Hi,

i just wanted to say - be careful! I first developed symptoms at 18, was diagnosed at 25 and i'm now 32, and i've had 25 attacks, three within the last three months.

It sounds as is your attacks are really mild - you'll know if you need to go to hospital - because the pain gets way too bad to cope with! I don't think my ap is linked to alcohol either, but I have cut it out, just to be sure. If you have to drink, I tink you're better off with 'long' drinks such as wine, beer, etc. Don't drink spirits! And, sorry to say, you've got to stop smoking, completely. It sends all your risk levels through the roof, and you can't afford it. You are already at an increased risk of cancer of the pancreas - very deadly, so you have to minimise all the other risks!

Above all, don't mess with this illness. I've had it for a long time; sometimes it leaves me alone for 18 months, other times it hits again and again, and just takes over. Every time you're ill your pancreas gets damaged, and you need it to last you the rest of your life. When you see what ap can do to you, it gives you a new appreciation - it can get much, much worse, so play by the rules in order to keep yours as mild as possible for as long as possible.

I know it's boring - having ap when you're young is a real pain, but treat it with respect!

C

hi, I had and ido-pathic case of pancreatites, in 1988.. It was a really intense burning pain that was on my left side of my body, it was under my breast and would radiate out thru to my back. I thought for a week before that it was heartburn, everytime I would eat it would get bad. I had a ultra-sound which was freaken brudle and so painfull, it can back normal. I went to my family doctor and he said "everything is normal". I said "no, its not, i'm dying here, so he thought to do the amalyse/ lypase blood tests. I got home feeling so sick and I was so busy at work, the phone was ringing and I answered it and it was my doctor. "he said: get to the er now" " I will meet you there". When I got there, he informed me that my pancrease levels were 10 times the normal level. This was very odd as I don't drink alcohol! I was put into the hospital for 10 days at which time, they came back to me and said it was, and I quote "ido-pathic pancreatites" I was like you better not be calling me an idoit, he was like no, were the idiots,because we can't fiqure it out.
To make a really long story short I have had over 100 attacks of pancreatites in 14 years. My cause is steriods, for asthma, very rare, but it does happen. Look in to your meds and be aggressive and challenge your gi's if you can find a female gi, they are way more sympathetic you the female needs, males tend to blame it on stress.
As for the drinks, no more girl friend, the more you drink the worse you make it. I gave up drinking alcohol for 10 years and started eating fresh pinapple, which has naturally healing properties in it. I find the heating pad and muscle relaxants help. But I have never been able to work since 1994, I have had my gallbladder removed as they thought a cyst was causing it. Nope it was a healthy organ> the desperation you feel when you are hospitalized and everyone thinks you look healthy and the blood work comes up inconclusive is devestating.
Now when I have an attack of pancreatities and it doesn't come up on blood work they belive me. Why?? Because I went to the medical library and the foothills hospital and calgary and study and copied everything that I could about it and you know what.Blood test are inconclusive in over 50% paitents. You need to have a ct scan done of the gut, when you are in pain. Being acute, that is difficult to predict.
But if you stop the drinking and parting, and try and find out what is the healthy way, by diet to treat and calm pancreatities.. Let me know as, 4 gi's were absolutley useless when I asked him what can I eat ( I losst 145lbs, on 5'1 frame in 14 months due to starvation, that is the only way to stop the pain. I under go another endoscope as I have now developed a vcd (vocal cord dysfunction) which is caused by get the pancreatities and gerd. You must be pro-active dear. You sound young, so your real friends don't dump you because you can't drink, their not true friends. When the pain is sever go to the er.. Good luck wanda p

Hello,

drinking with pancreatitis is always a bad idea!! And yes it can be avoided even when out with friends. Become the regular designated driver!! The attacks of pain you have following every time you drink should tell you it is a bad idea....

With each acute attack you have, you are one step closer to chronic pancreatitis. And believe me - you do not want to be chronic!! My first attack happened when I was 8 years old (now 48). I have been chronic for the last 6 years. It is life stealer!!! It don't kill you but it will sometimes make you wish it did. It is disabling (i have not been able to work since 2001). The pain is 24/7 and no matter what you do it never goes away. Yet you also get attacks when the pain is unbearable.

Additionally chronic pancreatitis leads to many other disorders - the worse of which is type 1 brittle diabetes - uncontrollable diabetes. This comes with all the side effects of diabetes. Malabsorption is another problem. You can literally starve to death, even though you are eating. It causes all kinds of vitamin and mineral inbalances with come with their own problems.

Please think twice before you take another drink. Each drink puts you closer to being chronic..... And there are many more problems associated with chronic pancreatitis that I am not listing here.

Reeann

Hi all.
I've just had my first attack of Acute Pancreatitis.

I was rushed to ER and they gave me morphine, put me on a drip, gave me loads of antibiotics and wouldn't let me eat.
I must admit it was pretty scary - I went in to shock and very nearly died.

So I've just got out of hospital and I don't know very much about what to do next.
The doctors didn't give me any advice except to only eat light meals?!

I see that alcohol is bad - that's ok can live without that!
Can anyone give me any advice? Am I likely to get it again?

Thank you...

Emma

i had an episode of acute pancreatitis about 4 years back. It was intense pain in the lower abdomen radiating to the back.my glucose level was also slightly high. sinnce then i have stopped drinking completely. thereafter i never had any problems whatsoever.my glucose also is normal.but thereafter my calcium level is always low. now i am taking calcium supplements 3 times a day. the absorption is very poor. i also have to take vitamin d. can i now start drinking occasionaly.

My boyfriend has been hospitalized 4 times in the last year for pancreatitis but he continues to drink, now the doctor said this can kill him is that
true? He does not seem to get it he thinks that they are just make things up can this kill him if he does not stop drinking???

I've had a very serious acute pancreatitis attack 3 days ago... the pain got worse throughout the day and at 1am in the morning I wasn't able to take it anymore and asked my husband to bring me to the ER. I stayed in the ER for 6 hours, got an IV, they took my blood, urine samples, and did an ultrasound. It did not take them too long to figure out that I had acute pancreatitis, but they said they cannot figure out why - I don't really drink (maybe once in 4 months??) and I don't have gallstones - two of the most common causes for acute pancreatitis. I asked my mother if she had symptoms like that before or if it was in my family, and actually she said she had something like that before, similar pain, but back then they were not able to give her a correct diganosis (40 years ago). I am only 25, and had pain in my stomach before, however, I never took it seriously or it was never that bad that I had to go to the doctor or to the hospital.

I haven't had any solid food in 3 days, I am scared to eat because of the pain. I am drinking lots of water and broth, but even decaf tea or chicken broth gives me pain, not too much, but I can tell that it takes time to get better. I got pain reliever like vicodin, which knock me out.

I wonder if I can ever go back to my regular diet, I never really cared what I ate before, it was usually a very balanced diet, and sometimes it happened to be a bit fatty/oily. I will have a follow up appmt with my doctor next week and I'll try to find out more if I have to adjust my diet from now on.

Is it normal to feel pain when drinking broth / tea after acute pancreatitis?

If drink was the cause of your acute pancreatitis, give it up, because when - and it will be when - you develop chronic pancreatitis, you'll remember all those blase evenings of getting trashed with absolute regret, while being in total agony in the present and unable to think clearly about your fearsomely shortened future.

Drink can be fun, until it isn't, and when it's threatening your wellbeing, just give it up. Seriously. i can't put into words the extent to which you'll rue the day you carry on.

hey guys.......im 16 yrs old i have had two attacks of acute pancreatitis lol its acyually funny im sitting at mayo clinic now getting a bunch of tests done for this.....i was first told i hace this two weeks before my 16 birthday and have since had to make a lot of lifestyle changes....i used to drink about 3 times a month with my buddys but havnt had a drop of alchahol since my first aattack....i also used to smoke cicgarettes (about a pack a day) but quit after my second attack...both times i was put on a low fat diet which is 50 grams of fat per day ....for all who dont know that is about 5 tablespoons of mayonase!!!!! i was recently told i could continue a normal diet but have chosen not to ...i guess i really dont want to take the risk of getting it again...for 1 it is way painfull ...i dont know how many times i blacked out bc of it...and for two i am now repeating a semester of my sophmore yera bc i missed so much school and i just kind of gave up..plus it really isnt worth the week in the hospital and not eating for three days......if you ever want to know more or want to ask n e questions you can message me....ttyl guys......