SOD and ercp

I wrote in last weekend regarding my problem.im getting a ercp sphincterotomy and stent on the 27th of feb.ive been told i am a type 3 pain only!I've been reading on this daily and everthing i read states that i'm in a higher risk than most getting pancreatice because of my age and that i'm female.i had my gallbladder out last year! my liver enzemes have been normal.i'm also getting a general not local .[why is that?] what should i expect after the procedure?I'm scared of what could happen.I should mention im losing weight rapidly i have lost 5lbs in 7 days.i don't know if it's from the attacks that are draining me or somthing else.ive lost a total of 33 lbs since aug of 2002.the drs know this and really don't say much about it. any ways thats about it this time so lor or anyone if u could please just help me with some answers that would be the greatest. thanks too all!

[Lor]

Anyone who is having work done on their bile duct is at risk for pancreatitis. The reason is during the ERCP they inject a dye into your bile duct. This can cause it to be pushed into your pancreas. Having that foreign material in your pancreas is dangerous. I had an ERCP and an ERCP with menometry done. I can tell you that having it done with menometry is more dangerous. I did not get pancreatitis with the ERCP alone.
You are lucky to have a general. I didn't and tried to get off the table with the ERCP. When I had the ERCP with menometry they sedated me more and I was fine. They will watch you closely after to make sure you are ok to go home. Please make sure if you wake with a stomach ache you tell someone. This is a sign that the pancreas is reacting to the dye or what ever they used during the procedure. I can tell you after my sphincterotomy (I was a type 2) my pain was gone. Although I wish I had your weight lose. I gained 30 lbs with my SOD. I still have pain, but it isn't nearly as often and I can live with this. I wish you luck and a risk free procedure.

[5fan]

I would make sure that I ask my doctor about the risks vs. benefits of the procedure with Type III SOD.  That is what my doctors (local gastro and also a specialist gastro) feel may be part of my problem, but both have stressed that relief from the procedure with Type III SOD is not generally the outcome.  My specialist is trying everything possible not to do the procedure because of the risk involved.  I only have the pain complaints.  I had pancreatitis in July 2002, but since my amylase, lipase and liver enzymes have all returned to within a normal level.  I do also have some other conflicting complaints/symptoms so the doctor is testing for everything else first and leaving the ERCP as a last resort.

Again, I would just stress that you educate yourself about the procedure and about the expectations of relief from the condition before you have the procedure done.  

BEST OF LUCK!

5FAN

[vaio]

I have had everthing done including blockers, scopes you name it. The ercp is the last resort for me!They are also putting in a stent.It's getting to the point where i am starting to think there maybe tumors. As i have been doing alot of research.As it seems i have alot of symptoms other than panceatitis.I have itching, loss of weight, nausea etc...
It just kinda freaks me out because i have no idea what to expect after the procdure.As i know i only have 50% chance of it working by being a type 3.Another thing is i was getting these attacks long before i had my gallbaldder out!I did't have stones only thicking of the wall.I feel it was a unnessary operation. I have been to 4 different drs including 2 Gi's(finaly). After like 7 yrs they came up with this.I was beginning to think they thought  i was nuts.
Anyways thats about it this time as i could go on and on.
Thank you

[Baseball_Mom]

Good Morning:  Glad to hear that they have pinpointed your diagnosis and that they feel the ERCP with sphincterotomy will help your problem. I had this procedure done in November 01 and ended up in the hospital for 3 days with Pancreatitis.  My only words of advise to you is to make sure that the doctor doing the procedure has done several hundred of these procedures.  With any procedure like this there is a risk of getting pancreatitis and believe me, its not much fun.  Anyway, best of luck to you.  Please let us know how you are doing.

[krisg]

I too have been diagnosed with sod.  I have been fighting this for 5 years now and finally someone (a doc)who talked with me and worked with me and I am scheduled for a consult and ercp next week with a top rate surgeon and hospital.  Only my pain started hours after my gallbladder surgery.  It has been a long road and I don't know what the outcome of the ercp w/manometry (sphincterotomy) will be.  I am a type 2 sod.  I have the biliary colic and elavated liver enzymes on each ER room visit.  I am also told I am a high risk patient.  I had an ercp w/manometry about 2 1/2 years ago and got pancreatitis for 3 days.  I was told 1 of three things, i.e. relief from the attacks, no relief from the attacks, or end up with pancreatitis the rest of my life. It is a very delicate procedure and yes, the most important thing to remember is to have a doctor who specializes in doing ercp's and has done many 100's.  Good Luck to you and please wish me the same!