help me stay out of the hospital

I have been in the hospital 6 times in the last 12 months for chronic pancreas what can I do to prevent future attacks. I have cut out drinking and added a low fat diet to my life style.      

[CalGal]

Do you still have your gallbladder?

[Dougly]

YES i still have my gallbladder I had cat scan, ultrasounds, done endoscope I have scar tissue from exsessive drinking  the endoscope also checked out my gallbladder  where things are fine. I have ouit drinking for over a year now and have changed my diet to  a very low fat diet. I have quit smoking just recently I have no insurance so it makes it difficult to get follow ups with the doctor they need payments up front to get in to see him so I am trying to find out as much information as I can  

[CalGal]

An endoscope cannot check out the gallbladder unless an ERCP is done, so was that the test? If an EGD was done the only thing it can report on is the esophagus, stomach and duodenum.

Where was the scar tissue found - liver?

[Dougly]

The scar tissue is on pancreas. The test I had done I think is endoscope ultrasound to look at the pancreas . The doctor said they would look at the gallbladder also they have told me that this has developed over years of drinking and not by gallstones.

[CalGal]

If there is no complicating factors due to the gallbladder, the only options for trying to prevent future attacks are low-fat small meals and perhaps supplementing with pancreatic enzymes. The enzymes seem to be of benefit in some people.

It sounds like you had a transesophageal ultrasound done, which can be quite effective in checking out the organs. However, if there is any possibility of your having sludge (which may not be seen with any type of ultrasound study depending upon one's anatomy), which can irritate the common bile duct and sphincter of Oddi (muscular opening to the duodenum - and that, too, wouldn't be seen in ultrasound studies) if your having any kind of spasms of the CBD or sphincter, it might kick the pancreatitis back into existence. It's one of the reasons I asked about the testing you've had done and if you still had your gallbladder. In many, they can have an underlying condition called SOD (sphincter of Oddi dysfunction) before the gallbladder is removed, and a lot of docs don't seem to recognize it - or perhaps admit it? Who knows. SOD is typically 'uncovered' after a GB removal and it is linked to pancreatitis.

[CalGal]

Ugh, I didn't re-read before posting.........should have said 'if there are no complicating factors......................'

[confused1000]

There's a pancreasitis group at Yahoo, I bet they can help you.

[Jaybay]

If you don't already have a Pain Management doctor, ask for a referral.  Since you apparently now have chronic pancreatitis, you'll likely be dealing with this problem for years, if not the rest of your life.  All you can do is what you're already doing, and try to control the pain and nausea symptoms enough to keep you out of the hospital unless you have an acute attack requiring IV fluids and TPN.