Multiple Cases of Acute Pancreatitis Posted: 08-05-05 15:59pm
I am a 25 year old female, it is august
2005 and I have just had my third case of
acute pancreatitis.
The first episode was in october 2002
(when I was 22), and the second only 8
weeks ago in june 2005.
The first case was very severe as I did
not know what was causing my abdominal
pain, and the doctor I saw suggested I had
a stomach virus that was circulating at
the time. He gave me injections for the
pain, but it continued into the next day
and before long I began vomiting violently
whenever drinking even small amounts of
water. I was admitted to hospital once
they discovered my amylase was up to
11,000, and was kept in over a week, the
episode lasting 10 days in total. I had
an ultrasound and an x-ray to search for
gallstones, but none were found.
I admit I used to be typical student and
liked a drink, but never to constant
excesses, and although I was honest with
the consultant about how much I was
drinking, they agreed it was nowhere near
enough to cause pancreatitis, especially
as I was only 22.
I was advised to give up alcohol for 12
months – being young and stupid I only
made it to 3 months, starting with the odd
glass of wine, and I slowly resumed my
normal alcohol consumption (around 20
units a week) without giving it too much
thought.
This continued until around a year ago,
when I cut my drinking down by about half
– I would have a few drinks during the
week, and only have a big night out around
once every couple of months.
The second episode came 8 weeks ago, but I
first thought the mild pain was due to a
virus, as had suffered diaorrhea in the
days leading up to it. I went to a&e
to get my amylase checked as soon as the
pain got worse and I knew what it was (you
don’t forget the pain of acute
pancreatitis in a hurry!). It came back
as 4100, and again I was admitted. This
time I was only in for 3 days, but was
still in some pain when I was discharged.
Again during my time in hospital I was
given an ultrasound and x-ray but no cause
was found. After this happened again I
started to worry – my diet has never
been unhealthy but I chose low fat options
of everything and some organic where my
budget would allow. I had no alcohol
except one night out two weeks before my
third episode, where I had around 10
units.
I was called back for a ct scan 2 weeks
later, but again nothing was found. The
doctors were deciding what steps to take
next, when I had the pain again.
Then came the third time - I went straight
to the hospital, and my amylase this time
was only 1300. I was kept in for 5 days,
during which yet another ultrasound and
x-ray were done and nothing found and felt
completely fine when discharged.
I am now abstaining completely from
alcohol, following a low fat, high carb
(as suggested on other websites),
completely organic diet, free from
flavourings, colourings, preservatives and
chemicals as far as possible, drink 3
litres of water, my only vice being 5
light slim cigarettes a day.
I am tired a lot of the time, despite
having at least 7 hours or more sleep a
day.
I am not, and have never been, on
prescription drugs, and only take pain
killers for headaches if absolutely
necessary.
Apart from the obvious, I am completely
healthy. However I am medically
overweight for my height, due to weight
gained whilst on the contraceptive
injection depo provera for a year and a
half until april 2002, when I had a iud
coil fitted.
Plans are being made for an mri scan, but
if nothing shows up I will probably be
referred to a gastroenterologist for
further tests.
What I would like to know is, after 3
cases of acute pancreatitis before the age
of 25:
• am I likely to develop chronic
pancreatitis or diabetes?
• what tests should I request if they
are not offered to me?
• what other measures (apart from diet
and alcohol avoidance) can I take to
prevent this from recurring?
I would really like to hear from anyone
who has been in, or is in, a similar
situation to myself, as every doctor and
consultant I see is completely mystified
and noone has a clue what is wrong with
me. I just want my life back, without
worrying about when I will be back in
hospital next, and the horror stories
about the results of regular attacks.
|
KsMom
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 18 Aug 2005 Posts: 3 Location: Indiana
Normal Tests Don't Always Mean Nothing Is Going On... Posted: 08-18-05 09:35am
Hi! My daughter, 14, has been diagnosed
with chronic pancreatitis. Over the last
2 1/2 years she has undergone several test
all within normal limits. Ultrasound -
normal, ct scans, normal, and blood test,
normal. However, she had hida scan
performed of her gallbladder and this
reveal dysfunction and had it removed
(only part of the problem). She then
underwent an ercp and this reveal
sphincter of oddi dysfunction, very rare
for children. Again, only part of the
problem. The pancreas is the root of this
evil.
Don't let them stop until you have an
answer. If I had listened to the doctors,
she would be the worst case of 'nervous
stomach/eating disorder' known.
|
Clareh
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 28 Oct 2005 Posts: 6 Location: Oxfordshire, UK
Idiopathic Pancreatitis Posted: 10-28-05 04:09am
Hi,
i was very interested to read your account
- it sounds just like me, only I was 18
when it started. Like you, it took an age
to get taken seriously, and they have now
established that I have pancreas divisum
(divided pancreas, you're born with it,
but it shouldn't be a cause on its own),
no visible gallstones, no alcohol abuse
(and you really have to work to get them
to believe that when you're in your 20s -
they assume you're out getting wasted
every night!).
My situation now is that i'm 32, and
unfortunately I have continued to have
about 2 attacks a year since 18. I am not
diabetic, although there is a strong
history of diabetes (1 and 2) in my
family. I drink about two units a month,
so barely anything, and I absolutely don't
think alcohol, or for that matter, food,
have anything to do with triggering an
attack. However, I do eat healthily, and
exercise regularly. I'd do this anyway -
i've always exercised, and never smoked
(the one thing you must do is give up
smoking - it's got a host of links to
damaging the pancereas, and our pancreases
don't need any excuse! It will also prove
to the docs that you are doing everything
you can).
I live in the uk, and am about to go to
liverpool to visit the research team there
who specilaize in familial pancreatitis.
One thing I have just come across this
morning is a study at the bandolier site
in the uk, which links selenium ace with
possibly preventing further attacks. As I
say, i've only just seen this, but
selenuim's a good thing to take anyway,
and it's worth a try!
Let me know how you get on. It's a tough
disease, but the main things are getting
the doctors to take you seriously and as
the lady in the second message said, be
pushy. It took them five years to
diagnose my pancreatitis - and all it
takes is a simple blood test. It will not
go away on its own, so get in there and
demand some attention!
Good luck
clare
|
Freya
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 05 Aug 2005 Posts: 3 Location: UK
Posted: 10-29-05 03:27am
Wow, that must be very hard having it
twice a year - but at least you know what
it is and can get straight to hospital so
hopefully your enzymes don't have a chance
to get too high. Has it done permanent
damage having so many attacks?
Talk about doctors not understanding, my
employers were also not happy as they
thought oh she has pancreatitis it must
mean she drinks loads hence its her fault
she needs time off work! So now i'm
mostly self employed I run the risk of not
being paid for a few days but at least I
can avoid the constant pointless meetings
about how much sick time I have had off
and what I plan to do about it....!
I didn't know smoking damaged pancreas
that much, of course as if I need another
reason to give up, I know it is no good
whatsoever, but I have been good recently
and a pack of 20 now easily lasts me over
a week. Its a step in the right direction
anyway!
Yeah I have heard about the selenium thing
a while ago, maybe studies were done in
usa first, but its found in brazil nuts so
if you like them its one less vitamin
tablet to take!
Pls let me know how you get on in
liverpool. I have just been to hosp in
croydon (possibly the worst in the uk!) to
get my results of my recent mri scan, and
when I walked into the room the "doctor"
asked me why I was there!! Said I just
want the results of scan, he asked if I
was in pain, I said no I just want the
results of scan, to which he asked if I
would like him to examine me! By this
point I was losing the will to live...He
said he didn't have the test results, went
out of the room for 10 minutes, came back
and said they didn't find anything. How
much I can believe him, I don't know!
Useless is not the word...
|
Clareh
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 28 Oct 2005 Posts: 6 Location: Oxfordshire, UK
Idiopathis Pancreatitis Posted: 10-31-05 07:58am
That's what worries me most, really -
every attack does some damage to the
pancreases, so how much more attacks will
it take before it packs up and we end up
in a whole new world of pain? So, i'm
trying most things at the moment to stave
off another attack.
One thing which I haven't seen anyone
discuss is when in the day their attacks
come. Mine always, absolutely without
fail, starts first thing in the morning.
I either wake up with the pain, or it
developed within an hour. I don't know
why this is - maybe it's because the
pancreas has been inactive over night and
is starting to creak into action? I'd be
really interested in whether other people
get it at the same time of day.
What I want to avoid is it degenrating
into constant, chronic pancreatitis. My
mum is type 1 diabetic, so I don't want to
go there either! Also, we'd like to have
kids in the next couple of years - no
desperate rush, but I think I need to
start working out the risks. Pregnancy
puts an extra load on the pancreas. I can
find lots about people who havce had
pancreatitis for the first time whilst
pregnant, but haven't read anything yet on
women with acute or chronic pancreatitis
who've been planning a family. Can anyone
advise me? I'm not expecting it to be an
easy process, but at the moment I really
don't know what the chances and risks are.
Hopefully the guys in liverpool may be
able to help me with that as well.
Clare
|
Freya
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 05 Aug 2005 Posts: 3 Location: UK
Posted: 10-31-05 11:43am
Yes thats what i'm worried about two, I
thought having 3 attacks was pushing my
luck! 3 to you must seem great in
comparison. My first two attacks started
the same as yours, about an hour after
waking up. With the third though I didn't
get any pain until about 2pm, and wasn't
sure it was pancreatitis but took myself
to hosp anyway due to history and amylase
high at 1300 but lowest they had ever
been.
I don't have any children so cannot advise
i'm afraid. Hope you get some replies
from women who can help with that, but out
of interest how much extra stress does it
put on the pancreas?
|
Clareh
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 28 Oct 2005 Posts: 6 Location: Oxfordshire, UK
Acute Pancreatitis Posted: 11-03-05 07:21am
Yeah, it would really help to hear from
some other people. There must be women
out there who have had acute pancreatitis
and wanted to have kids. I don't really
know much about this, which is one of the
reasons why I want to get up to liverpool
and get some info, but I know that it will
be more complicated then usual.
Apparantly one of the causes of ap is
carrying (alhtough not necessarily having
symptoms of ) the cyctic fibrosis gene.
One in 20 people in the uk carry the gene,
so they're going to test me for it, if I
do have it, it's really important that my
husband gets tested as well, and if we
both have it, that's a whole new
discussion. Apart from that, I just
haven't had nine months without ap since I
was 18, so the chances of me getting
through a pregnancy unscathed are slim, I
think, at the moment.
As I understand it, all women are more at
risk of getting ap when they are pregnant.
I am assuming that that means that you
and I are particularly at risk, and I have
been told by one doctor that ap in
pregnancy 'usually' results in
miscarriage. But, that's one doctors
opion, and he wasn't a specialist, so
other dcotors may regard that as alarmist,
or spot on. I don't know. I could really
do with some answers!!
