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My son has been gluten free for two years now. He also takes prescription
pancreatic enzymes for steatorrhea (fat in the stools), which has been
increased several times, as each  check has revealed a still too high level
of fat in the stools. He also must avoid canola (lectin?), soy, egg, dairy,
chicken tomato, ...He has recently developed itchy wart-like bumps on his
elbows which do not respond to either cortizone or antihistamine cream. I
have read that many celiacs need the enzymes early on, but after a few
months of healing they no longer need them. I wonder if others on the list
have needed the enzymes, and if they have continued to need them. My husband
has Crohn's disease, and I have ulcerative colitis (both are inflammatory
bowel diseases), and, unfortunately my son was already gluten free - one
month before the d-xylose test which confirmed malabsorption, 5 months
before the endoscopy/biopsy which revealed "redness" in the duodenum but not
celiac proof, and 9 months before the IgA antibody etc., which were also
normal (so, three gastroenterologists believe we have no problem, and it is
the family doctor that prescribes the enzymes that make all the difference
in the world, keeping stools normal and migraines at bay. None of these
doctors felt we needed to reintroduce gluten before testing ! At this point,
we know we must avoid gluten whether it is Celiac or not, due to the severe
migraines, but we wonder what else might be wrong that he needs to keep
taking the enzymes. The lectins look like a likely avenue, but with no rank
ordering of which to avoid, it would be all foods! Well, please let me know
if you use Pancrease MT 20 (or any other enzymes - a nutritionist advised me
that some health food store versions would be superior to the prescription
ones, as they contain more variety of enzymes - any suggestions?

Hilary
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The Shugharts
21 County Road 3024
Oxford, MS 38655

(662) 236-2620

http://www.expage.com/page/ohn