Hello,
I am having 6 months of heartburn, I have done some tests incl. ultrasound, bloodwork, and urinalysis and allergy testing, all of which came back neg. for anything. I am on a strict diet and using PPi's for multiple months, but the symptoms haven't gone away. symptoms: stomach problems (stomach burning), mild diarrhoea (which i've had for some years already on and off. Its specifically notable that i still have it now because I take lots of fibre on my diet). Fibre seems to be helping but stool is still 'softish' a few days per week, stool colour normal, brownish. Bowel movement once a day or once every 2 days.
I did a digestive stool analyses at a clinic, it came back with elevated fecal fat levels and and low 'good' bacteria, with softish stools were to the clinician a potential sign of low pancreatic elastase enzymes, which has not been specifically checked for yet, unless symptoms dont go away with a healthy diet + recommended probiotics. Now, i'm on a specific diet, high fibre, no sugar, plus probiotics etc. but I developed generalized stomach pain, sometimes it radiates to the back but its just mild, when I sleep i don't have all this, its usually throughout the day that it progresses. I must also add that since the heartburn started I got a weird type of abdominal pain which is a pain upon pressing deep just below the navel, it pulsates there, its not otherwise really noticeable and I have mild nausea sometimes.
I'm really worried because I did some research and I read the most common causes for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency are cystic fibrosis (which i dont have) and chronic pancreatitis, and, if you have CP that its not curable and there is a severe lower life expectancy associated with it. Is this all true and does it sound as if I have this? If it does, I read CP most common cause is alcoholism and cystic fibrosis, since i'm 25 and drink very little, the ultrasound and blood/urine checks, it seems unlikely again I have that. Thanks!