Treatments for Pancreatitus(pancreatitis)?

My mother-in-law lives in a foreign country and is suffering from chronic pancreatitus (pancreatitis).  She's lost a lot of weight, can barely walk and requires a daily IV at her home.  Although she's on a restrictive no fat diet, she's had problems sticking with it.  We would like to find out the following information:
1. What is the usual treatment in the US for pancreatitus (pancreatitis)?  
2. Is it true that taking supplemental enzymes with meals can reduce the pain and discomfort caused by pancreatitus (pancreatitis)?
3. Is there any hope for some sort of permanent recovery or will this be life long ailment?  She is not alcoholic, by the way.  
4. Our hope is for her to recover well enough to  be able to visit us someday.  Given her present condition, is there anyway for us to help her accomplish that?
Any information on these concerns would be much appreciated.  Thanks.

[Lor]

I was recently in for treatment for sphincter of oddi dysfunction. My Dr told me of a patient he treated for the same thing Chronic pancreatitis. I'm not sure of treatment with ensymes, but do Know that ERCP with menometry which measures the pressure in the bile ducts is the test to get. His patient I was told had very high pressure. He preformed a sphincterotomy on her (which cuts the bile duct sphincter) and she recovered completely. This test has a very high rate for pancreatitis, so it should be done by someone who has done hundreds. I can tell you I went through this test just last week for SOD. I did end up with pancreatitis. I was in the hospital for 3 days and have recovered completely. I feel like I've gotten my life back. Good luck

[Baseball_Mom]

Hi - In answer to your #2 question, YES digestive enzymes work great to reduce the pain and discomfort.  I had an ERCP with sphincterotomy done in November 2001 and ended up with Pancreatitis and in the hospital for 3 days.  Out of work another 4 weeks.  The GI doctor gave me Panakose Digestive Enzymes.  As long as I remember to take 3 before every meal I feel GREAT!  Have your Mom ask her doctor about these.  There are several of them out on the market.  

Hopefully GI.PA will chime in here and tell you that digestive enzymes are a GOOD thing.  Best of luck to your Mom.  Have a GREAT week!

[Nanny]

I have CP and can tell you that the usual treatment for chronic pancreatitis is a strict low-fat diet, no alcohol, appropriate pain meds when needed and enzyme supplements to be taken with every meal and snack, which for many, greatly reduce the pain and malabsorption problems associated with this disease.  The enzymes also help the patient to gain weight, as many pancreatitis patients suffer from slight to severe weight  loss.

The causes of chronic pancreatitis can be from alcohol, gallbladder disfunction, dysfunction and obstruction of pancreatic ducts, hereditary, use of certain medically prescribed drugs, ERCP's and scorpion bites.  Some cases are labelled as idiopathic (cause unknown).  Chronic pancreatitis differs from pancreatitis caused by an ERCP, for example, in that it is a chronic lifelong condition.  Certain sugical procedures can be done, and are sometimes effective, to minimize the pain caused by this disease, but the chronic condition does not go away.  That is why it is essential to adhere to a low fat diet, to keep the damaged pancreas from having to try to digest fats and proteins.

Some people have to go on IV nutrition for a while to get back on their feet.  If your mother can get her diet straightened out and feeling better, and start enzyme supplements, she may well be able to travel again and live a long while longer.  Only a gastroenterologist would know what non-invasive or invasive surgical procedures may be necessary to help her.  They can do ultrasounds, MRI's, CT-scans, EUS's, ERCP's...all to determine and diagnose the cause of her condition.  Only certain procedures are done for each patient.  A sphincterotomy can be helpful only for those who have bile duct obstruction.  It would not, for example, be a procedure that would be of any benefit for my condition.

Please feel free to post again if you can think of any other questions about CP that I might be able to help you with.  Good luck!

Nanny