# question about digestive enzymes and IBS-D



## winniedapoop (Nov 3, 2011)

I've been taking the enzymes lately to supposedly prevent diarrhea (on top of ALIGN probiotic), on the first few days I felt fine but after a while I've noticed my diarrhea episodes increasing... I wonder if it's the enzymes that were causing the diarrhea, because I felt great with ALIGN only and used to have many "I feel great!" days... Perhaps it's because this specific brand (Kyodophilus) contains also probiotics, and I'm taking too many?? Today I did the experience of not taking enzymes with my meals and guess what?... no diarrhea! I feel great and willing to leave the house!







So my question is: Do enzymes help digestion by making stools more consistent, or do they just speed the digestion process and cause diarrhea? Are they more suitable for people with constipation? Should I definitely stop taking them or you think I should try other brands that contain ONLY enzymes not probiotics? Please I would appreciate any help on this subject. Have a great day everyone, with no IBS if possible!


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## Peppermint15 (Nov 21, 2011)

That's an interesting question.Personally, I take Rainbow Light brand multi-enzyme pills and I have never noticed an increase in my diarrhea episodes, but I don't know for sure how they effect the consistency of stool. I wonder if the brand effects your symptoms as well. I chose mine because it was was free of sugar, lactose, wheat, gluten, yeast, sweeteners, preservatives, and artificial colors. Basically, as bland (and sadly as unappetizing) as it gets. Could their be something in your supplement that's upsetting your symptoms?From a quick search (I'll have to explore more later), this is what I found:"Pancreatic enzyme supplements. Because the pancreas is not working properly [in patients with pancreatitis], physicians prescribe pancreatic enzyme supplements to aid in digestion. These supplements help the digestion of food and may improve symptoms of fatty diarrhea (steatorrhea). In some patients, pancreatic enzymes may help alleviate pain by helping the pancreas rest."- http://www.uchospitals.edu/specialties/pancreas/pancreatitis/chronic.html"Diarrhea -Loose stools may occur frequently as a common side effect of an enzyme supplement such as pancrelipase, Drugs.com asserts. Diarrhea occurs usually because of an imbalance of liquid to solid matter in your intestines. You may get cramps along with watery and loose stools. Report this side effect to your doctor for evaluation and treatment if it does not go away on its own."- http://www.livestrong.com/article/333138-enzyme-supplement-side-effects/From what I can tell, a lot of people aren't sure if enzyme supplements work at all, if the side effects are real or were already there, or if they do work are they effective as their producers say. There weren't a lot of unbiased sources from my initial search. I think the best way for you to know, though, is to experiment for a 2 weeks without them, then 2 weeks with them and see how you do. Your body knows better than the internet right now


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## winniedapoop (Nov 3, 2011)

Peppermint15 said:


> That's an interesting question.Personally, I take Rainbow Light brand multi-enzyme pills and I have never noticed an increase in my diarrhea episodes, but I don't know for sure how they effect the consistency of stool. I wonder if the brand effects your symptoms as well. I chose mine because it was was free of sugar, lactose, wheat, gluten, yeast, sweeteners, preservatives, and artificial colors. Basically, as bland (and sadly as unappetizing) as it gets. Could their be something in your supplement that's upsetting your symptoms?From a quick search (I'll have to explore more later), this is what I found:"Pancreatic enzyme supplements. Because the pancreas is not working properly [in patients with pancreatitis], physicians prescribe pancreatic enzyme supplements to aid in digestion. These supplements help the digestion of food and may improve symptoms of fatty diarrhea (steatorrhea). In some patients, pancreatic enzymes may help alleviate pain by helping the pancreas rest."- http://www.uchospitals.edu/specialties/pancreas/pancreatitis/chronic.html"Diarrhea -Loose stools may occur frequently as a common side effect of an enzyme supplement such as pancrelipase, Drugs.com asserts. Diarrhea occurs usually because of an imbalance of liquid to solid matter in your intestines. You may get cramps along with watery and loose stools. Report this side effect to your doctor for evaluation and treatment if it does not go away on its own."- http://www.livestrong.com/article/333138-enzyme-supplement-side-effects/From what I can tell, a lot of people aren't sure if enzyme supplements work at all, if the side effects are real or were already there, or if they do work are they effective as their producers say. There weren't a lot of unbiased sources from my initial search. I think the best way for you to know, though, is to experiment for a 2 weeks without them, then 2 weeks with them and see how you do. Your body knows better than the internet right now


Thanks for your reply Peppermint15. The enzymes I'm taking include protease, lactase, lipase and amylase only, doesn't mention pancrelipase on the bottle... As for probiotics, it contains L. gasseri, B. bifidum and B. longumPlus it says:"Other ingredients: cellulose, starch (potato), gelatin, glucose (vegetable source), dextrin (potato), silica and sodium citrate (vegetable source).FREE OF: preservatives, dairy, yeast, gluten, artificial colors and flavors."WOW now that you mention pancrelipase, I wonder if I have some pancreatitis or diabetes on top of IBS... I remember reading somewhere that diarrhea occurs often in diabetes patients too... if you think about it, makes sense, because your body can't properly assimilate sugar levels in your bloodstream and sugar is also known to causa diarrhea... I try not to eat too much sugar myself! I've noticed that everytime I evacuate I feel exhausted afterwards and just want to lay down again... I wonder if that is my pancreas overworking... maybe I should try a brand that has pancrelipase also... I fit in both descriptions (loose and fatty stools, watery not so much).I know that there's a risk of getting diabetes later in life, even if I'm trying to prevent it. I have a historic in my family with diabetes (mom, grandma, 2 aunts...) although I've tested my glicemia levels before breakfast once and the values were normal... What tests should I do to see if I have diabetes or pancreatitis? Should I do the IgG food allergies test before and then choose the digestive enzymes based on my food intolerances? I know that I have "moderate" intolerance to milk, pork and eggs, so I thought these enzymes that I'm currently taking were good for my GI tract...


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

> Perhaps it's because this specific brand (Kyodophilus) contains also probiotics, and I'm taking too many?


I definitely get an increase in D with too many probiotics. Try to find the enzymes without any probiotics maybe?


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## winniedapoop (Nov 3, 2011)

BQ said:


> I definitely get an increase in D with too many probiotics. Try to find the enzymes without any probiotics maybe?


Thanks BQ, I will try that and see if it works for me. I've tried Kyodophilus 9 probiotic strain before and yeah it DID increase my diarrhea episodes a lot! O_O


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