What are the symptoms of EPI?

Diarrhea. EPI can cause problems with undigested food moving too quickly through the digestive tract.
Gas and bloating.
Stomach pain.
Foul-smelling, greasy stools (steatorrhea)
Weight loss.

Is EPI serious?

EPI is a rare but serious digestive problem. Learn more about what causes it, how to spot the symptoms, and ways you can treat it. EPI is characterized by an inability of the pancreas to produce key digestive enzymes. Most of us take digestion for granted.

What is the cure for EPI?

There’s no cure for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), a chronic condition characterized by an inability to digest certain nutrients, especially fat. But EPI can be managed with a type of medication called pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT), which consists of enzymes that aid digestion.

What causes EPI disease?

What causes EPI? EPI occurs when your pancreas stops releasing enough enzymes to support normal digestion. There are a variety of conditions or events can damage your pancreas and lead to EPI. Some of them, such as pancreatitis, cause EPI by directly damaging your pancreatic cells that make digestive enzymes.

Can EPI go away?

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) may be managed, but it cannot be cured. Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) may be managed, but it cannot be cured. EPI is treated by a combination of lifestyle changes and pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT). Do not drink alcohol.

What happens if EPI is left untreated?

Long-Terms Effects of Leaving EPI Untreated The lack of food absorption can also cause fatigue and weight loss. “Some people may eventually suffer from osteoporosis, and others may have impaired night vision,” Desai says. Complications that can occur as a result of EPI include: Malnutrition.

Does EPI shorten your life?

People with EPI have a greater risk for malnutrition, which can affect life expectancy. Malnutrition can result from the poor absorption of nutrients, which can be a part of EPI. Also, sometimes EPI makes it hard to eat enough because of pain or other symptoms.

What foods should you avoid with EPI?

Off the EPI Menu: Foods to Avoid In general, try to limit the amount of fat you eat — especially the saturated fats in animal-based foods, such as butter, cream, fatty cuts of red meat, organ meat, and poultry skin.

How can you tell the difference between IBS and EPI?

People with IBS will see mucus in their stool, says Dr. Anderson, rather than fat. (Fatty stools, or steatorrhea, are a telltale sign of EPI.) Like those of EPI, IBS symptoms tend to occur after eating, but IBS may also be triggered by stress, infection, and other factors.

Can EPI cause fatigue?

If left untreated, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency can lead to feeling malnourished, fatigued and weak. This is due to the poor absorption of vitamins and nutrients. Eventually, it can lead to thinning bones (osteoporosis) or anemia (a deficiency of red blood cells).

Can you gain weight with EPI?

Few people with EPI are likely to gain too much weight, even after they find a combination of foods they can tolerate. Should you gain more weight than you need to, though, focus on portion control, Lupu says. Portion sizes are good to keep in mind if you’re trying to gain weight or maintain a healthy weight.