I am 56 and I've been struggling with pain in my mid section, around my gallbladder/pancreas for several years. I too, had a drink everyday, and partied a little more heavily on the weekends. I started having "attacks about two years ago" of acute pain in my stomach, usually after a night of partying and drinking (and eating fatty food). I saw a gastro dr. who did some testing, my Lipase was elevated mildly and my Amalyse was slightly elevated too. Since then my Lipase has remained mildly elevated but Amalyse has been normal since last October. I've had two EUS's and both showed no issues with my pancreas. They were concerned that it was CP. They also thought it was gallbladder, but further tests of that proved to be normal. I did have a lot of stones in Oct. 2012, but nothing now. I continue to have pain if I eat any fatty food, I can eat a very tiny amount, but I gave up drinking in Feb. 2014. My drs. actually say I can have a drink, but everytime I tried I had a horrible attack that lasted for weeks...so for me it's just not worth it...although I admit..I REALLY miss having a social drink with friends. I'm okay not having a nightly drink, but this sucks!!

I worry because some on this site had several normal EUS's and then ultimately had abnormal ones. So I don't know what the heck is going on with my pain. It's stressing me out too....A LOT..I keep wondering if I'll every feel normal again.

I had the MRCP...and it showed nothing either...but I continue to have issues. They are now saying GERD...but I don't think that's what it is. I also have malabsorption.

I wish you good luck with your issues...I am not sure what to say about the drinking part. I keep saying I'm going to try one...but the insuing pain just isn't worth it to me.

How ironic that you have symptoms and issues yet no conclusive test results. I am just the opposite. I guess we are both stressed and worried. It is very hard when there are issues like this, and in my case, knowing that testing has confirmed some things I really didn't want to hear after losing my younger brother to pancreatic cancer. It's all very scary. The pancreas is such an important organ and the removal of it required major surgery and many life-long side effects. I am trying to stay positive and keep my self as healthy as possible. I do notice that when I drank more, my stomach felt sour. I have cut way back and do feel better.

Hello stronbell! I am so sorry you're in this page, however, you will get to meet the right people who is in your shoe right now. My advise for you is please stop drinking any wine, beer, or any liquor if ever. That's the only better way for you to not further your pain. Please ask your doctor to recommend you some pancreatic enzymes like CREON. This medicine will help you a lot!! I hope you won't get an ERCP, that 2nd ERCP of mine made me disabled for the rest my life and would be in a very strong pain killers for life, had I know about the Creon pancreatic enzyme, I wouldn't asked for an ERCP at all! I don't drink and don't smoke at all! I have a pancreatic divisum and it as discovered after I had that MRI, but it tooj a while for us to know I had this so called pancreatic divisum because I had no symptoms of pain until Dec. 2005, and it come and go but it wasn't bad compare to what I got after my second ERCP, I am in so much pain in my pancreas forever... Please don't be scared, just take all the post that you read into mind, maybe some of the can your cases... Take care and God bless!

Mamalucy - why are you in such pain and why did the 2nd ERCP cause this? Do you have any family history of this or pancreatic cancer? Why did you start getting tested?

My father had PC and I have chronic pancreatitis. My recent testing just confirmed damage-after 6 yrs of pain, and at least 7 EUS! So with your history, and with findings found on an EUS I would stop drinking ALL alcohol. In the beginning I had flares only once every 4 months, they were mild and many drs said since EUS was clear it likely wasnt CP only one dr (who is NOT and expert) said it likely was. So, I continued to have wine a few times a wk. Well, due to that my pain over time progressed and now I have some form of daily pain. Essentially just because the alcohol did NOT cause flares did not mean I wasnt doing damage. I was, I just didn't feel it and now here I am miserable. Be wise-cut it out, ESPECIALLY since you have PC in your family and a cyst

I'm only 32 and already have features of chronic pancreatitis seen on EUS. I too never experience pain or had an attack. I simply begged for EUS since my lipase numbers were elevated at times for no reason.

Luckily they did not find inflammation, calcification's, dilation....still I stopped drinking, even though I am not much of a drinker but did party hard in HS and college.

My gastro team said not to worry and continue whatever I'm doing. Good luck to you and it''s good that you're close to a GI who specializes in early detection.

Sesser - when you said you had flares every few months, what specifically were your symptoms? I can't say I've had flares but I do get the bloating, gas and stomach soreness - it feels like someone is pinching the insides but it's not real pain. I also have gastric ulcers which I think might be causing this. I cut way down for the last week on my alcohol intake and I feel better overall. My goal is to get rid of it completely. I am proud of myself because I didn't think I could do this on my own. I have thought about going to AA meetings and maybe meeting other people with pancreatitis going through this. I, otherwise, am very healthy, work out 5 days a week and take alot of vitamins and supplements. I do have a question to ask everyone about herbal supplements. What is a good herb to take for your pancreas. I had heard ginseng and also tumeric.
Jersey88AD - I am glad to hear you are fine and don't have pancreatitis. You are too young to deal with it.

So I used to have flares every few months now I feel like I get them 2x per month with pain of some sort in between. When I mention flares-its more increased pain and diarrhea. Otherwise, when Im not in a flare I do still have pain but my bowels are normal due to enzymes. Before enzymes my bowels were never normal. That was another reason I knew I had CP before damage was actually even found. My pain is an upper left stabbing/squeezing feeling that is on and off throughout day during flares it also ping pongs to the right side. I also get stabbing pains to the right of my spine in the middle of my back. About 6 months before my first attack I had a shooting stabbing to the right of my spine in this location that hit 3 x one right after another. It brought me to my knees- I had NO clue what it was. Now I do. Like my dr told me, its just easier to cut alcohol out right away vs slowly. I haven't drank in almost 2 yrs now. Drinking still while in the beginning of this disease (again, many drs said it wasnt CP so I went with it though I knew it had to be) really was a BAD idea. Cant help but think if Id be in a better place if it weren't for that. I too am healthy otherwise, work out 6 x a wk, always a pretty healthy eater etc

I too get the 'pinching' feeling. Although I haven't had that as much lately. I get a gnawing feeling a lot and the pressure and bloating definitely. I have some kind of pain or discomfort everyday. Sometimes it's wakes me at night. It actually used to wake me EVERY night..but now it's settled down, and that's because I'm eating almost no fat and of course NO drinkng at all. I wish I had know to stop drinking two years ago when I was having the HUGE attacks. By huge I mean, vomiting and diarrhea, along with unbearable pain. I should have gone to ER, but I didn't. At the time I thought it was gallbladder, and decided to wait out the attacks. Had I gone to ER when I was having the severe attacks, they probably would have hospitalized me and found that it was something worse, with elevated Lipase, and I might have stopped drinking right then and there. Two extra years of drinking sure didn't help things.

I partied like a rock star for 20+ years drinking 4-5 Yags to each beer. I got really bloated one evening then that went away, the same night I was in the ER thinking I was having a heart attack. After 4 or 5 CT scans and countless MRI's all in the same night it was determined that I had Accute PC. The funny thing is the gastro dude said " now don't do it when you are released but after a few months I don't think it would hurt you to have some beers with your friends"?????????? This is what landed me here in the first place. I see everyone's stories under every subject and I consider myself fortunate. I did quit drinking and smoking, I watch my fat intake I workout like a beast 7 days a week and have not had one symptom. I was diagnosed on September the 3rd is the worst to come? My doctor says watch the fast food, drink a lot of water and exercise. Sorry everyone is going through this I would not wish that kind of pain on anyone. To tell you how bad 1 Percocet then 2 shots of morphine, no affect the they kicked it up to the elephant tranquilizer (delaudid) in the ER thank god, but that's what it took for 9 days in the hospital to keep the pain away. No food, no water or ice chips for 6 days all to cleanse the poisons out of my body. Does anyone have a similar story, 1 attack and that's it??

Hello strongbel! Yes, the second ERCP made me disabled for the rest of my life and will take pancreatic enzymes, dilauded, and opana or oxymorphone, and promemthazine ( for nausea and dizziness ), I had pancreatic divisum, but I experienced only one time painful attack in December 2005. In early 2006, I asked my Family doctor to get an MRI for me, then I follow up on my GI doctor, unfortunately I idn't have the result of my MRI yet upon seeing him. Then my primary doctor left and change work, so I don'tt what was the result. Sometimes in October-November 2007, we went for a vacation and I decided to go the hospital where I had few testing going on like; gall bladder removal- 1999, few EUS (because I had so much issues back then, and yet my GI cannot find anything wrong with me), cesarean, a bunch of MRI'S, cat-scan etc.'. And asked for the results of all those things that they have done for me, they gave me all the results of my mri's and cat scan, and I brought it with me in my country, and there I saw an specialist GI, and she asked me that CD, and found out that I have a so called. "PANCREATIC DIVISUM". She told me that as soon as I am back to the US, I shouls see my GI doctor so that they recommend me to a pancreatic specialist. I decided to see another GI doctor, and he told me to get an ERCP in a University hospital since they are the only one who offere this kinf of procedure in the state where we live. The new pancreatic doctor performed my first ERCP in March 5, 2008, however I felt that I need to have another one so that I will be totally healed. I never do some research about how dangerous the pancreas is, so I just trusted my doctor so much in the hope that I will not experience pain and bloated, so I had another ERCP on "OCTOBER 8, 2008, the day that almost killed. And put me at the semi-ICU for 10 days without food"!!. They put my second pancreatic stent, just like the first, but this one they cut the pressure of my duct, so I think this trigger chronic pancreatitis for months. My stent won't come out by itself, so I recieved a bunch of cat scan. Since it won't come out in two monts, they dedicided to take out the stent, and after that I am in chronic pain until now and only dilaudid and opana or oxymorphone will help the pain. I hate those procedure, it took my freedom, and am always, always in pain al day. I am glad that I also take a sleeping pills, if not, my pain will be 24 hours a day. I HATE THIS UNFORTUNATE DISEASE, I DON'T EVEN DRINK AND SMOJE ALL OF MY LIFE...AND STILL I GOT THIS UNFORTUNATE SICKNESS. I THOUGHT LOOSING MY SLEEP IN THE LATE 2000 WAS WORSE ENOUGH, BUT THIS CHRONIC PANCREATIC PAIN IS LIVING HELL...I DON'T DESERVE THIS, I've BEEN A GOOD PERSON ALL MY LIFE, AND ALL OF YOU OUT HERE DON'T DESERVE ALSO TOHAVE THIS PAIN...THIS TO MUCH FOR A PERSON BEAR IN BODY AND MIND...I PRAY A LOT FOR US, AND KEEP BEGGING GOD TO GIVE US ANOTHER CHANCE TO LIVE, HOPEFULLY WITHOUT THIS PAIN...I PRAY FOR ALL OF US, SPECIALLY THOSE WHO HAVE SICKNESS IN THE BODY, MIND, AND SPIRIT. GOD BLESS ALL OF US! Sorry, my story is long, hahaha!

MamaLucy - sorry to hear about all you have been through. I understand how you feel. The pancreas is such a delicate and important organ. Most people don't even realize how important it is and if things go wrong with it, how much it affects your body and your entire lifestyle. Hang in there and stay strong!