Re: pancreatitis attacks

[Guest guest]

Thanks lots as always. I had a bad bout of nausea and the big "D". When stools got firmer, they were very light colored which put a good ol scare in me. Had a pain in the middle of the chest. But, I did not have the severe pain as you describe.

Thanks again for your response and hang in there pal. My thoughts and prayers are there for you.

[Guest guest]

,

for me my pancreatitis attacks come with horrible pain under the right rib and

straight through to the back. The pain is the worst I've ever had to deal

with. Not all episodes come with level 10 pain, but most come with at least

8+ pain (and that's after taking oral pain meds). Often the episodes come

with severe nausea and vomiting. However, sometimes there's only nausea.

With a bad episode, I also have pain kind of in the middle of my abdomen -

just below my breasts and about 4-5 inches above my naval. I am almost always

tender all the way across my mid/upper abdomen - even at times when I don't

think I'm having much pain. The slightest touch of my abdomen can often sent

me off the table! The pain is a constant and sharp pain.

I hope you are not having problems with pancreas. It is not a fun illness to

deal with, but then neither is AIH. The bad thing is that both prednisone and

imuran can cause pancreatitis.

When I first began having attacks of acute pancreatitis in 2000, my amylase

and lipase (pancreas enzymes) elevated with most attacks. When the attacks

started back in July 2002, both the amylase and lipase were elevated with the

first few attacks I had. However, my amylase has not been elevated since

November 2002. My lipase elevates with about 25% of the attacks I have. A

lot of doctors insist my pain cannot be from pancreatitis if my pancreas

enzymes are not elevated. However, it is well documented that you actually

can have attacks of pancreatitis without pancreas enzyme elevations,

especially once you've had enough attacks that it has progressed to chronic

pancreatitis. I was diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis in June 2003.

Thankfully both my pcp and my GI/hepatologist absolutely believe that my

attacks of pancreatitis are both very real and very painful regardless of what

the lab work shows.

take care,

W

[Guest guest]

Thanks, -

I obviously need to do more research on this -- I have a feeling I

have had pancreatitis when my AIH has been flaring, but because I've

never had the bloodtests no one believes the symptoms I describe

(which you have pretty much done verbatim...) are pancreatitis.

Argh! But you're right. It's the worst pain ever. Like to the point

where I just want to curl into a ball and die... I feel terribly for

those of you who have it chronically ...

Shirl