Pancreatitus

[mikemurph]

What are the symtoms of Pancreatitus?

[neuromanager]

I have had chronic pancreatitis for 18 years so I feel like I have a handle on what the symptoms are!  I had my first pancreatitis attack after an ERCP in 1990.  The pain is in the epigastric region and is a pain like you have never felt before.  Completely debilitating!  A full blown attack hits you instantly with very sharp intense pain in the epigastric region that goes straight through to your back.  With each of these attacks, I would start vomiting and would be vomiting bile.  After a few hospitalizations for this, I then developed chronic pancreatitis.  These attacks can differ from a full blown attack.  I call them my "mini attacks".  It starts with a pressure in the epigastric region that goes through to my back.  I start to feel very ill and then the pain comes, again, going through to my back.  I immediately have to take Pancrease, an enzyme, and pain and nausea medication.  Most of the time, with this in hand, I can get it under control.  Sometimes I can't and end up in the hospital.  Even when I get them under control, I feel really bad for the next couple of days and I don't dare eat anything for 2-3 days.  The first day I don't even drink anything.  If I do, it will bring the attack on again.  I SLOWLY start drinking fluids again the second day after the attack and eating something the third day like crackers and soup until I know I am OK and then eat normally again.  Large meals are a no-no if you have a problem with pancreatitis,  One day you may get by with eating something and the next day it will get you for sure.  You will learn from experience what foods can bring them on.  Sometimes, it doesn't take anything at all.  It just creeps up on you.  I have also found that stress is a BIG factor.  I cannot allow myself to get into any situation that will get me really, really upset.  I'll end up with a pancreatitis attack everytime.  If it is you having these symptoms, I hope you have seen a gastroenterologist.  Pancreatitis is damaging over time to the pancrease and wreaks havoc on you gastrointestinal system as a whole.  Find a good gastroenterologist.

[crambone]

your best to research this on the web,,not asking people here,openions vary...but i have a good friend that happend to have chronic pancreatitis,so ill tell you his issues with the disease.
left quadrant pain,,nausia,pain radiating into his back,throwing up,bad gas,severe weight loss.
these come and go in spurts,usualy once or twice a month.
he went out drinking one night,heavily i might add,woke up and he said it felt like someone had stabbed him in his left belly/rib area,,he literaly had to crawl to his truck and drive to the hospital!!!
simple blood tests for high amalayes/lipse showed his problem,,and a ct scam and ultrasound confermed it.
he since has had to have part of his remocved,has been put on enzymes to help digest his food exct.
usualy if this is something you get from drinking too much alcohol,,youll know it!!!,,,its not usualy a gradual thing that gets worse,its a very,VERY painfull thing,and only gets worse,though they say the pain lessens sometimes as the disease progresses.