EPI has such a wide range of possible symptoms due to nutrient deficiencies impacting all aspects of your body. This is one of the reasons exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) is so poorly understood, and often misdiagnosed or diagnosed much later than desired. It took me going to dozens of doctors and specialists, a tremendous amount of testing, and above all perserverance before I could even start the journey to improve my quality of life.
Do not give up!
Some doctors suggested going to a psychiatrist, as it was out of their experience to diagnose or treat the large list of symptoms. I even had four doctors tell me that my pancreas was fine mainly based on two standard blood tests. Important to note is that those two standard blood tests for amylase and lipase that doctors usually go for are utterly useless in determining exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI). They are likely a cause of many missed diagnoses of pancreas damage. They might be helpful briefly during an acute pancreatic infection or duct blockage, when those enzymes spill over into the bloodstream. But, if you are not making enough of these pancreatic enzymes in the first place, they will not show up elevated in the blood.
Please do not give up and be your own advocate for your quality of health.
Good news
The good news is that many of the downstream symptoms that are due to nutrient deficiencies can be improved once a correct diagnosis is made and steps are taken to correct the nutrient imbalances.
List of my personal resolved issues:
Some examples of major symptoms that were resolved in my case, including many classic ME/CFS symptoms include:
- Debilitating chronic weakness and fatigue
- Post-exertional exhaustion, malaise, fatigue (PEM)
- Many layers and types of chronic pain
- Cardiovascular dysfunctions: heart arrhythmia and premature ventricular contractions
- Breathing dysfunctions: asthma-like breathing issues, oxygen starved feeling
- Neurological issues: delayed reactions, memory loss, abnormal sleep patterns, headaches, temporary dyslexia, temporary stuttering, brain fog, confusion, difficulty processing information, difficulty understanding conversations, paresthesia
- Motor impairments, poor coordination, sudden clumsiness, spasms
- Immune symptoms, non-stop flu-like malaise, difficulty healing, swollen glands
- Gastrointestinal dysfunctions: malabsorption, nutrient deficiencies, microbiome dysbiosis, silent reflux, small intestinal bacterial and Candida yeast overgrowth
- Pre-diabetes, hypoglycemia, triglycerides, HDL, homocysteine, and HbA1c levels
- Low testosterone, sleep disorders, neurotransmitter issues
- Slow wound and soft tissue healing, easy bruising
- Sensitivities to light, noise, heat, cold, smell, taste, food
- Blurry eyesight, night blindness