Re : Help

[Guest guest]

Hello,

I am sorry you are having a rough time just now. Obviously I cannot

know what is happening in your particular case but I will just say a

couple of things which might be helpful.

Firstly, it is possible for tests not to show up pancreatitis. It is

a difficult disease to diagnose. Sometimes, for example with a CT

scan, damage may not be not visible or the pancreas may appear

pretty normal in between attacks. I am not saying this has happened

in your case, but it is a possibility. Of course, I don't know which

tests you have had. Only your doctors can really say what is

happening.

This brings me to a second point. Precisely because pancreatitis is

rare and difficult to diagnose and treat, it is important to see the

most experienced doctor you can find. You need, for preference, a

specialist in the pancreas, or, at least, a very experienced

gastroenterologist. Most docs see few cases of pancreatitis and

don't know much about its diseases. Experience and specialist

knowledge really does count. Do you have a good specialist? If not,

even if you had to travel some distance, it might be worth asking

your GP about a referral to one. Again, I'm not saying you don't

already have an excellent specialist; I'm just making the point that

it's particularly important to have one with this relatively rare

condition.

Have you been advised about diet (low fat, no alcohol etc.)? Have

you ever been prescribed enzymes such as Creon? They replace the

digestive enzymes which a damaged pancreas may not be producing any

more. Your docs should be able to tell whether or not you need them

at this stage. Every case is different. If there are symptoms of

malabsorption such as diarrhoea, steatorrhoea (fatty diarrhoea), gas

etc. the enzyme preparations are usually helpful. Once the condition

has become chronic, many of us use a balance of correct diet,

enzymes and some pain medication to make ourselves as comfortable as

possible. There are no easy answers with pancreatitis but these

things usually help. You may even find that some particular food or

activity tends to trigger the pain although that's not always the

case.

I do hope you get things sorted as soon as possible.

With good wishes,

Fliss