Enzymes

[mom4holly]

Ok-I don't know if many remember but my daughter was having a problem with constipation/loose stools...up until now she has never even touched an enzyme....so she had the little poop in a jar test done (eek that was GROSS) & the dr called & she needs to start enzymes. They are calling me a script for Pancrease. I am terrified about this, I know this is probably the simplest thing about CF care from some people point of view to get them to take those pills with every meal & snack. they said she should take 3 with meals & 1 with a snack. my question is this....

does she take them when she has a drink also?
is any bite of food considered a snack?
is a popsicle considered a snack (she eats those alot)
can she swallow them like a regular pill (she can swallow pills) or do i have to put them with applesauce.
does she have to eat applesause with every enzyme or not?
what if she misses a dose?

sorry, i know these questions are stupid but i don't know who else to ask.

 

[mom4holly]

Ok-I don't know if many remember but my daughter was having a problem with constipation/loose stools...up until now she has never even touched an enzyme....so she had the little poop in a jar test done (eek that was GROSS) & the dr called & she needs to start enzymes. They are calling me a script for Pancrease. I am terrified about this, I know this is probably the simplest thing about CF care from some people point of view to get them to take those pills with every meal & snack. they said she should take 3 with meals & 1 with a snack. my question is this....

does she take them when she has a drink also?
is any bite of food considered a snack?
is a popsicle considered a snack (she eats those alot)
can she swallow them like a regular pill (she can swallow pills) or do i have to put them with applesauce.
does she have to eat applesause with every enzyme or not?
what if she misses a dose?

sorry, i know these questions are stupid but i don't know who else to ask.

 

[mom4holly]

Ok-I don't know if many remember but my daughter was having a problem with constipation/loose stools...up until now she has never even touched an enzyme....so she had the little poop in a jar test done (eek that was GROSS) & the dr called & she needs to start enzymes. They are calling me a script for Pancrease. I am terrified about this, I know this is probably the simplest thing about CF care from some people point of view to get them to take those pills with every meal & snack. they said she should take 3 with meals & 1 with a snack. my question is this....

does she take them when she has a drink also?
is any bite of food considered a snack?
is a popsicle considered a snack (she eats those alot)
can she swallow them like a regular pill (she can swallow pills) or do i have to put them with applesauce.
does she have to eat applesause with every enzyme or not?
what if she misses a dose?

sorry, i know these questions are stupid but i don't know who else to ask.

 

[mom4holly]

Ok-I don't know if many remember but my daughter was having a problem with constipation/loose stools...up until now she has never even touched an enzyme....so she had the little poop in a jar test done (eek that was GROSS) & the dr called & she needs to start enzymes. They are calling me a script for Pancrease. I am terrified about this, I know this is probably the simplest thing about CF care from some people point of view to get them to take those pills with every meal & snack. they said she should take 3 with meals & 1 with a snack. my question is this....

does she take them when she has a drink also?
is any bite of food considered a snack?
is a popsicle considered a snack (she eats those alot)
can she swallow them like a regular pill (she can swallow pills) or do i have to put them with applesauce.
does she have to eat applesause with every enzyme or not?
what if she misses a dose?

sorry, i know these questions are stupid but i don't know who else to ask.

 

[mom4holly]

Ok-I don't know if many remember but my daughter was having a problem with constipation/loose stools...up until now she has never even touched an enzyme....so she had the little poop in a jar test done (eek that was GROSS) & the dr called & she needs to start enzymes. They are calling me a script for Pancrease. I am terrified about this, I know this is probably the simplest thing about CF care from some people point of view to get them to take those pills with every meal & snack. they said she should take 3 with meals & 1 with a snack. my question is this....

does she take them when she has a drink also?
is any bite of food considered a snack?
is a popsicle considered a snack (she eats those alot)
can she swallow them like a regular pill (she can swallow pills) or do i have to put them with applesauce.
does she have to eat applesause with every enzyme or not?
what if she misses a dose?

sorry, i know these questions are stupid but i don't know who else to ask.

 

[NoExcuses]

not stupid.

i think what will help you with all the questions is understanding what's fundamentally wrong with CFers and what enzymes do. So in normal people like you, when you eat something, the food goes into your stomach, is broken down into smaller pieces, and then the food goes into your intestines. In your intestines, the food encounters digestive enzymes secreted from your pancrease. The enzymes help to extract nutrients from the food.

So with CFers, the tubes that feed the enzymes from the pancrease to the instines is blocked with mucus. So the kid needs enzymes anytime she eats food where she needs to extract nutrients.


1. no need to take them with a drink unless it's a milkshake or something substantial like that. every CFer is different but most of us need enzymes for more substantial drinks that contain nutrients (coke, water, etc. don't have nutrients that need to be broken down by enzymes)

2. A bite of food is considered a snack in the sense that it has nutrients. So if you want her to extract the nutrients from the snack, she'll need enzymes. Otherwise the food will go through her.

3. Not sure that popsicles have nutrients. I think of them as frozen juice, and I personally don't take enzymes when I drink juice (but maybe others can chime in on that).

4. She can totaly swallow them like a regular pill. The applesauce may have come from parents/doc who are used to kids who can't swallow pills yet

5. She does not have to eat applesuace with every enzyme. It's just a trick mom's are taught for kids who can't swallow pills

6. If she misses a dose, she will not digest her food. Nutrients will not be absorbed and she will get lose stools, cramping, bloating, etc. Every CFer is different but it's a very uncomfortable experience for me when I miss a dose. Plus I'm not getting the nutrition I need to keep my lungs healthy and keep my immune system going.


Hope that helps <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[NoExcuses]

not stupid.

i think what will help you with all the questions is understanding what's fundamentally wrong with CFers and what enzymes do. So in normal people like you, when you eat something, the food goes into your stomach, is broken down into smaller pieces, and then the food goes into your intestines. In your intestines, the food encounters digestive enzymes secreted from your pancrease. The enzymes help to extract nutrients from the food.

So with CFers, the tubes that feed the enzymes from the pancrease to the instines is blocked with mucus. So the kid needs enzymes anytime she eats food where she needs to extract nutrients.


1. no need to take them with a drink unless it's a milkshake or something substantial like that. every CFer is different but most of us need enzymes for more substantial drinks that contain nutrients (coke, water, etc. don't have nutrients that need to be broken down by enzymes)

2. A bite of food is considered a snack in the sense that it has nutrients. So if you want her to extract the nutrients from the snack, she'll need enzymes. Otherwise the food will go through her.

3. Not sure that popsicles have nutrients. I think of them as frozen juice, and I personally don't take enzymes when I drink juice (but maybe others can chime in on that).

4. She can totaly swallow them like a regular pill. The applesauce may have come from parents/doc who are used to kids who can't swallow pills yet

5. She does not have to eat applesuace with every enzyme. It's just a trick mom's are taught for kids who can't swallow pills

6. If she misses a dose, she will not digest her food. Nutrients will not be absorbed and she will get lose stools, cramping, bloating, etc. Every CFer is different but it's a very uncomfortable experience for me when I miss a dose. Plus I'm not getting the nutrition I need to keep my lungs healthy and keep my immune system going.


Hope that helps <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[NoExcuses]

not stupid.

i think what will help you with all the questions is understanding what's fundamentally wrong with CFers and what enzymes do. So in normal people like you, when you eat something, the food goes into your stomach, is broken down into smaller pieces, and then the food goes into your intestines. In your intestines, the food encounters digestive enzymes secreted from your pancrease. The enzymes help to extract nutrients from the food.

So with CFers, the tubes that feed the enzymes from the pancrease to the instines is blocked with mucus. So the kid needs enzymes anytime she eats food where she needs to extract nutrients.


1. no need to take them with a drink unless it's a milkshake or something substantial like that. every CFer is different but most of us need enzymes for more substantial drinks that contain nutrients (coke, water, etc. don't have nutrients that need to be broken down by enzymes)

2. A bite of food is considered a snack in the sense that it has nutrients. So if you want her to extract the nutrients from the snack, she'll need enzymes. Otherwise the food will go through her.

3. Not sure that popsicles have nutrients. I think of them as frozen juice, and I personally don't take enzymes when I drink juice (but maybe others can chime in on that).

4. She can totaly swallow them like a regular pill. The applesauce may have come from parents/doc who are used to kids who can't swallow pills yet

5. She does not have to eat applesuace with every enzyme. It's just a trick mom's are taught for kids who can't swallow pills

6. If she misses a dose, she will not digest her food. Nutrients will not be absorbed and she will get lose stools, cramping, bloating, etc. Every CFer is different but it's a very uncomfortable experience for me when I miss a dose. Plus I'm not getting the nutrition I need to keep my lungs healthy and keep my immune system going.


Hope that helps <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[NoExcuses]

not stupid.

i think what will help you with all the questions is understanding what's fundamentally wrong with CFers and what enzymes do. So in normal people like you, when you eat something, the food goes into your stomach, is broken down into smaller pieces, and then the food goes into your intestines. In your intestines, the food encounters digestive enzymes secreted from your pancrease. The enzymes help to extract nutrients from the food.

So with CFers, the tubes that feed the enzymes from the pancrease to the instines is blocked with mucus. So the kid needs enzymes anytime she eats food where she needs to extract nutrients.


1. no need to take them with a drink unless it's a milkshake or something substantial like that. every CFer is different but most of us need enzymes for more substantial drinks that contain nutrients (coke, water, etc. don't have nutrients that need to be broken down by enzymes)

2. A bite of food is considered a snack in the sense that it has nutrients. So if you want her to extract the nutrients from the snack, she'll need enzymes. Otherwise the food will go through her.

3. Not sure that popsicles have nutrients. I think of them as frozen juice, and I personally don't take enzymes when I drink juice (but maybe others can chime in on that).

4. She can totaly swallow them like a regular pill. The applesauce may have come from parents/doc who are used to kids who can't swallow pills yet

5. She does not have to eat applesuace with every enzyme. It's just a trick mom's are taught for kids who can't swallow pills

6. If she misses a dose, she will not digest her food. Nutrients will not be absorbed and she will get lose stools, cramping, bloating, etc. Every CFer is different but it's a very uncomfortable experience for me when I miss a dose. Plus I'm not getting the nutrition I need to keep my lungs healthy and keep my immune system going.


Hope that helps <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[NoExcuses]

not stupid.

i think what will help you with all the questions is understanding what's fundamentally wrong with CFers and what enzymes do. So in normal people like you, when you eat something, the food goes into your stomach, is broken down into smaller pieces, and then the food goes into your intestines. In your intestines, the food encounters digestive enzymes secreted from your pancrease. The enzymes help to extract nutrients from the food.

So with CFers, the tubes that feed the enzymes from the pancrease to the instines is blocked with mucus. So the kid needs enzymes anytime she eats food where she needs to extract nutrients.


1. no need to take them with a drink unless it's a milkshake or something substantial like that. every CFer is different but most of us need enzymes for more substantial drinks that contain nutrients (coke, water, etc. don't have nutrients that need to be broken down by enzymes)

2. A bite of food is considered a snack in the sense that it has nutrients. So if you want her to extract the nutrients from the snack, she'll need enzymes. Otherwise the food will go through her.

3. Not sure that popsicles have nutrients. I think of them as frozen juice, and I personally don't take enzymes when I drink juice (but maybe others can chime in on that).

4. She can totaly swallow them like a regular pill. The applesauce may have come from parents/doc who are used to kids who can't swallow pills yet

5. She does not have to eat applesuace with every enzyme. It's just a trick mom's are taught for kids who can't swallow pills

6. If she misses a dose, she will not digest her food. Nutrients will not be absorbed and she will get lose stools, cramping, bloating, etc. Every CFer is different but it's a very uncomfortable experience for me when I miss a dose. Plus I'm not getting the nutrition I need to keep my lungs healthy and keep my immune system going.


Hope that helps <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[LeneSouthAfrica]

Well answered, I am just agreeing. As I understand, pancreatic enzymes digest 3 main categories of food: nl protein, fat, starch. So if a food has these in , I take the enzymes. Read the food labels if you are unsure. Fat is the hardest to digest, so I take more with a very fatty meal e.g. fried food, pizza, avo, oily chips. I don't take enzymes with juice either, or with anything I think of as a pure sugar, like jelly sweets. I am only mildly pancreatic insufficient, but I take them pretty religiously for all the reasons named in previous post. She will get used to them in no time, and very soon it will feel odd NOT to take them. Don't panic about it, it is not one of those medicines, where if you take one too few or too many or it will have immediate serious effects, other than potential tummy ache and diarrhea the next day which will stop within a day or so. The benefit (of taking) or harm (with skipping) will be more long term in terms of weight gain and nutrition.

 

[LeneSouthAfrica]

Well answered, I am just agreeing. As I understand, pancreatic enzymes digest 3 main categories of food: nl protein, fat, starch. So if a food has these in , I take the enzymes. Read the food labels if you are unsure. Fat is the hardest to digest, so I take more with a very fatty meal e.g. fried food, pizza, avo, oily chips. I don't take enzymes with juice either, or with anything I think of as a pure sugar, like jelly sweets. I am only mildly pancreatic insufficient, but I take them pretty religiously for all the reasons named in previous post. She will get used to them in no time, and very soon it will feel odd NOT to take them. Don't panic about it, it is not one of those medicines, where if you take one too few or too many or it will have immediate serious effects, other than potential tummy ache and diarrhea the next day which will stop within a day or so. The benefit (of taking) or harm (with skipping) will be more long term in terms of weight gain and nutrition.

 

[LeneSouthAfrica]

Well answered, I am just agreeing. As I understand, pancreatic enzymes digest 3 main categories of food: nl protein, fat, starch. So if a food has these in , I take the enzymes. Read the food labels if you are unsure. Fat is the hardest to digest, so I take more with a very fatty meal e.g. fried food, pizza, avo, oily chips. I don't take enzymes with juice either, or with anything I think of as a pure sugar, like jelly sweets. I am only mildly pancreatic insufficient, but I take them pretty religiously for all the reasons named in previous post. She will get used to them in no time, and very soon it will feel odd NOT to take them. Don't panic about it, it is not one of those medicines, where if you take one too few or too many or it will have immediate serious effects, other than potential tummy ache and diarrhea the next day which will stop within a day or so. The benefit (of taking) or harm (with skipping) will be more long term in terms of weight gain and nutrition.

 

[LeneSouthAfrica]

Well answered, I am just agreeing. As I understand, pancreatic enzymes digest 3 main categories of food: nl protein, fat, starch. So if a food has these in , I take the enzymes. Read the food labels if you are unsure. Fat is the hardest to digest, so I take more with a very fatty meal e.g. fried food, pizza, avo, oily chips. I don't take enzymes with juice either, or with anything I think of as a pure sugar, like jelly sweets. I am only mildly pancreatic insufficient, but I take them pretty religiously for all the reasons named in previous post. She will get used to them in no time, and very soon it will feel odd NOT to take them. Don't panic about it, it is not one of those medicines, where if you take one too few or too many or it will have immediate serious effects, other than potential tummy ache and diarrhea the next day which will stop within a day or so. The benefit (of taking) or harm (with skipping) will be more long term in terms of weight gain and nutrition.

 

[LeneSouthAfrica]

Well answered, I am just agreeing. As I understand, pancreatic enzymes digest 3 main categories of food: nl protein, fat, starch. So if a food has these in , I take the enzymes. Read the food labels if you are unsure. Fat is the hardest to digest, so I take more with a very fatty meal e.g. fried food, pizza, avo, oily chips. I don't take enzymes with juice either, or with anything I think of as a pure sugar, like jelly sweets. I am only mildly pancreatic insufficient, but I take them pretty religiously for all the reasons named in previous post. She will get used to them in no time, and very soon it will feel odd NOT to take them. Don't panic about it, it is not one of those medicines, where if you take one too few or too many or it will have immediate serious effects, other than potential tummy ache and diarrhea the next day which will stop within a day or so. The benefit (of taking) or harm (with skipping) will be more long term in terms of weight gain and nutrition.

 

[Ratatosk]

I believe the CFF has a couple of pamphlets on enzymes, nutrition for your toddler, school aged child, etc. Talks about what foods may require enzymes. We don't give enzymes for juice, fruit, clear candy, popscicles. If he has a pretzel stick or something with very little or no fat, I usually don't give him an enzyme. He does fine with fruit snacks san enzymes, so I'm not concerned with those. He appears to still have some pancreatic sufficiency, but I wouldn't dare push it with a mini chocolate bar or any thing with some substance to it.

I usually give him one or two enzymes (pancrease mt4s) if he starts to have a snack -- lately he's been eating sunflower nuts or peanuts. If he keeps eating a lot or switches to chips, has some milk, I'll give him another. He's able to take all his enzymes at once. I used to sprinkle the beads on a spoonful of baby food bananas or pears -- he HATED applesauce. Nowdays in the morning when he's still kinda sleepy, I usually place the whole capsules on a spoonful of baby food bananas or applesauce -- which he loves now.

I carry a small container of enzymes in my purse or jacket. So if we stop somewhere for a snack or bite to eat he can eat. And depending upon the time frame -- if I realize he's helped himself to some chips, I'll give him one or two enzymes after the fact.

 

[Ratatosk]

I believe the CFF has a couple of pamphlets on enzymes, nutrition for your toddler, school aged child, etc. Talks about what foods may require enzymes. We don't give enzymes for juice, fruit, clear candy, popscicles. If he has a pretzel stick or something with very little or no fat, I usually don't give him an enzyme. He does fine with fruit snacks san enzymes, so I'm not concerned with those. He appears to still have some pancreatic sufficiency, but I wouldn't dare push it with a mini chocolate bar or any thing with some substance to it.

I usually give him one or two enzymes (pancrease mt4s) if he starts to have a snack -- lately he's been eating sunflower nuts or peanuts. If he keeps eating a lot or switches to chips, has some milk, I'll give him another. He's able to take all his enzymes at once. I used to sprinkle the beads on a spoonful of baby food bananas or pears -- he HATED applesauce. Nowdays in the morning when he's still kinda sleepy, I usually place the whole capsules on a spoonful of baby food bananas or applesauce -- which he loves now.

I carry a small container of enzymes in my purse or jacket. So if we stop somewhere for a snack or bite to eat he can eat. And depending upon the time frame -- if I realize he's helped himself to some chips, I'll give him one or two enzymes after the fact.

 

[Ratatosk]

I believe the CFF has a couple of pamphlets on enzymes, nutrition for your toddler, school aged child, etc. Talks about what foods may require enzymes. We don't give enzymes for juice, fruit, clear candy, popscicles. If he has a pretzel stick or something with very little or no fat, I usually don't give him an enzyme. He does fine with fruit snacks san enzymes, so I'm not concerned with those. He appears to still have some pancreatic sufficiency, but I wouldn't dare push it with a mini chocolate bar or any thing with some substance to it.

I usually give him one or two enzymes (pancrease mt4s) if he starts to have a snack -- lately he's been eating sunflower nuts or peanuts. If he keeps eating a lot or switches to chips, has some milk, I'll give him another. He's able to take all his enzymes at once. I used to sprinkle the beads on a spoonful of baby food bananas or pears -- he HATED applesauce. Nowdays in the morning when he's still kinda sleepy, I usually place the whole capsules on a spoonful of baby food bananas or applesauce -- which he loves now.

I carry a small container of enzymes in my purse or jacket. So if we stop somewhere for a snack or bite to eat he can eat. And depending upon the time frame -- if I realize he's helped himself to some chips, I'll give him one or two enzymes after the fact.

 

[Ratatosk]

I believe the CFF has a couple of pamphlets on enzymes, nutrition for your toddler, school aged child, etc. Talks about what foods may require enzymes. We don't give enzymes for juice, fruit, clear candy, popscicles. If he has a pretzel stick or something with very little or no fat, I usually don't give him an enzyme. He does fine with fruit snacks san enzymes, so I'm not concerned with those. He appears to still have some pancreatic sufficiency, but I wouldn't dare push it with a mini chocolate bar or any thing with some substance to it.

I usually give him one or two enzymes (pancrease mt4s) if he starts to have a snack -- lately he's been eating sunflower nuts or peanuts. If he keeps eating a lot or switches to chips, has some milk, I'll give him another. He's able to take all his enzymes at once. I used to sprinkle the beads on a spoonful of baby food bananas or pears -- he HATED applesauce. Nowdays in the morning when he's still kinda sleepy, I usually place the whole capsules on a spoonful of baby food bananas or applesauce -- which he loves now.

I carry a small container of enzymes in my purse or jacket. So if we stop somewhere for a snack or bite to eat he can eat. And depending upon the time frame -- if I realize he's helped himself to some chips, I'll give him one or two enzymes after the fact.

 

[Ratatosk]

I believe the CFF has a couple of pamphlets on enzymes, nutrition for your toddler, school aged child, etc. Talks about what foods may require enzymes. We don't give enzymes for juice, fruit, clear candy, popscicles. If he has a pretzel stick or something with very little or no fat, I usually don't give him an enzyme. He does fine with fruit snacks san enzymes, so I'm not concerned with those. He appears to still have some pancreatic sufficiency, but I wouldn't dare push it with a mini chocolate bar or any thing with some substance to it.

I usually give him one or two enzymes (pancrease mt4s) if he starts to have a snack -- lately he's been eating sunflower nuts or peanuts. If he keeps eating a lot or switches to chips, has some milk, I'll give him another. He's able to take all his enzymes at once. I used to sprinkle the beads on a spoonful of baby food bananas or pears -- he HATED applesauce. Nowdays in the morning when he's still kinda sleepy, I usually place the whole capsules on a spoonful of baby food bananas or applesauce -- which he loves now.

I carry a small container of enzymes in my purse or jacket. So if we stop somewhere for a snack or bite to eat he can eat. And depending upon the time frame -- if I realize he's helped himself to some chips, I'll give him one or two enzymes after the fact.