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...
I don't have pancreatitis, but my husband does. He has been having stomach pains off and on for several years, but it got bad last Monday and Tuesday so we went to the emergency room where he was diagnosed. They gave him pain pills, 2 antibiotics and upset stomach meds, told him to have a clear liquid diet for 24 hrs. and sent him home.
I played Google doctor and learned he needs to eat low fat, non-spicy food. He was diagnosed with diabetes 3 years ago (I am prediabetic) we have been controlling with diet alone since then (low carb). Both of our last A1c tests last time were 5.7 We keep our bg below 140 at all times to avoid complications. Because of eating low carb, the only foods I know to feed him are lean beef, fish, poultry and low carb veggies.
He had a blockage 15 or so years ago and has been taking a statin ever since. I read online that statins can cause pancreatitis. He lost his gallbladder several years ago so doesn't metabolize fat well, and I understand pancreatitis can be caused by eating high fat. I also read online that if you have no gallbladder, taking 500 mg of ox bile before each meal helps with digestion and metabolism of fat. Right now he is eating low fat because of the pancreatitis, so I don't know whether to start giving that to him now or wait until the pancreatitis clears up.
That's pretty much everything I know about the situation. I am hoping this round of double antibiotics will take care of the pancreatitis forever, but I understand it is very difficult to clear up this type of inflammation. I have no idea how long it will take, how many rounds of antibiotics it will take, whether or not it will come back once it clears up. So I'm here to learn, which means I have lots of reading to do.
I played Google doctor and learned he needs to eat low fat, non-spicy food. He was diagnosed with diabetes 3 years ago (I am prediabetic) we have been controlling with diet alone since then (low carb). Both of our last A1c tests last time were 5.7 We keep our bg below 140 at all times to avoid complications. Because of eating low carb, the only foods I know to feed him are lean beef, fish, poultry and low carb veggies.
He had a blockage 15 or so years ago and has been taking a statin ever since. I read online that statins can cause pancreatitis. He lost his gallbladder several years ago so doesn't metabolize fat well, and I understand pancreatitis can be caused by eating high fat. I also read online that if you have no gallbladder, taking 500 mg of ox bile before each meal helps with digestion and metabolism of fat. Right now he is eating low fat because of the pancreatitis, so I don't know whether to start giving that to him now or wait until the pancreatitis clears up.
That's pretty much everything I know about the situation. I am hoping this round of double antibiotics will take care of the pancreatitis forever, but I understand it is very difficult to clear up this type of inflammation. I have no idea how long it will take, how many rounds of antibiotics it will take, whether or not it will come back once it clears up. So I'm here to learn, which means I have lots of reading to do.
Nice to meet you.... glad you found us..... wow sounds like you are doing a great job at keeping your Blood sugars down...that is awesome that he needs no insulin as of yet.....good job!!
I dont know what statin is........but as far as the pancreatitis goes.... you say the doc diagnosed him with it? did he happen to mention if he had high lipase or amalayse? I m sure you know by now that there are very very many things that cause pancreatitis..... but most generally the reason is a type of genetic defect.....that is interesting they are giving him antibiotics for it.....not sure excatly why they would...did they say?....generally the inflamation goes down when a person is put on NPO....and IV fluids in the hospital until the pain subsides..........huggssss
Sheila
DH was diagnosed with pancreatitis by the doctor in the emergency room, after they did a blood test, X-ray and a couple of other tests. The emergency room doc said that pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas, so we figured the antibiotics are to get rid of the inflammation. They didn't admit him into the hospital, just told him to have clear liquids for 24 hours and sent him home.
I have never heard of lipase or amalayse until I found this forum tonight. I still don't know what they are, but no, they didn't mention those two things at the hospital.
DH had a doctor's appointment today, he just told DH not to eat anything fried, and to eat bland food. He is supposed to go back on Monday to have another blood test. The last blood test he had was in the emergency room last Tuesday.
Statins are cholesterol lowering drugs. I found an article on a government website that said they looked at a couple of reliable studies that were done in the past on statins and pancreatitis. It said if someone takes statins for a few months, it can cause pancreatitis. DH has been taking them for 15 years or more, so I figured that is the cause. However, DH's doc the most common cause of pancreatitis is eating too much fat.
I'm very curious to know if eating high fat can cause it because I am the cook, and we have been eating fairly high fat, I'd hate to think I caused this, but if I did, I did, and can't change that now.
NPO is nothing by mouth. If he has chronic pancreatitis then he has to watch his fat and diet forever. If this was an acute attack, then if he can heal his pancreas he may be able to recover. It might help for him to see a nutritionist to learn about the pancreas diet. When I had my first acute pancreas episode after an ERCP, my GI didn't give me good or any guidance and I never really got better. I kept losing weight and was sick and in pain. It progressed to chronic. Who knows? I might not have CP if my GI had given me better more specific advice. I eventually found a new GI with my PCP's help who specializes in pancreatic diseases. Like Sheila says, knowing the lipase and amylase numbers are very important. That's probably how they diagnosed him. They don't usually give you antibiotics for pancreatitis unless they know it's infected. This is a good group with lots of knowledgeable people who have lived through many episodes of acute pancreatitis. Many of us have been diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis. I hope your hubby gets better, CP is a horrible disease.
Good luck
GG
I don't know what a GI is, but I assume it is some sort of doctor. Our general practitioner just said eat bland, low fat food. I know it is recommended that people with pancreatitis eat potatoes, rice and pasta, but we don't eat those things because we are controlling our diabetes by eating very low carb, so that is what is making this more difficult for us than it has to be.
A GI as a gastrointestinal doctor. In order to diagnose CP, they would shave to do some very specialized tests unless his is so far advanced it showed on an X-ray or CT Scan. I would ask his doctor which one he has.
Good luck
GG