Chornic Pancreatitis

Chronic pancreatitis, in of itself, is not usually fatal, though it does have a negative impact on life expectancy. When chronic pancreatitis was first suggested in my case (2000), I did extensive research on the internet into how pancreatitis affects life expectancy. I could not come up with any good information. I think this is because the side effects, secondary diseases such diabetes that will actually end your life. The closest to an answer I found was that chronic pancreatitis reduces your life expectancy by 20%. Hope this helps!!!

Reeann

I was first diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis in 1994. My doctor did so many tests and couldn't find anything so he just jumped to the conclusion that I was an alcoholic and that I was just lying to him about my alcohol use. I stopped all alcohol intake, followed a strict diet and still had serious problems. So he just referred me to a pain specialist and washed his hands of my case. It took me 12 years to get a proper diagnosis, turns out I have a birth defect that is causing it. We were also able to determine that my first attack was in 1984, when I was 17. I grew up with severe abdominal pain and it was always a mystery. My first real attack happened during a test that they were doing to try to determine the cause of my pain. Can't really blame the doctors, CP was pretty much unheard of in teenagers back then, they didn't know to look for it.

Now I have a great gastroenterologist and pain medicine doctor. CP patients usually have to live their lives on pain meds and it sucks. I recently switched pain management doctors and found out that morphine is bad for CP and acute attacks. I had been on morphine and oxycodone for years. (I also have other pain issues, as if CP wasn't bad enough) I saw a post about gall bladder removal problems. When they removed mine, my bile duct became detached after I was sent home and I almost died from that. Recently I asked my doctor if CP was going to kill me, he said it would most likely be a complication arising from it, not CP itself. If you are having an attack that requires hospitalization, get there immediately, going into shock can kill you.

The most important thing is having caring doctors that understand what you are going through, even your general practitioner. Therapy does help, CP causes anxiety and eventually depression, find a therapist that deals with chronic pain patients, thankfully I found one that treats other CP patients. We all need to vent, most family and friends won't understand and eventually get tired of hearing about it. They care, but unless they go through it themselves, there is no way they can understand what we go through. I had a doctor tell me that one of his professors in med school said that if you want to wish the worst pain on someone, wish that they had CP. Also, if you are looking for a doctor to help with the pain, look for one that specializes in Pain Medicine and Rehab. I was looking for one for months, but was looking for one in Pain Management, all but one of them did not want to take on a CP patient. I was just lucky to find one that does both. My primary care physician then told me that I had been looking in the wrong specialty. She had just assumed that I was looking in the right specialty. Luckily she provided me with my pain meds during my search.

I agree, the chronic pancreatitus can bring on other problems that can make it fatal. For example, my husband has almost died 3 times in the 11 years he has had this, well only diagnosed as this for 6 months, anyway, the 3 times he almost died was from kidney failure due to excessive vomiting brought on by flare ups of the pancreatitus. I want to know something myself though. He had his gall bladder removed after it all started 11 years ago, they nicked his liver in the process, I wonder if anyone else has had a similair experience & I wonder if this might have caused additional problems? :?

Over time chronic pancreatitis is fatal
Yes, it does bring a lot of secondary illnesses like diabetes,
I myself have suffered with it for ten years, in recent few years I am living on food supplement and enzyme replacements.... large doses of oxycontin for pain control.....I live on milky porridge and cornflakes with hot milk, but getting to the stage were I just cant eat without severe pain with it
The pain management and control is to me the hardest thing about it
I have no energy anymore and never leave the house much because of constant tiredness, it has made me very thin, housebound , depressed and angry
so please if you are in the early stages of acute or chronic, stop all sugar and fat immediately and listen to your doctors etc and continue to seek and get as much advice and knowledge about the disease as you can, dont keep putting aside your change of lifestyle....its crucial, or your other organs will struggle and fail

Pancreatitis does cause secondary illnesses but it too can be a secondary illness. I had pancreatitis at the age of 18. I was called a drunk; someone who didn't monitor food type intake; and basically a person who was non-compliant with the disease. Later, it was finally properly diagnosed - I have cystic fibrosis. I encourage anyone who has had problems with chronic pancreatitis, even though you are compliant, to have the genetic test for CF. We have learned there are types of CF that do not affect the lungs but do affect the GI tract and reproductive system. If either of these sound like you, get tested for CF. At least then you are no longer viewed with such a stigmatic disease.

Have had cp since xmas 09. So little was explained to me, was flying blind straight into a ####storm. Since, I have eliminated all sugar(anything and I mean anything w/ refined sugar, corn syrups, all red meat, all butter and oil, had to switch to all fat free cheese, fat free sour cream and lemon juice with fresh herbs for salad dressings( they take out fat and add a load of sugar) no booze, smokes, only skim milk, etc. I learned the hard way even messing with a brownie almost put me in hosp. So if anyone is new to cp, all I know for a fact is, If I dont watch everything I put in my body I am going to pay deeply. Can anyone who has had cp respond to whether or not this taking extreme care of your body works longterm?

Have had cp since xmas 09. So little was explained to me, was flying blind straight into a ####storm. Since, I have eliminated all sugar(anything and I mean anything w/ refined sugar, corn syrups, all red meat, all butter and oil, had to switch to all fat free cheese, fat free sour cream and lemon juice with fresh herbs for salad dressings( they take out fat and add a load of sugar) no booze, smokes, only skim milk, etc. I learned the hard way even messing with a brownie almost put me in hosp. So if anyone is new to cp, all I know for a fact is, If I dont watch everything I put in my body I am going to pay deeply. Can anyone who has had cp respond to whether or not this taking extreme care of your body works longterm?

No, it does not sound like extreme care - it is an extreme disease. To me, finding the underlying cause whether it be genetic, alcoholic induced, any booze induced, duct problems, or, like me, CF is a big step in the right direction. If you have a good idea of the true underlying problem the care plan can be more easily adapted. Most doctors and nurses assume alcohol abuse but there are many other reasons. I would go to ALL efforts to getting a good second opinion (unless you know in your heart the true cause). I would go to a Duke, Stanford, Mayo, anywhere to find a caring, qualified doc. Either way, like a diabetic, extreme disease do call for extreme measures. Once I got the diagnosis of the cause it changed everything - including treatments, meds and diet.