Enzymes
#222068 - 10/29/05 08:00 PM
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Today I went to a health food store and spoke with the owner telling her that I had IBS-C. She gave me a couple of things to try. One was an enzyme supplement in pill form made by the company Garden of Life which I am supposed to take one in the morning and one at night. The second was this liquid stuff called Simply Digestion 2000 Plus which says that it provides fibers, enzymes, prebiotics and probiotics to promote regularity.
I was wondering if anyone out there has ever heard of Simply Digestion? I have it here at home and am sort of scared to try it because I've heard also that sometimes these herbal remedies can be also be dangerous to our health because they are not FDA regulated. I don't mind trying the enzyme pills and I really want to try this other stuff but I'm a little leary about side-effects  .
Can someone offer advice?
Carol
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The Garden of Life Q-zymes upset my stomach BIG TIME! But, the Enzymedica Digest Gold I was fine with....
Michelle 
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IBS-D. Hiatal Hernia, GERD
Unstable
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I use digestive enzymes with everymeal and make a glass before bed. The website I get them off of is www.completeix.com and they work wonders for me.
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Does anyone know if there are any possible problems with taking enzymes along with other (perscription) med.s? I guess its just something to ask a phamacist, but thought i'd ask and see if anyone here knew.
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My Doc says that digestive enzymes ENHANCE the effectiveness of prescriptions but not necessarily in a good way. It makes them stronger.....if that makes any sense. I can't seem to find the right words for what I'm trying to say......If you are taking enzymes and prescriptions, they say not to take them together and you may not need such a high dosage as you normally would without the enzymes. You could experience more side effects of the drug.....
Just a thought.....
Michelle
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IBS-D. Hiatal Hernia, GERD
Unstable
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Makes your birth control less effective. I had to stop for that reason. Per my obgyn.
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God is Faithful!
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IBS-D. Hiatal Hernia, GERD
Unstable
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Yikes, think i'll talk to my doc about this one... ( but they sound so great  ... )
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IBS-D. Hiatal Hernia, GERD
Unstable
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Wow....thanks for that advice. I'll have to consult with my obgyn as well.
Carol
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Well, I have been taking the Garden of Life Q-Zymes for a couple of days now and I notice the bloating has eased some. I was really bad last week so maybe that's why I see the difference so quickly.
Thank you everyone for your good advice. I'm definitely going to consult with both my obgyn and my regular doctor to make sure I'll be OK with taking these.
Carol 
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Did you take them on an empty stomach or did you take them with food? It seems like either way I took them they upset my stomach and my acid reflux.
Michelle
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IBS-D. Hiatal Hernia, GERD
Unstable
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These are the kind we had at the Fall Sprawl in Vegas. We had samples of the Garden of Life Q-Zymes. I'd never taken digestive enzymes before so I figured why not, since I had the sample. I love these things! I have no idea where to get them or how much they cost yet though, so don't know if I'll continue with this brand or another. I take 2 with lunch and dinner (my breakfast is usually super safe, all soluble, so don't bother wasting them with that). Or, if I'm at a restaurant and feel the meal might be iffy, or if a meal has extra IF, etc, I'll take more.
BUT, I did not know anything about taking them with BC. I will have to look into that! Thanks so much!!!
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I had breakthrough bleeding which I never have...and there was no infection ect...to be causing it. When asked what supplements I was taking for my IBS, as soon as I mentioned the brand/type of enzymes (I was using Source Natural Daily Enzymes) she stopped me and said "there is your culprit" and began to tell me how the breakdown process worked as it related to my bc pills. I wish I remembered more of those details, but I just dropped the enzymes and the bleeding never returned. That has been almost 8 months ago now.
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God is Faithful!
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Since they were at the Vegas Sprawl? Does she take them? How many of you guys take digestive enzymes?
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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...that they are something to consider and maybe try. Like with probiotics, everyone has different requirements/tolerances.
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Hi, Beth!  How's it going?
I don't know if this helps any, and I'm surely not trying to guess what Heather recommends, but on the site, under supplement, there's this blurb about enzymes:
Digestive Enzymes can be helpful when taken right before a meal, especially if there is more fat in that meal than is safe for IBS. Enzymes are available at all health food stores and may be of more benefit to older people, as natural digestive enzyme production declines with age.
For gassy foods such as beans, lentils, and many vegetables, there is Beano, a brand-name digestive enzyme. Beano contains the sugar-digesting enzyme that the body needs (and which some people lack) to digest the complex sugar raffinose. If you have trouble digesting raffinose the sugar will ferment in your colon, producing gas and intestinal distress. Beano breaks down raffinose into simple sugars that cause no GI discomfort. Beano is available at health food stores in either tablets or drops, and is simply taken at the beginning of a meal. There are no side effects and the product can be used every day.
This is also what is written in The First Year: IBS. I don't know whether she promotes any particular brand of enzymes over another. Maybe someone who worked on the Fall Sprawl would have more information about the vendors/sponsors and whether those products are endorsed by Heather.
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Hi Maria!
#222494 - 11/01/05 09:26 AM
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Augie
Reged: 10/27/04
Posts: 5807
Loc: Illinois
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I did see those posts on the site and in her book. But since they were older, I was wondering if she might think they may be more necessary than previously thought. As helpful has she thinks SFS is, for example.
I'm still struggling! Might try Benefiber next.
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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Ack, sorry to hear you're still struggling. If you decide to try Benefiber, I wish you better luck with it than the other SFS. Sometimes, I wonder if an SFS is just not for you because of your other GI issues (Delayed gastric emptying or is it dyspepsia? I'm sorry if I'm wrong). Does this mean you're supposed to eat small meals throughout the day? Are you supposed to "graze"? Obviously, I'm not a doctor, so I can only wonder and hope that you start feeling better. I read in another post that you'll be seeing a regular PCP soon? Let us know how that goes!
Take care, Beth!
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You can find them at most HFS, or Whole Foods, Wild Oats...
Do you take them with snacks? My breakfast does contain IF so you think I should take it with that too?
Let us know if you try another brand and if they work as well for you. 
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Hey Beth!
Sorry if I confused you.
Just wanted to put this out there:
IBS Fall Sprawl Disclaimer
The IBS Fall Sprawl is being organized and run by members of the Help for IBS message board community. It is completely independent of HelpForIBS.com and Heather & Company for IBS, LLC. The IBS Fall Sprawl Planners and Heather Van Vorous cannot warranty or guarantee any outcome or success of this event.
Which basically means that we (Kandee, Jen, Shell, and I) got these samples...Heather was not promoting them.
So, I tried them on my own and liked the results. 
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Thanks for the heads up on the price...I'm pretty cheap so I will have to look for a more affordable enzyme!
At first I took them with snacks, but my snacks are usually all SF and never give me problems. But, my dinners (which a lot of times turn into leftovers-lunches) tend to have more IF or maybe more fat (not over the limit, but more than snacks/breakfast), so I just started taking with them. I didn't want to waste them on the snacks if I didn't need them! 
Oh, and I do have a little IF with breakfast. My standard breakfast almost every morning is Cheerios with some dried cranberries and acacia and rice milk.
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Cooked foods are enzyme deficient, i.e. the enzymes required to digest the food are "cooked" out. Thus, alot of people lose the ability to effectively breakdown the component of the food.
Also, people with certain immune disorders are often enzyme deficient and respond better to nutrition with enyzyme supplementation.
Kate, IBS-D.
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Melissa
#222638 - 11/01/05 06:44 PM
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Augie
Reged: 10/27/04
Posts: 5807
Loc: Illinois
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What effect do the enzymes exactly have on you? What does it help for you? How do you know they are helping? What's different?
Thanks
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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I keep wondering if they are really working, or if it's one of those psychological things that I'm taking them and I just THINK they're working! LOL I don't know. So, I have to admit, I've kinda been pushing my luck to see if they're really working. And, so far so good. I've tried eating things that would normally give me gas and loose stools and nothing has happened. I also often get what I call my "creepy-crawly feeling" in my gut. It feels like a mouse is running around down there or something...I hate that feeling and it makes me feel like "something" is about to happen. And not good. Although I don't get that feeling that often anymore (before enzymes I mean) due to following EFI and hypno, and since I've been taking them, I don't remember having the creepy-crawly feeling even once. Last night I ate chili, which is a typical creepy-crawly feeling food for me, and I felt fine the rest of the night and I still do this morning.
I've been talking to Kandee about them since the Vegas trip, and she really believes in them also. She's been taking them for awhile now (not Q-Zymes, but a different brand) and she swears by them.
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I know what you mean about that creepy-crawly feeling in your tummy Melissa. I had that as well before I started taking digestive enzymes on a regular basis.
As far as I'm concerned there are a lot of over priced digestive enzymes out there that add unnecessary things like herbs and "propriety blends" which is a fancy way of getting away with not having to reveal the ingredients.
The only ones needed for most meals is: Protease for Protein, Amylase for Carbohydrates and Lipase for Fats. That's it..except for the exceptional galactosemics used in Beano when one consumes gas producing foods or supplements. We don't need lactase since we don't, or rather shouldn't, consume dairy.
It doesn't surprise me that we do well using digestive enzymes on this diet since the diet does not promote the eating of much raw food which already has natural food enzymes built in which aren't distroyed until the food is cooked.
I would like to see more research done on these for people with IBS...plus those findings put into the research library here.
I DO know that people with Celiac disease are encouraged to use digestive enzymes when possible and the people I've talked to with CD who take them swear by them.
I've noticed that some of the digestive enzyme brands like Q-Zyme and Digest Gold add a probiotic and I think that may be helpful since it eliminates the need to take yet another pill or liquid. But other than that I stick to what is most cost affective for me in the way of digestive enzymes...that is until more viable information comes out that indicates I would benefit from the addition of anything other than those 3 enzymes I mentioned. Kandee
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