Pancreatitis Support Group
Chronic pancreatitis can present as episodes of acute inflammation in a previously injured pancreas, or as chronic damage with persistent pain or malabsorption. Patients with chronic pancreatitis can present with persistent abdominal pain or steatorrhea, as well as severe nausea. Some patients with chronic pancreatitis often look very sick, while others don't appear to be...
Hey Everyone,
About 7 weeks ago I got sick, things progressed worse for a few weeks. I've had pain in my sides, upper and mid back and burning pain under my left rib (sometimes moving to the right side).
Accompanying all of this was a complete lack of appetite, massive nausia, gas (non-stop) out of both ends.
I've been sticking to a low fat diet and slowly the pain in my left upper abdomen is getting better (very very slowly). My appetite is coming back and I have very little gas. My back pain is getting worse and I don't think I'm out of the woods with the burning in my ribs yet.
My question is this... as you start getting better from a flare or attack, is this usually how your symptoms progress? I.e. Nausea, gas and appetite slowly get better? Does the burning in the ribs eventually go away too if you stick to a good diet?
Thanks,
Cory
About 7 weeks ago I got sick, things progressed worse for a few weeks. I've had pain in my sides, upper and mid back and burning pain under my left rib (sometimes moving to the right side).
Accompanying all of this was a complete lack of appetite, massive nausia, gas (non-stop) out of both ends.
I've been sticking to a low fat diet and slowly the pain in my left upper abdomen is getting better (very very slowly). My appetite is coming back and I have very little gas. My back pain is getting worse and I don't think I'm out of the woods with the burning in my ribs yet.
My question is this... as you start getting better from a flare or attack, is this usually how your symptoms progress? I.e. Nausea, gas and appetite slowly get better? Does the burning in the ribs eventually go away too if you stick to a good diet?
Thanks,
Cory
So glad you are feeling better, you have done so well to maintain the low fat diet for so long, I reach a point where I can't see results so give up, although don't eat a whole lot of fat. I don't seem to get a flare or attack, just same pain every day but getting worse.
Do you have much pain at night when resting? that is the only time I get a break form the back and rib pain, sitting, standing and just walking am always in pain, nausea and wind always bad. I have tried Lyrica and Amitriplyne with no effect, we can buy codeine OTC here but don't want to take much because it can cause constipation and doesn't seem to help.
Do you have a date for your EUS? the medical system is so slow here, my GI on holidays so can't see her till 13 Jan, although if we are diagnosed with CP it seems not a whole lot can be done to help.
Hope you continue to feel better, going to be a tough Xmas as I am the chief cook here
I have no diagnosis to date but seems like the only probably explanation. The med system here is swamped and my EUS is scheduled for March 5. My gas, appetite is better and my nausea too but I still feel like crap. I'm tired often and pretty irritable which is weird because prior to this was super relaxed with patience for days.
I don't have much pain at night but sometimes do have back pain which gets worse daily. Evenings between 5-10 are bad for back pain. I take T3s because the pain in really not fun but they don't help a pile. They do constipate me a bit but I am staying mostly regular.
I don't know what to make of all this, no one can find anything wrong with me and my CT looks good but I am sick as a dog. I have a very very hard time keeping weight on. I'm a little scared it is CP but also more scared it is something like cancer they haven't yet found... no answers is no fun. At least with a diagnosis I would know what I am up against.
Christmas will be hard here too but I'm keeping my head up and putting on a brave face for the family. Thanks for the reply and talk to you soon.
Cory
I've had many tests, and lots of elevated Lipase tests. Literally today my dr. said he does agree that it's chronic Pancreatitis, which kind of bums me out...because although I've been struggling for over a year with all of this, all the drs. kept saying, "it's not CP"...and even told me I could still drink. I stopped drinking for 10 months and decided to try ONE drink....sure enough I got VERY sick, and I'm still not back to my normal....I asked for a Lipase test, and the dr. agreed to it. I got the results today, and my Lipase was double what it was before. And that was from ONE drink. Obviously I can and will NEVER drink again.
To answer your question, things do get better if you stay on the low fat, healthier diet...at least they have for me...it's not great, but at least it's not constant pain now. And I'm very grateful for that.
Yeuker, Jinxy and some others sound like I could almost be writing the same story, is it a such a rare disease that doctors can only see it during an acute attack or after a lot of damage is done?