ERCP coming up

[Genevamom]

Hello everyone.  My ercp procedure is coming up on Friday.  I was think of chickening out, then yesterday I decided to eat a lamb patty and I was washing my hands and thought something was on them.  They were yellow. Then they became so itchy!!!  I only got a little pain with this incident, but it sure reminded me that I really need to look into this further.  I sure hope they find what is wrong.  This has been going on for over a year now, with my gallbladder removal not helping the situation at all. I've been doing good since I've been eating a limited amount of fat.  Oh, and alcohol definatley triggers an attack.  I had one drink the other night for the first time in a while.  oh, my question, does one get put on antibiotics with ercp?

[taylee]

that sounds horrific but very familiar.
Does it keep coming back on you?
PS. My pain is definetly right sides and once and a while when I get really bad:( it moves over to the top left of the rib cage, and only stays there for maybe a day.
The right side never goes away completely.
Lor, I may go forward with the ERCP, this isn't living.
Thanks again.
Taylee

[Lor]

It is the worst stomach ache you can imagine.It spreads across the rib cage and bores right into the back. My more painful spot was the left side right below the rib cage. When I put my fist into it - It relieved the pain a little. You can't laydown without pulling your knees up to your stomach. I just sat up and leaned into the back of the couch all night until I could get someone to take me to the hospital. My stomach filled up with gas, and could not pass it. When I got to the hospital just having them push on it a little was horribly painful.

[taylee]

What does the pancreatitis attack feel like exactly?

[GeetarMan]

I just had a CT scan this morning to look at my pancreas. I'm a 36 yr. old male, and this spring I had a few mornings (3 or 4) where I got nauseated, and I couldn't hold my breakfast down.

I saw a doctor of internal medicine who sent me for some blood work, and my lipase was 398. Amylase was normal. I had a beer the night before (they told me not to eat or drink anything after midnight, but didn't say anything about having a beer the night before).

They took my lipase again on 5/24 and it was 319. I have had some nausea- esp. when I'm either hungry or have eaten red meat.

I had an ultrasound a few weeks ago, and no stones showed up in gall bladder. Dr. seems suspicious of gall bladder sludge - or possible ulcer, but he wants to make sure pancreas is normal.

Last year my dad spent his 60th b-day in hospital w/ gall bladder surgery. His gall bladder was like a sack of rocks.
I'm wondering where this is going.

[Lor]

ERCP will not show Pancreatitis. It will only show swelling or obstruction in the bile duct. Blood work and X rays show pancreatits. My blood work always came back normal for it. I got pancreatitis after the ERCP w/ menometry. It was then after feeling what pancreatitis feels like. Did I and my DR realize I had been having pancreatic attacks all along. Turned out for me it was sphincter of oddi dysfunction that was causing it.

[Genevamom]

thank you all for your words of advice and prayers too.  I will write again on Friday hopefully.  All my blood has come back normal, but regardless, my doctor says there is no other choice but to do this as these attacks just won't quit.  Again today, I ate a couple chips and I felt just horrible.  If this is in fact pancreatitis like a couple of you suggest, will they see this?? And I take it the medicine is to just eat a low fat diet forever?  Ouch!  I just love fat, nuts, etc.!!!!!

[Baseball_Mom]

If alcohol triggers and attack I'm not sure you already don't have pancreatitis.  There is about a 20% chance that you will develop pancreatitis after the procedure.  Just make sure that your doctor performing the ERCP has had LOTS of experience doing this.  Mine had done a couple thousand and I still ended up with Pancreatitis.  I was in the hospital for 3 days and out of work a month.  You might want to have your doctor check your levels in your blood to rule out pancreatitis BEFORE he does the procedure.  Just a suggestion.  Take care and best of luck to you.

[Nanny]

Good luck with your ERCP on Friday.  I hope they find the cause of what is bothering you, though it really does sound like pancreatitis, if what you said in regard to my earlier post to seashoretracks is true about the symptoms being like yours.

One word of advice, and please don't take offense, I'm only trying to help.  A low fat diet is paramount with this disease, and lamb is definitely one of the no-no's.  A pattie is usually about 17 grams of fat, and that is more than the pancreas can handle comfortably if it's damaged!

Let us know how the procedure went, and what was discovered if you can.  Take good care.
Nanny

[Lor]

I had an ERCP without antibiotics.  This where where they inject dye into your bile duct to see if there is blockage. I did have a lot of pain following, because my sphincter was too tight. It caused me to have an attack. This is fairly safe. I also had an ERCP with/menometry done. I did have antibiotics with this. This is the more risky of the two. This one measures the pressure in the duct. I had so much pain with the first procedure. They did this one to rule out SOD. No pain with this one, but I did have SOD. I was admitted to the hospital the next morning with pancreatitis. Don't cancel - I am now pain free and wouldn't be if I had canceled.Just be remember. If it comes back normal like my first ERCP - That doesn't mean nothing is wrong. My ERCP with menometry showed a bile duct pressure of 90%  Which didn't show on the more simple ERCP

[seashoretracks]

I have not had that procedure, but I may also have to have it done.  I had gallbladder removed 6 months ago, and still have pain.  I have read about the ERCP, hopefully you have someone doing it who is experienced.  Don't be afraid to ask, I asked my surgeon how many gallbladders he had removed and he did not mind my asking.

I did have an EGD done, which was not bad at all.  I did not remember the procedure, next thing I know I woke up and they said they were finished.

Please let us know how you did.  If you don't mind, I'll be praying for you on Friday.