pancreatic cancer question/help

i was wondering if i can get some advice

i read pancreatic cancer is a silent illness,

i am 31 year ol from uk, i have had diahrrea most of my life and stomach pains. pale stools,(having a colon scopy done soon for this) i have been a smoker and a drinker too.

few months ago, i became very weal dizzy and ill. still am, i am, i keep getting hypoglycemia symptoms, brainfog, i did faint once was taken to emergency hospital. the nurse said i had low sugar levels, gave me buscuits to fix me, i didnt know back then that it wasnt normal to have low sugar levels, i will be getting this checked, i am still weak, dizzy also suffering depression from this also have had iflamation of the eyes which im on steroids for my liver  enzymes have been mildly elivated for many years and never been investigated apart from a ultrasound showing its fine.

get pains/burning on the right upper side of stomach also towards the upper centre, i did have a gastrscopy done of stomach and deodenum year ago was fine, i been treating it for gastritis, the medication helps but not much, milk helps, some foods make it wores and certain sour drinks including orange juice

i have had ultrasound of th gallbladder,pancreas, liver
cea,crp,esr,u &e,fbc were normal,  bloodtest also neg for all hepititis (hepatitis) viruses and autoimmune blood test

A friends father had somthing wrong with his pancreas, inflamation (inflammation) i believe and he would drink milk to ease the symptoms of pain, also alcohol and sour drink would make his condition worse.

does it it sound like im suffering from some form of pancrease issue inflamation (inflammation)? can it be cancer thats affecting my liver too? what tests should i do?

im still suffering after months of weakness dizzneyy, hypoglycemia symptoms, got another blood test tomrrow to test sugar level.

[Londres70]

Sounds like it is your pancreas and/or liver.  Did you have a Liver Panel, Amylase, Glucose and Lipase labs drawn recently?  Are you seeing a Gastroenterologist?

Keep us posted.

[mikewaterfall]

hi

yes i will be seeing gastroetologist end of may

i havent had the Amylase,lipase bloof tests, is it somthing a standard family dr can request for? so the burning can very wel be the pancreas? does milk normally help relieve the burning? i do have fatty liver tested for all hep viruses and autoimmune didease and was negative.
thanks

mike

[mikewaterfall]

sorry forgot to mention, they did do an ultra sound of pancreas and was told it was normal, do pancreas disorders not be detected by ultrasound, like inflamation (inflammation)?

[Londres70]

Your PCP/GP can order the Amylase, Lipase labs as well as a Liver Panel and Glucose labs for starts.  I believe there is something going on with the pancreas and/or liver functioning.

Until you see the the GI physician, try to decrease the alcohol and watch your diet.  I have a feeling your diet is probably not the best, but I could be wrong. :)

Keep us posted.

  

[mikewaterfall]

hi thanks again for the reply,

my drinking habbits have been on and off, for a few years, i havent had a drink since i have been ill, but i do recall 2 weeks later when i went ill and weak, i had a ooth removed and was placed on antibiotics after 2 weeks of taking them, i began to get burning and pain, in that region top middle and right of stomach. and it has remained there for a while now, milk does help it alittle.

heard with aute attacks its severe with chronic it just get worse and worse,
had a full pannel for liver that was fine, also had clucose test too was fine,  would inflamation (inflammation) of pancreas not show up on ultrasound? because it was fine on there.

i will go to drs and request for the pancreas tests

thank you very much, very helpful advice

[mikewaterfall]

sorry just wanted to add
yea my diet hasnt been too good, alot of fats and sugars in my diet, im eating healthy now, i was a smoker too which i have quit too. the diharea i have had since i was 19 i am 31 now, maybe the cause of that is some kind of food intolerance? or can it be chronic pancreaitis

[Londres70]

Glad to hear you are trying to make some lifestyle changes.

Yes, one can have acute pancreatitis or chronic pancreatitis.  The reason why I think it is your liver and/or pancreas is that you mentioned the hypoglycemia symptom.  Inflammation should show up on an US.  I still think there is something going on with them.  Diarrhea since 19?  Please make sure you let the GI physician know about that. I am not sure if that is related to any food intolerance.  

As far as the antibiotics, I think they were aggrevating your gastritis.  Are you taking medication at this time for gastritis.  

All of your problems are GI and hopefully this GI physician can figure it out for you.  

Keep us posted.

[mikewaterfall]

yes im taking drugs for gastritis, but the gastritis keeps comming back after a week of stopping the medication, so i have to start taken them, somthing, isn't right, certain foods espcially fatty or sugary foods make my diahrea worse, if the ultrasound of pancreas is not showing inflammed, does that almost cross out pancreaitis? i have also got light tints of yellow on my eyes (slightly jaundiced) my eye md pointed this out.

long wait for the gi specialist, 4 weeks to wait, all i can do for now is avoid fatty foods, keep on with the tablets and exercise, im weak, vwery lethargic and stomach feels tender and burning pains bloatedness towards the top middle and right.

again thanks will keep updating on here after i see the dr and blood tests
thanks

[Londres70]

What's the medication for the gastritis?  I can't rule pancreatitis completely out.  It is either the pancreas and/or liver.  Being as you brought up that your eyes are becoming yellow, I can tell you there is something definitely wrong with the liver.  Any bilirubin labs done?  You said your liver panel was ok, but was that recently drawn?  How long ago did you have the US done of the pancreas?  I think another US of the pancreas and also the liver should be done.  

[mikewaterfall]

omeprazole are the mediations for gastritis
ultrasound was done about 5months ago for both liver and pancreas, i was having this pain at that point too, the slight yellow of the eyes really does indicate liver or pancreas issues, my liver enzymes the ALT have been raised but the bilirubin has been low all the time i had this check done 3 weeks ago and the yellow of the eyes was there at the time too,

i just read that in pancreaitis it can cause most of the symptoms i have including the jaundice, i have a appointment with GI md in 4 weeks, i think its best as you said to go into drs tomorrow and get my blood tests done for pancreas and another LFT.

just very weak, bloated stomach, gas, diahrea,i havent got any pains roght now just bloated, when i get them the omeprazole fixes them after 3 days, i heard ulcers also can do this, i have had a gsatroscopy done because i had this same pain 2 years ago after drinking, it was clear no ulcer in thre stomach or deodenum that pain disappeared in 2 weeks, i somtimes got bloated like this when i used to smoke. now its almost permenant.

whats the best diet i can have for now, would you say?
i dont drink no more or smoke,  i know to try exercise lose weight and keep on a fat free diet for now, i have bought vit b complex,probiotic acidphilus tabs and lethicin suppliments  today, i read it on a site, they are beneficial.

[Londres70]

For the diet tips: no caffeine, low fat, less simple sugars(candies, cookies, pies, etc.), do not over do it with the fresh fruits and veggies(it might make the diarrhea worse), no spicy/hot foods.  At this point, I am sure you know what foods aggrevate your stomach.

Secondly, the prilosec(omeprazole) does not sound like it is working well for you.  You can discuss that with your physician as well as the labs(repeat the LFTs, Amylase, Lipase, BMP(glucose, potassium, sodium, etc./related to the diarrhea).  

Lastly, I don't know if the liver is affecting the pancreas or the pancreas is affecting the liver.
Something upper GI IS GOING ON.

Keep me posted.

    

[mikewaterfall]

thanks for that

i will  be updating you soon,wil get the tests done, guess the investigation is going to be with the GI MD, just a long wait thanks again, wil get back with the results


mike

[mikewaterfall]

hi

just wanted to update you, i had my blood test back, my bilirubin was low, the Amylase was raised to 146, i was advised if it was in the 500- 900's thats normally an acute pancreastitis, most likly mines is chronic :( but now i am waiting to be seen by a gastroentologist in 3 weeks time to find out exactly whats going on, unfortunatley thats UK nhs for you, its a long wait, i asked to be seen asap but even the emergency departments turned me away saying take pain killers and wait to be seen by the specialist, so all i can do is eat right,water,rest and wait to be seen

[Londres70]

Uggg!  You have to wait.  Well, at least you are getting some answers.  Did the GP give you anything specifically for the pain?  

Chronic pancreatitis is usually associated with history of heavy drinking; alcohol abuse.  There is medication that can be prescribed for it if this is what you have.  

Just try to hang in there and keep up your lifestyle changes.

Keep me posted.

[mikewaterfall]

from what i heard there is only pain medication for it, i have a history of drinking alcohol, i have been a social drinker as in only maybe 3 times in a month but i would drink quite abit, so thats probably what it is, what kind of medication you think they precribe apart from pain killers, i heard people with this condition are often fed through iv fluid till the pacreas recovers?

yeah im eating no fatty foods and cut out sugars from the diet, i also have a history if alot of sugars in my diet, high cholestrol also not sure if i added i have the fatty liver too, the dr said somthing is causing it and needs to be seen too.

[Londres70]

Well, usually acute pancreatitis is treated with IVs, pain medication, etc.  Chronic pancreatitis is treated differently from the acute pancreatitis.  With the chronic pancreatitus (pancreatitis) there is NO recovery; damage done already; it's just managed.  Digestive enzymes medication is prescribed for chronic pancreatitis as well as pain medication.  

Secondly, have to figure out what is causing the fatty liver?  The fatty liver is from the excessive alcohol drinking.  Even though you have quit drinking, I am sure there has been some damage done; not hard to figure that one out.

You really should not be even doing the social drinking.  If you can't quit drinking, you need to discuss that with your physician to referral you to get help.  

[mikewaterfall]

i havent drank for over 10 months since i became ill, yea it seems like i have chronic pancreatitis, not sure, i have had these pains before in the past few years 1 to 2 weeks at a time maybe 4 times ll together but mainly after taking certain antibiotics, unfortunatley i didnt really notice what they were, did see drs they simply were treating me with gastrititis.

i may still need to be placed on iv fluids and see if inflamation (inflammation) goes? or is that out the question? im thinking the worse so far, i knew i wouldn't get a cure for what im going through :(
thanks for your help though, i wouldn't have known what was causijng these pains if i didnt speak to you, now i can work on trying to get better somhow.

mike

[Londres70]

Well, it will depend on what the GI physician's diagnosis will be as far as the treatment goes.  I am not a physician, but I have a medical background and I am giving an opinion of what could be wrong.  It is possible you could have gastritis and chronic pancreatitis given your history of alcohol drinking.  Excessive alcohol is terrible on your GI system and over time is can do some irreversible damage.  

Secondly, at this point, one can only hope for the best.  :)

[Londres70]

Sorry about the typos, I speak and write French mostly, so my English and/or typing might not be that great all the time.  :(