Zenpep and Losing Weight?

[Simba15]

Has anyone heard of this:I am opposite most CFers. I need to lose 45 #. My dr put my on zen pep. Doc believes that if my pancreas is not functioning right, food is not digested and nutrients are not absorbed and my metabolism has shut down. Doc also believes that if pancreas is not working right that hormones won't work right and weight can be gained. Anyone heard of this? I was just started on zenpep.

Zenpep is most lipase. My lipase blood #'s were high so doesn't that mean I need LESS lipase not more of it?
I'm an experiment. I feel no dr out there knows how to help me. (BLOW)

 

[LittleLab4CF]

There's a lot of supposition in what reasons the doctor has for why you aren't skinny. We are still impacted by the same health issues that affects the general population. I don't hear much about this but I certainly keep reading about CF's impact on all gland structures like the pancreas and thyroid.

Has your doctor run a complete metabolic panel on you, especially thyroid hormone numbers? My GP has a theory that I am HYPER-metabolic based on similar reasons your doctor gave you. Endocrinologists don't look at it this way in my experience. Two endos essentially told me my symptoms were the numbers on the test, period. No wiggle room for anything fit into their lack of any diagnosis. My thyroid is technically fine, ergo I do not have a metabolic problem. I am guessing any tests are coming back normal for you too or this wouldn't be such a mystery. I am genuinely curious about your doctor's logic. It is also well established that a CFTR mutation can gum up the works of glands like the thyroid so there is a disconnect somewhere.

Malabsorption certainly implies and can result in the wrong types of nutrition entering the bloodstream. If "storage" nutrients are being produced in excess rather than superior nutrients that are quickly sent to fuel the cellular furnaces, you have exactly what the doctor is suggesting. As for approaching diabetes, this sadly is going to be type 1. Does your insulin resistance factor into the weight issues?

You may have an obesity gene just like a certain portion of our general population, CF should excuse us from compounding health problems but it doesn't. I don't see anything unusual in what you and your doctor have planned.

Let us know how it goes,

LL

High liver enzymes generally speaking means trouble and it isn't saying you deliver extra lipase. It more likely your delivery of lipase is impaired and backing up into the liver. All the digestive enzymes found in the pancreas or liver are reflected by a serum level in our blood. "Liver" enzyme levels reflect the health of liver structure.

 

[Simba15]

I hae hosimoto's thyroid disease and a rare form of cf. so the pancreas, thyroid and pituitary work hand and hand.

 

[LittleLab4CF]

Thanks, Hashimoto’s syndrome certainly fits. Unfortunately it is also has been mistaken for about everything from mental illness to rheumatoid arthritis and visa versa. I am so sorry, if a person could die from frustration, you might be at risk. Hashimoto’s syndrome can take years to confirm which is not all that valuable once a diagnosis has been positively established because medicine begins to fail us here.

I’ve been immersed in metabolic disorder research for myself. So far all I am doing is reviewing as much research data on metabolic function and how it interrelates with chronic illness and CF in particular. And I have been keeping your insulin intolerance in mind as I learn what makes our metabolism tick.

Understanding the metabolism from the standpoint of an endocrinologist is not an easy task. Endocrinologists are rarely young doctors because of the enormous amount of biochemistry understood on the molecular level all the way up to the person as a whole. The current state of the art is sad. Just like genetic testing for CF, new and powerful tools hold tremendous promise and the quality of the endocrine hormone tests are absolute and infallible.

I’m always distrusting of absolutes in human beings. There is always an exception, always some wiggle room and history proves over and over that mammalian biology will always find a way. As far as being a guinea pig for this dietary experiment, it doesn’t sound too extreme and hopefully it will work. Food is a valuable instrument to help determine how things are working if used as a treatment or an attempted treatment in your case. If anything comes up that is new or possibly helpful, I’m interested.

Good luck,

LL

 

[Simba15]

Thanks, Hashimoto’s syndrome certainly fits. Unfortunately it is also has been mistaken for about everything from mental illness to rheumatoid arthritis and visa versa. I am so sorry, if a person could die from frustration, you might be at risk. Hashimoto’s syndrome can take years to confirm which is not all that valuable once a diagnosis has been positively established because medicine begins to fail us here.

I’ve been immersed in metabolic disorder research for myself. So far all I am doing is reviewing as much research data on metabolic function and how it interrelates with chronic illness and CF in particular. And I have been keeping your insulin intolerance in mind as I learn what makes our metabolism tick.

Understanding the metabolism from the standpoint of an endocrinologist is not an easy task. Endocrinologists are rarely young doctors because of the enormous amount of biochemistry understood on the molecular level all the way up to the person as a whole. The current state of the art is sad. Just like genetic testing for CF, new and powerful tools hold tremendous promise and the quality of the endocrine hormone tests are absolute and infallible.

I’m always distrusting of absolutes in human beings. There is always an exception, always some wiggle room and history proves over and over that mammalian biology will always find a way. As far as being a guinea pig for this dietary experiment, it doesn’t sound too extreme and hopefully it will work. Food is a valuable instrument to help determine how things are working if used as a treatment or an attempted treatment in your case. If anything comes up that is new or possibly helpful, I’m interested.

Good luck,

LL

thanks. since startting enzymes 3 days ago i lost 4#. i have been saying for YEARS my pancreas is keeping me from losing weight. yes it is true. the pancreas and thyroid work together. i am finding most doctors are not that bright.