Estrogen and Pancreatitis??

[Guest guest]

Just a quick question for you all...do you think there's a direct

connection between taking estrogen replacement therapy and it

affecting (obviously adversely) the pancreas and maybe contributing

to this increase I'm having lately in pain and attacks? I've been

on estrogen (estradiol) since 10/01 (total hysterectomy) and I've

heard a few say that they think there's a connection. In other

words, I'm now so afraid that I'm not taking it tonight and I won't

until I get a good concensus from those of you that either think yes

or no. Please let me know...I'm trying to ANYTHING to avoid what I

just went thru again. Thanks!

[Guest guest]

Hi ! Long time no talk! I haven't had the time to post to the

boards in a while, but have read them. When I first started having

symptoms of CP, my doc found I had an ovarian cyst. She thought

that might be what was causing the rise in the amylase. I have had

cysts before and had surgeries to remove them. Not knowing anything

about CP and being extremely ill, I just went along with the docs

suggestions to have the cyst removed. After the surgery they gave

me 6 weeks to " heal " from it, to see if that had any influence in my

amylase. Through this time I was getting sicker and sicker, and

lost about 20 pounds. Finally they decided to send me to a

pancreatologist. I went through all the tests, surgeries, stints,

ect. for CP. About a year later after I was diagnosed and treated

with pain meds and enzymes, I got another cyst on my ovary. (I had

only one due to the other surgeries I had because one cyst had burst

on my other ovary.) They decided to due a hysterectomy. The doc

thought he would give me a chance without HRT to see if it would

affect my symptoms with CP. For a while there I thought that it was

helping (about a week), but now I wonder if it didn't have something

to do with the meds and anesthesia they gave me with the surgery??

Anyhow my CP remains as it was before the surgery. Things affect

people differently, so I know my experience might not even help you,

but you seem pretty scared and determined to relieve your fears and

hopefully the pain. I know when you read other's stories it helps

you to make decisions to have a better quality of life. I did want

to mention something my doctor said that might be very important. I

was a little afraid to take HRT because of the affect it would have

on my pancreas. You just never know what will come up in news about

medicines and how they influence a person's body, you know? He told

me that the HRT patches would be better for me because of the " first

pass " I think he called it. When you digest something it makes it

run through the stomach, gets the juices flowing, hence the pancreas

starts working, and makes a pass through the liver. With the

patches they absorb directly into the blood stream. (He also said I

should only use the natural hormone, not the one from horses. Can't

think of the name of that one.) I'm not sure if you are using the

patches or not, but it may be worth a shot to try them. Another

thing I wanted to mention to you, if you have the time or interest,

is to do research on what hormones do to influence your body. I

spent a couple months researching, however, I can only remember bits

and pieces of the information. (My memory has been horrible since I

had all those surgeries and the meds I'm on now!) I do remember

thinking that it would be better to try and mimic the hormones I had

lost because the role it plays in your body. There is something to

do with an organ? in your brain, the pituatary gland, and even the

pancreas itself.

Here is one link to get you started:

http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/micro/gallery/hormones/hormone.html

(I just did a search and glanced at it a little.)

I had never realized the intracasies (sp?) of the body. We studied

cells and the like in school, but there is so much more! It maybe

also that your body is telling you the estrogen you are in isn't in

balance with what your body needs, also. I really believe that your

body alarms you about things, too, so maybe it would be worth a shot

to try a different dosage or brand. Lastly, I wanted to encourage

you because so far from what I have experienced with CP is I have

had " spells " like you are mentioning where you are feeling worse

than before and I was scared to death. What is going on with my

body? Should I go back to the docs? It scared me to think of

having more surgeries, more medicines, ect. Just not knowing what

to expect is frightening. What I found out, and my doctor always

tells me, is that I have " spells " of better days or worse ones.

Seems like just when you think you can't take the worse ones any

more, your body gives you relief. Or when you have so many good

days, you wonder if you even have CP any more, and then it lets you

know you do! This might just be one of those bad spells and has

nothing to do with your estrogen. Hang in there! We all know what

you are going through and are here for you. I am learning when fear

begins to creep in, I rent some comedies, or dramas where they

struggle and win in the end. Sometimes my husband will read to me,

anything to get your mind off the fears. If you like to read, I

have found a great author that writes to where I can't even put the

book down all day long, and the books are pretty thick. (What else

have we got to do, when all you can do is lay there because you

don't feel good, right?!!) Her name is Francine Rivers. If you can

keep a stock of good books around, so when you are feeling down,

they are readily available. When you don't feel well, it is hard to

go shopping for books. One time I sent my husband on a book

mission....awful decision! Anyway before I write my own book here,

I hope you will be feeling well soon!