Guest guest Posted August 27, 2002 Report Share Posted August 27, 2002 I am a 24 year > old female and had an attack of acute pancreatitis last year, The problem is the pain > never went away (the mid abdomen pain shooting through to your > back). The pain is tolerable, I don't need pain meds but I wonder > what it is from. > but my question is - can I have ongoing damage? > , There is a good possiblity that you may have developed chronic pancreatitis. Not everyone is as bad off as some. You are taking the right precautions now by following that low fat diet and abstaining from alcohol. If your pain is " tolerable " and you have no need now for heavier pain medication, you're probably not in too much trouble. You might talk to the GI about a CT-scan with contrast if your insurance can handle it. They are just a step above the MRCP on the diagnostic scale, and may show what isn't " normal " , especially if there is any concern about pseudocysts or tumors. The fact that there is still some pain would make me want a further explaination of what wasn't " normal " , specifically if it involves tumors or pseudocysts, because they do have to be monitored closely, and sometimes further intervention is necessary. But other than that, I would just keep on doing what you have been, and not worry too muuch, but keep that GI in your back pocket for the future. You might also talk to him about enzyme supplements to help you with pancreatic insufficiency. If you notice any changes, like more diarrhea, nausea, weight loss or additional pains, then of course, get to a GI right away. Except for people that need stents, major surgery to remove portions of the pancreas, or further surgical procedures to drain or remove pseudocysts or tumors to help with their pain, there really isn't anything more that can be " done " for chronic pancreatitis aside from diet restrictions, no alcohol, pain medications and enzyme supplements. If your GI had seen some physical pancreatitic abnormalty that needed " fixing " , I think he would have recommended it. An ERCP is a very invasive procedure usually only done when all the other tests were non-revealing, or to correct existing problems. I, for one, am not a proponent of too much intervention when one's condition doesn't warrant it. I've seen too many people come home from those procedures in worse condition than they were before they had it done. That's my 2 cents worth. With hope and prayers, Heidi Heidi H. Griffeth South Carolina hhessgriffeth@... Southeastern Representative Pancreatitis Association, Intl. http://www.pancassociation.org/storieshome.html#Heidi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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