Post ERCP Pancreatitis/How long is this supposed to last?!!!???

[Guest guest]

Hello fellow sufferers. I have unexplained RUQ pain since Feb.

2004. I have lost 25 lbs. and have had every scan at least once and

every test that ends with " -oscopy. " I went to DUKE at the

beginning of June and had an ERCP to see if it was SOD. That gave

me pancreatitis and it lets up but it keeps coming back. I just had

my lipase and amylase checked again yesterday. Because they can't

figure out what the cause is, SOD not definite, my local doctors

seem to have given up. They gave me Creon 10 that I take with meals

and snacks. Today I felt like there was a huge painful balloon

under my high left ribs. The pain radiated to my back. How long is

Post ERCP pancreatitis supposed to last?!?!? Has anyone else had a

similar experience?!! I am 29 years old. Female. Healthy with the

exception of allergies up until this point. Every doctor says that

it sounds like classic gallbladder, but my HIDA was 75% and I don't

have stones. At this point I am mostly just worried about the

pancreatitis. That pain is hideous. Please help me.

[Guest guest]

I am not going to tell you what you want to hear. I have had chronic

pancreatitis since an ERCP in 1996, I have 2 congential defects of

my pancreas plus SOD, I started out with waking in the night with

pain and sometimes vomiting, went to see the surgeon that diagnosed

the defect (visualized during an open gallbladder removal) it was

far beyond his relm and sent me to IU med center. I had an ERCP,

woke up with pancreatitis, and another defect found plus SOD, I have

had pancreatitis since then. I have said before that there are

degrees of pain, I am in pain almost 24 hours a day. I have an

intrathecal pump which has helped amazingly, and I still use

breakthroug pain medication, I am much better since the pump was

placed. I am so sorry that you have had to indure such a bad disease.

Atwell LPN

[Guest guest]

Dear Holly,

It's nice to get to know another South Carolian, once removed! I,

too, am a native New Yorker, living in SC. I live in Bluffton, which

is down on the coast next to Hilton Head Island and Savannah.

I've been down here for 37 years, though, and by some am still

considered a " Yankee " .....go figure!

I just wanted to reasssure you that it's highly doubtful that you

would get " addicted " to your pain meds if you're using them

appropriately for relief from pancreatic pain. While some

patients that take daily narcotics can eventually build up a

tolerance to their medication, this is quite different than

addiction. I, for example, take Oxycodone for breakthrough pain

while wearing a duragesic patch. If the pain is there, I'll take a

pill, but if it's not, I don't. I can go for a week or more of good

days and never need any additional narcotics at all. This month

has been a good one for me, and I've only used a third of the

medication that was prescribed. In other words, I'm not taking

the alloted amount of medication for each day. If I were addicted,

I'd have to take that Oxycodone every day to satisfy an addiction.

So if your doctor's prescribed it for you, and you are in severe

enough pain to need the relief, don't worry about taking it. It's

better to catch the pain early than get caught in a cycle where

you're trying to medicate too late, and then not able to get

adequate coverage.

Sweet tea is another one of those staples in the southern diet. I

learned how to make the sun tea when I lived in Arizona. We'd

put a gallon of water with the tea bags out on our patio in the

morning, and have great tea by dinnertime. Chrissy's reminder

to drink plenty of water was advice we've learned because it's

very important to keep the pancreas well hydrated, and water is

the best method of making sure that proper hydration is

achieved. It's recommended that we drink about 68 ounces of

water a day, this would be in addition to any soft drinks, juices or

other beverages you would drink daily.

Please let us know if there's any other ways we could help you.

Think good thoughts,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina

SC & SE Regional Rep.

PAI

Note: All comments or advice are based on personal experience

or opinion, and should not be substituted for consultation with a

medical professional.