Guys/Gals... more Questions, Im sorry...

[Guest guest]

Ian,

When I am getting ready to have an attack I get really fatigued. I was

having problems about three weeks ago right after I was diagnosed with diabetes

and

I thought it was my blood sugar that was making me so tired. The next week I

was in the hospital for 4 days due to a bad pancreatitis attack.

Also, with pancreatitis we can get malnourished which leads to fatigue. I

had a really bad night last night and have slept on and off all day. I am

feeling some better. Just groggy from the phenergan. So sometimes the meds make

me

feel tired.

So, yes the disease does make you feel tired. It plays havoc with all of

your body systems. I am sorry for all you are going through. I hope you get some

answers when you go to the doc! Let us know!

Angie in SC

" The happiest of people don't necessarily have the

best of everything; they just make the best of everything that comes along

their way. "

[Guest guest]

Alright Ladies and Gents of the fine forum...

Im just trying to determine whether I should wait out for my GI

appointment, or seek other care first. Im trying to understand all of

the issues this can cause and reading through some of your posts has

made me realize this can be a wide ranging and multi-faceted disease.

In the past couple of days in the middle of the day I have just felt

COMPLETELY drained of energy at times, with this weird " uneasy "

feeling below my ribs, but more centered than where my possible

pancreas pain usually happens. Its like an emptyness or extreme

fatigue. Occasionally but infrequently I even get headaches. There

are times when I just really FEEL SICK. There is no other way to

describe it except for just this overall feeling of fatigue and I

think to myself " will I even be able to work tomorrow? " . Admittedly

my other fear as long as this has been going on has been Leukemia

because the kind of vagueness in my symptoms could point to that.

Also, the pain in my back and under my rib could be my spleen

pointing to that as well, however this is constant and it never goes

away (though it gets better as the day progresses, and is the most

uncomfortable in the morning) AND with the very loose and fatty

stools Ive been having about every day, I dont think my spleen would

have anything to do with that. The only other thing I keep coming

back to is the bags under my eyes.

Basically I just want to know if Pancreas issues have the potential

to really knock you out in this way, and just constantly make life

difficult until you start getting treated and get things back in

order. I know Heidi said that a fat filled diet is not good for this

and I have to admit its difficult for me not to eat the foods I like

with all the anxiety Im going through.

Thanks again and sorry for the repetetiveness.

Ian.

[Guest guest]

Ian,

As far as the exhaustion in the middle of the day, that seems to be

my normal. By the middle of the day i usually can't figure out if I

can really put another foot in front of the other. I think it

probably has to do with the malabsorption. You are not getting

enough nutrients for the energy. I try to plan my day around the

tiredness. Do things that require alot of energy early in the day

so by mid afternoon I can take it slow.

The vague emptiness, pain and general feeling sick I also pretty

common for me at least. The emptiness could actually be you need to

eat something. I find that the food goes through so quickly that I

need to eat more freuqently and smaller amounts. i also get a

nauseous feeling when my stomach feel empty or too full. The pain I

feel is usually under my left rib cage. Not a stabbing pain like

the acute attacks but a vague ache.

If you are really concerned call and see if you can get in early to

your GI. its always best to ease your mind if nothing else.

Hope this helps to ease your mind that at least one other person

feels the same type of symtoms.

Theresa

[Guest guest]

Hi Theresa,

Well its somewhat of a relief to see that you are experiencing almost

exactly what I am, I too do not have real intense pain, but just rather

constant discomfort, kind of like if you kept rubbing a sore out of

habit. It is worst in the morning, probably because my organs are

pushing on eachother while I sleep, and by later in the day usually its

ok as far as the back discomfort is concerned. It definitely seems that

the " good times " when I feel healthy and strong (thats the best I can

describe it) are decreasing and the overall unhealthful feeling is

increasing. Today I got a little nauseous and for the first time in a

while couldnt even think about food, but just like you said, after I

ate and came home and laid down watching TV for a little while, I feel

ok again.

I really love my job, and its not a hard job, but sometimes I wonder

how much longer I can keep up the daily grind. It feels like the life

is being sucked right out of me. I do not understand how a single

digestive organ can have such an effect on everything in my life. But I

will also be thankful if thats all it is. The past year has been a long

road.

[Guest guest]

Hey Ian,

Don't ever feel that you have to apologize for these questions, it's

the only way you can learn, sometimes. Especially when you're new.

All the answers aren't in a book, and you'll find that once you do see

a doctor, he's not going to have enough time to answer all of your

questions, either. At least not on the first visit!

That tiredness and utter fatique that you feel is a normal symptom. I

can remember when I first starting having problems, and this was

before my diagnosis, I would have to lie down every afternoon around

1:00 PM, I was so exhausted, and feeling so iccky, that I had to have

a nap to make it through the day. I remember having to set an alarm

clock to wake me up in time to go pick up Austin at school by 2:30.

The fatigue is due to the fact that you aren't absorbing the vitamins

and nutrients from your food intake.....it's that malabsorption thing

again.

As I suggested earlier, a good multivitamin wouldn't hurt you at all.

We don't absorb our vitamins well, and have to replenish them

somehow. I've had several doctors recommend a children's multivitamin

even, for those people who can't easily digest an adult type.

Hope this helps.

With love, hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina Rep.

Southeastern Regional Rep.

PAI

Note: All comments or advice are based on personal experience or

opinion, and should not be substituted for professional medical

consultation.

[Guest guest]

Hi Ian, please dont think you have to apologise for anything with

us. We all ask a lot of questions from one and other and that is

one reason why we are here. Information and support.

I think it is important that you understand exactly how the panc

works with the process of digestion. As soon as you put food in

your mouth and begin to chew, even if it is just gum, hormones are

sent from the mouth to the pancreas to get ready to prepare

enzymes. Once the food hits your stomach your pancreas is already

working to create those enzymes. The stomach then tell the panc, OK

we are having a cheeseburger and fries. The pancrease then sends

out the specific enzymes. When I say specific I mean that each

enzymes is an individual and its job is to break down an individual

componet of our diet. Lactase breaks down lactose, sucrase breaks

down sucrose so on and so forth.

Fat and protein molecules are very large and can be made up of many

different elements. Such as the starch fats of a french fry versus

the milk fats of the cheese. As well as protiens it can be made up

of milk or animal. These molecules take more enzymes to break them

down. Hence th epancreas has to work harder to release those

enzymes. This can cause pain if the pancrease has trouble getting

those enzymes out. The enzymes have already been triggered by the

hormones and need to do thier job. They have to digest something

and it ends up being the pancrease. Since fats take so many more

enzymes to break it down there are more enzymes left in the

pancreas. This is a very very basic explanation (and only one

causitive factor in pancreas pain) but that explains why we must

reduce the amount of dietary fats and and to lean protein sources.

Our bodies will try to hold onto as much " fat " as it can in order to

surive. Its a basic human nature that goes back to the dawn of

time. Proteinds are needed as they are amino acids and become the

building blocks for our cells. The fatigue is a result of lack of

fuel. With a reduction of fats and protiens absorbed into our

bodies there is a reduction in fuel for the furnace.

I know only too well how hard it is to give up on the comfort foods

we have always enjoyed. However, many of us stop taking in the fuel

foods to reduce our discomfort. The body then gets a double

whammy. Decreased input, decreased absorbtion = fatigue. Taking a

dietary supplement that is low in fat and high in nutritional

quality will help with the fatigue. However, as long as you are

taking in fatty foods you will continue to have the symptoms you

have posted about.

I hope you feel better soon and please feel free to ask any question

you wish.

Take care

[Guest guest]

Thanks all for your kind and generous answers to my many questions.

One last question I have for the time-being. I noticed that

occasionally it seems like I have a small " lump " in that area just

under my chest around my left rib. Sometimes it seems to go away but

other times it seems more pronounced. Today was an ok day for fatigue

for the most part, but not so good a day for discomfort, I felt like it

was " bigger " today which would go along for the slight irregularity I

perceive on the skin over my ribs. I felt slight discomfort all the way

down to the low part of my back on the left side today, but nothing too

intense.

Thanks again.

Ian.

[Guest guest]

Hi Ian; that sounds like it could be a little lymph node that has

gotten swollen. Is it tender to touch? Having a swollen lymph node

is no big deal. The lymphatic system is a way that our bodies help

to fight of bugs or inflammation. The lymphatic vessels run through

the body just like blood vessels; the vessels pick up invaders and

carries them to the lymph nodes to be recycled so to speak. Nodes

are the bodies dumping group. They will recycle the invaders and

release them cleaned back into the body. That is why sometimes its

not there and sometimes it is. Once again that is a very very basic

explaination. Its a natural systemic response to anything that

affects the body much like a fever raises the body's temp in an

attempt to burn off the invaders. Lymph nodes are more prevalent

onthe left side of the body. I wouldn't worry about it unless it

gets very large. I have had swollen nodes there for years and it is

no big deal. Warm compresses or heating pads can help with the

tenderness and swelling.

Again Ian, you dont have to apologise for asking questions.

I hope this helps.