She should probably be seen by a GI doctor with particular expertise in the assessment and management of chronic pancreatitis, if this has not been done already.

Although it sounds like her medicaitons have already been assessed, any medications that are known to be associated with pancreatitis should be eliminated, if possible. A CT scan and MRCP (an MRI scan of the pancreas and bile ducts) might also be considered to rule-out missed gallstones in the main bile ducts, collections of inflammatory fluid around the pancreas (pancreatic pseudocyst), congenital anatomic anomalies of the bile ducts and pancreatic ducts, and tumors of the pancreas and/or bile duct system. An "ERCP" by a GI physician may also be required, at some point, to further evaluate your mother. In some cases, a stent (a plastic tube)can be placed into the pancreatic duct at the time of ERCP if there is narrowing (stenosis) of the duct due to benign causes. Rarely, in some selected cases of intractable chronic pancreatitis that are caused by benign inflammatory conditions, surgical resection of the head of the pancreas can be performed to give patients relief from chronic pancreatitis caused by scarring and stenosis of the main pancreatic duct. Meanwhile, she should avoid alcohol altogether, and she should try to remain on a very low fat diet.

I hope that her doctors will be able to identify the cause(s) of your mother's chronic pancreatitis, and that this will lead to effective treatment.

Sincerely/ Robert A. Wascher, MD, FACS