Howdy

[Guest guest]

Dear Robin,

Welcome to our home away from home. I'm sorry for the circumstances

which made you seek us out, but glad that you found us and found a place to

discuss your fears and questions about your medical problems.

I don't have any experience with CF, but do know that many people who have

this gene abnormalty also have chronic pancreatitis. My doctor is currently

making arrangements for me to have the genetic testing to see if there is

some correlation with this in relation to my chronic pancreatitis, as well. I

was

initially labled as an acute alcohol related pancreatitis patient, even though I

had not been drinking at the time of my initial attack. I did acknowledge to

the

doctor's that I did consume alcohol in the past (many people, do, you know),

and they immediately chose that as a cause. My doctor now believes that not

to be the cause. But, this is irrevelant now, let's talk about you.

Tingling in your feet and hands.....I have definetely had this happen before,

many times. I have very low blood pressure, thus very slow blood circulation,

so when I noticed this in the past I attributed it to that and didn't think much

more about it. Then when I started taking narcotic pain medication on a more

regular basis, I thought it might be that causing it. At the time I was taking

Percocet, which is a combination of oxycodone and acetaminophen (tylenol).

I noticed it especially in the evening as I sat still in while watching TV, or

any

other times when the rest of my body was relatively still.

Last March I went into diabetic ketoacidosis and became a type 1 diabetic, on

top of my chronic pancreatitis. For me, the answer to the tingling in my hands

and feet was answered, it was caused by the onset of my diabetes. I don't

mean to alarm you, but I have found that there are many subtle changes a

person goes through at the onset of diabetes, and this is one of them.

You'll find that I am an alarmist on this board about diabetes, but with very

good reason. First of all, those of us with chronic pancreatitis do have an

additional risk of getting diabetes because of our pancreas problems. It's a

known fact. But early detection of the signs of diabetes can make a

tremendous difference in how severe it hits us, and if detected early enough,

one may only have to deal with diabetes type 2, which can usually be

controlled by diet, exercise and oral medication. Type 1 diabetes is a whole

different ball of wax....it''s much harder to control and the only choice is

daily

injections of insulin for the rest of your life in order to survive.

My alarmist behavior has uncovered diabetes in two of our members within

just the last six months, so I do feel that validates my diabetes awareness

campaign. In each and every case, I would love to be proven wrong, of

course, but I was right, and I do believe that early detection will make dealing

with the disease much easier.

So, my first suggestion is that you make an appointment with your doctor and

ask him/her to do an HBA1c test. This is a simple fasting blood test that will

show what your blood glucose levels have been doing over the past three

months, and it's the gold standard test for diagnosing diabetes. I wish I had

been able to convince my GI to do it six months before I ended up in the

hosptial. He wouldn't test me, he said it was " too early " for me to be

concerned, and he resisted testing me until it was much too late. I'd only had

diagnosed CP for a year at the time I asked him to test me. Well....... HE

WAS WRONG! It's never " too early. "

With hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina

SC & SE Regional Rep.

PAI, Intl.

Note: All comments and advice are personal opinion only, and should

not be

should be substituted for a professional medical consultation.

Robin wrote:

I was diagnosed with CP in 2001, after many doctors misdiagnosing it. I

would love to share more of my story right now, but I am really tired and out

of it. I am having an attack. I am having tingling in my hands and now in my

feet. I was wondering if this happens to anyone else and if I should be

concerned. I have never had this feeling before. My other symptoms are the

normal things with CP.