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...

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Pancreatitis/menstruation/birthcontrol connected?

njdevil2
njdevil2
My wife has been suffering from Chronic Acute Pancreatitis for 3 yrs now. After stents, numerous hospital stays the attacks got more frequent. Every two weeks. My wife insisted that she felt it wasn't the food causing the attacks and felt it came along with her period. We went to John Hopkins and they recommended a Pancreastecomy with auto-islet cell transplantation. There are 4 tests they do to determine if you're a candidate for it. We decided that we wanted to try to take something less radical first. That's when we decided she should try a Lupron shot. It's a menopause inducing shot. My wife had to remain on birth control due to numerous ovarion cysts and non stop bleeding. Now she doesn't need them. And guess what.....She has had 14 pain free days from Pancreatitis. Yes, she gets Hot-flashes,sweats, and moodiness but it beats Pancreatitis any day. We are crossing our fingers but I can tell you that the past 2 weeks have been so much different from what our last 3 years have been like. She was taking Oxycontin, dilaudid, among other things. She is getting weened off the Oxy at the moment and hasn't needed anything for break through pain. If others have had the feeling that it's tied into Menstuation and Ovulation think about trying it, and give us your feedback.
Paula1960
Paula1960
So is she still taking the birth control pills or where they stopped? My specialist aways insisted that birth control pills could cause pancreatitis.
njdevil2
njdevil2
No, she is not taking them. She was taking Femcon and had tried seasonique. The only reason she remained on them was that she would bleed non stop when she was off of them, and continually got ovarian cysts. The one she was taking had no warnings about Pancreatits at all. All the specialists didn't even believe there was really a correlation. So, now if this works we have to figure, was it hormonal with her body or was it the birth control.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I have recently joined this forum.

Thank you for sharing about your wifes experience. I am also a patient at Johns Hopkins. I have tried other specialists closer to home but have found Hopkins the most knowledgeable and understanding.

I too have found that my chronic pancreatitis flairs around my cycle. From the time of ovulation to the beginning of my period I experience worsening symptoms. I have brought this up with every doctor I have seen and no one believes they are linked. It has been suggested that perhaps my eating habits change during my cycle and cause the flairs. I have never taken birth control.

Can you give us a update about your wife?
njdevil2
njdevil2
mrs10, my wife has still been suffering an attack every 2-4 weeks. We have spoken to a Gyno Dr. who is going to go inside an clean out as much he can do, and possibly a hysterectomy. We will see if this does anything for the pancreatitis. She has had issues in the past with Endometreosis, and her ovaries sticking to her walls. Will let you know what happens after the procedure.