Hi all,
I went to ER yesterday. Normal lipase, very slightly elevated amylase seems it's always 116 normal is < 110. Everything else is normal. Ct Scan with contrast was normal. They are advising endoscopy. So scheduled for that on Wednesday. Still waiting for elastase stool test results. Hope that comes back clear. No pain today yet, but I have not eaten yet. Today make 7 months of this. So tired and frustrated. Our sick from work.

Hi All... I just joined this group because my story is similar to many of yours. Had a horrible year of pain that would increase throughout the day until it was unbearable by night time. After months of every test being done and coming back negative, I was told by my first GI specialist it was irritable bowel and to take peppermint pills. I knew that my greatest enemy was eating fat and had reduced my fat intake to almost nothing, but still was struggling with daily/nightly pain that some nights was worse than labour pain. I was thankful for a friend who was a liver specialist that got a referral to a second GI specialist who continued with more tests. Most came back negative, but finally had a positive with fecal elastase testing. His diagnosis was idiopathic pancreatic insufficiency also known as exocrine pancreatic insufficiency or EPI. I am now taking pancreatic enzymes with every meal and snack. I still have a ways to go and there are still issues that we are trying to figure out, but at least I can eat and not have the horrible pain. Please note that people with pancreatitis, crohn's, colitis, celiac disease, etc may all struggle with EPI as well. Check out this website for further information and take this to your doctor. There are not a lot of doctors and/or GI specialists that are aware of this disease, so be persistent!! I am thankful I was and my GI is now using this information to identify patients within his practise that this might help. www.identifyepi.com