water before a meal (which can help stimulate your own stomach acid). I did a quick Google search and it looks like dairy can be a problem for people with low stomach acid. Whether or not the acidity in coffee makes this a moot point is beyond my understanding, but it's something you could try.
 
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windex125

Guest
Yes, I really do only eat one cookie weird I know.. I did not know I had to worry abt protein I thought it was only fat I took 3 today in the morning, 3 at lunch. Dinner I just had soup so did 2 then 1 hr. later had bowl mixed fruit so I took one last for the night. I as well hv learned much more from this site than any of the doctors I've seen. It is a world of information and adore you all for taking the time to write. with becoming PI only last year it's very hard understanding the enzymes intake, I never read labels. I was cramping yest, through out the day, I was getting nervous. Same pain that I got that brought me to this new disease, that is why I took more today. My BM's are great thanks t Miralax so I knew it was not that. You have no idea how hard it has been to give up my red wine. I don't care if I sound like I need AA but my 2 glasses sometimes only 1 1/2 at dinner was something I looked forward to. I loved it also when I was out with the girls. I just hate it,I know what a cry baby. But when you hv such few pleasures..... Hugs to all Pat/60
 
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windex125

Guest
One last thing about the red wine, there has been article after article written on all the good it does our bodies. Do you know I hv not had a major lung infection that needed IV meds in 4 years. That is quite a long time, sure I have the Mac in every sputum but that's like luggage forever. I think it was the red wine. I think the year of Dioxiciline probably spelt wrong did me in with the pancreases. Again did I read the possible side effects of course not. Oh my other 2 pleasures are walking the boardwalk at the beach, but not the sand I hate the sand.. and reading. Can you get any more boring. I used to go salsa dancing with my girl friends but now not enough air, another pleasure gone. Anyway just brushed my teeth and these thoughts came to me, had to come back on and share them.
 

Ratatosk

Administrator
Staff member
DS pretty much survived his first 6 years on carnation instant breakfast made with cream and whole milk, so he's always gotten enzymes. He does miss from time to time -- a cookie or snack; and doesn't have stomach pains, but ends up with loose stools. We just don't make a habit of it as he had two surgeries (newborn and age 6) for bowel obstructions.

Windex... Wondering why you had to give up your wine. I know wine, alcohol in general can be drying, but I have friends who are PI and drink beer, wine, etc. in moderation. One of my friends who had a transplant over 12 years ago doesn't drink.
 
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windex125

Guest
The doctor said that giving up the wine wld be a good idea, I was thinking alcohol as the harder stuff vodka,rum,whiskey. She said I cld have a glass occasionally, who wants occasionally? I think I am going to give it a try this weekend with dinner what can possible happen? Thanks for that Ratatosh of course moderation would not be every night. Pat/60
 
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