For those struggling with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and ailments that are wide ranging and difficult to diagnose, pancreas dysfunction and malabsorption are hardly ever considered as a possible link to many symptoms, both by doctors and sufferers.
Everyone is aware of the diabetes crisis, but the pancreas has another crucial but far lesser known function, the exocrine side, which produces the enzymes we need to digest and absorb our food. Any level of pancreatic enzyme dysfunction can cause nutrient deficiencies and subsequent health issues affecting the functioning of, for example, heart, lungs, intestines, brain, nerves, bones, muscles, neurotransmitters, hormones, immune system, mitochondria and microbiome, as it did with me.
Pancreas damage, specifically exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), causes malabsorption, nutritional deficiencies, and often related issues such as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), Candida yeast overgrowth, acid or silent reflux which exacerbate the situation. Over time your metabolism struggles, and metabolic pathways no longer function properly. The body’s mitochondria have a tougher time generating energy (ATP). This can subsequently have an impact anywhere in the body, cause vicious cycles, and hence be an underlying source of a wide variety of seemingly unrelated symptoms.
The long lasting impact of EPI and malabsorption on metabolism and mitochondrial functioning from chronic nutrient deficiencies is often overlooked.
Root causes and bodily insults that cause oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, microbiome imbalances and pancreatic damage are frequently not addressed comprehensively, to the detriment of the sufferer.
With EPI you have to look at the situation in an integrative and holistic way. There can be too broad a range of symptoms, all with their own medical specialties, so that the overal picture and root cause is lost. This can lead to many years of unnecessary suffering and a diagnosis that is established much, much later.