Diet and exercise with Pancreatitis

I was diagnose with acute pancreatitis at age 16ish, now im 20 DOC's have no idea WHY EXACTLY i have the condition. Im also fairly interested in bodybuilding but i have to supplement alot! just make sure u take regular supplements for things like calcium multi v protein shakes keep fat down to about 30g try not to excede 4-5grams of fat per meal. Go see ur doc he/she should give u some enzyme pills they wont be as great as the real thing but they definately helped. good luck just remember to ALWAYS watch your diet, balance things around, if u experience that certain foods arent goin well and u experience pain or smelly stools just ease off them or completely discard them from ur diet. i used to take 30g of whey protein 2-3 times daily but i started getting VERY smelly stools, so instead ive broken it down to 10-15gram throughout the day + crap load of fruits, really works like a charm.

Remember the key thing is to watch ur diet!
last thing u want is it progressing to chronic pancreatitis... like me...

I appreciate the advice. I hear a lot of what you are saying about the fat and watching my diet. I'm not even sure I've recovered from my initial attack (little over 3 weeks ago). I'm trying to get my fat low enough. I'm averaging anywhere from 2-5 grams of fat a meal up to at most 8g in a meal (RARELY). My problem is I think I naturally eat too much. Wasn't a factor before the pancreas stuff. I'm getting regular stomach aches (at least once a day). and I have chronic back pain..infact I think I might have pulled something during my attack (it was a painful incident occuring after a workout...might have pulled something then?) Anyways its not constant....sometimes a sharp back jab when im walking...characteristic of a pulled muscle...other times it's very noticably digestive pain in the front and back. Can't wait until my follow up.

I was just wondering if you have difficult digesting protein shakes? that is if you use any?
And are you currently on any enzyme supplements?
Also appart from the marijuana did you smoke any regular cigarettes? and for how long?

Just a few questions out of curiosity....

I had a terrible time with protein shakes long before I had been diagnosed. It would only happen when i drank them too fast or used too much of the powder in the mix at first. They were probably a huge red flag I never noticed. I was drinking one when i had my attack, as well as eating meaty chili. My doc said there may be certain additives that may stress out the pancreas in it and that they had a big boom of people with problems with proetein shakes when they first gained popularity. A relatively under reported side affect perhaps? It's all so gray and merky...never a straight answer in this field. I do not smoke cigarettes anymore and haven't in over a year. I did smoke for more than 8 years. I also probably drank 4 times a week 4 or more drinks for the last 2 years. I don't drink alcohol anymore. I have never had to take enzyme supplements. I had been diagnosed with acute pancreatitis...causes unknown. I'm sure my lifestyle was the cause. I was burning the candle at both ends. A few drinks in the evening, coffee in the morning, protein shakes in the afternoon...not to mention the physical stress of working out with a hangover. A lot of people live less healthy lives without so many side affects, I was just a choice candidate. I don't endorse drug use at all, I just happen to be a good example of bad luck with a risky lifestyle. I still want to smoke marijuana. I feel that other than getting an overactive appetite when i use it (something I must now control), that it is fairly harmless when used by a responsible person. Don't drive on drugs! Also...I have had chronic heartburn since my attack, and before it. Before I attributed it to spicey foods, now the spicest thing I eat is chicken soup. I'm hoping my doc clears this up. I mean if I have to live with heartburn is it safe to take heartburn meds daily? They never recommend it.

Wow!, never heard anything about protein shakes causing pancreatitis.... At the age of 16 I used to drink protein shakes but not in excess, It was pretty much because me and my family were vegetarian (for religious reasons). I did consult my DOC recently about continuing to use pure whey protein to supplement into my diet and he didn't notion any reason not too.....

I was also a smoker (tobacco only) didn't use any other drugs at all. I gave up smoking about 2 years ago, I did speculate that my pancreatitis could be linked to tobacco use. I consulted a few doctors on the issue and they all pretty much doubted it since they though i'd have to have been smoking for say 20plus years and drinking for it to be related. A few years of smoking in my teenage years was highly improbable to have caused the illness. Im thinking of having gene testing at the end of this year to confirm if it could be perhaps a faulty gene.

Im taking nexium for heart burn i dont see if i'll ever be able to stop take them. Any day i miss my medication results in heartburn..... Do you think its safe to take them for a long period of time? My doctor didnt really think it would causes any problems!?

I have experienced this & have helped a friend who had it severely & now we are not experiencing any problems. What we have done is alkalized our system, There are even some healthy foods that are acid forming, we too were on a vegetarian diet & found alot of it was acid. So some home work for you to do! do the following searches; water in water out,unprocessed natural salt, alkalizing diets, & a really good educational site called ithyroid.com, this one will teach you the importance of balancing minerals so you don't cause more problems, research every page of it! Hope this helps, oh also helicobacter pylori can be associated with digestive dysfunction & apparently 50% of the population have it & most don't know, so research this too!
good luck God Bless!

Hey, I have auto-immune pancreatits, which is ver similiar to type chronic type. I'm 23, former college linemen but after I was diagnosed I had to hang alot. Protein shakes and protien n general can be tough to digest but if you must get the lite/low fat versions. I'd reccomend you eat alot if pastas, breads, vegitables, rice,I eat egg white for protien, and skinless chicken breast. I also take creon to aid in digestion. Steps must be taken to prevent any pain. Your chronic heartburn is a symptom of pancreatitis and you should take prevacid or Zantac daily. Working out, is tough when you can't consume the protien you need so I say just work on high reps lower weights and alo of cardio. I find it's a great way to distract from pain. Your back pain is also a symptom, the pain usually starts upper right abdominal area to back and sometimes chest. If you feel nauseas and can't keep anything down, it can be an indicator of a future attack and you should switch to a liquid diet (broths, water, jello). Many dicots may recommend smoking marijuana to help with nausea, it does not affect the pancreas so go ahead, just have some fresh fruit around.
Granted, I have the chronic condition I have to be much more careful, I find keeping a journal of what you eat and pain and symptoms to be quite helpul. Also taking anti-oxidant vitamins is good. Avoid butter, cheese, fatty meats, nuts, cream, anything fatty basically. High carbs will make life easier. Hope this Helps

Just felt I would share this with you all it may be of some interest to one of you or someone I got diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis when I was 14 it stopped between the age of 19-23 meaning no attacks in this time I gained about a Stone so I weighed around 9.5 Stone I then started getting attacks again skip forward to now im 26 and recently when for a check up and told them my concern of my weight 7.12 Stone they put me on creon 10000 one per meal there was no increase in weight so I take 2 creon per meal and have found a gain of 4 pound in a week creon works differently for different people you need to find your right dose if you find you are not gaining weight you may need a higher dose hope this helps... Lee

Just felt I would share this with you all it may be of some interest to one of you or someone I got diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis when I was 14 it stopped between the age of 19-23 meaning no attacks in this time I gained about a Stone so I weighed around 9.5 Stone I then started getting attacks again skip forward to now im 26 and recently when for a check up and told them my concern of my weight 7.12 Stone they put me on creon 10000 one per meal there was no increase in weight so I take 2 creon per meal and have found a gain of 4 pound in a week creon works differently for different people you need to find your right dose if you find you are not gaining weight you may need a higher dose hope this helps... Lee

i had my first pain at 18 when i was practicing ncc running early morning 5.30 am in empty stomach. my doc said 'quit ncc and sports'. then i quit my ncc but not sports .then exactly after 1 year i had my 2nd pain mildly. i took 3 days home rest with dieting. then my doc said no to sports. guys, careful if it inflates often it is very dangerous. always keen on ur diet. don't work too heavy. avoid running and jumping.

and thanks for the previous other's post that helped me out.

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I was told friday that i have acute pancreatitis,but before that happened i was on a high fiber diet to try to get my cholesterol down,does anyone know if maybe to much fiber could irretate the pancreas, i also have started on probiotics,and watching my diet, and i have been exercising, but i am going to do it more now.