Necrotizing Pancreatitis from ERCP

[Guest guest]

Hi, Everyone!

I am trying to stay up-to-date on your conditions. Has anyone had

surgery to treat pseudocysts?

The surgeon is anticipating putting a permanent drain between the

pseudocyst and into the stomach. The second cyst near the intestine

seems to be a riskier problem.

If anyone has had surgery of this sort, I'd be grateful to hear your

story.

Also ... since the pancreas is dead tissue now (except for a piece of

the head), will it still emit destructive enzymes?

I learned something interesting the other day .... Barry is taking

Lipram to help digest food. Turns out you must take this capsule

with or preferably after a meal when there is food in the stomach.

If the granules from the capsule get into the mouth, they start

digesting whatever they come into contact with - your mouth or an

empty stomach.

One more thing .... I am reading about people having ERCPs. Aren't

they afraid of developing a worse condition? I know this doesn't

happen to everyone and my husband was one of the few - but anytime we

see those four letters " ERCP " we cringe at what this procedure has

done. I understand when you're suffering, you must do what you can

to cease the pain (and I am just learning about different techniques

out there) ... I just worry if it isn't the cause of more pain to

people.

Beth

[Guest guest]

Beth,

Sorry I can't help you with personal experience of this drainage

procedure. I've heard of it being done, and successfully, but

didn't have it done myself. What they did with my largest

pseudocyst two years ago is partially drain it with a CT-guided

fine needle aspiration. It was successful in the fact that the

pseudocyst resolved to less than 2 cm. within 18 months. The

only drawback to any drainage is that the pseudocysts can fill

back up again with an acute attack, which is exactly what both of

mine did.

This happened when I went through pancreas burn-out, those

darned pseudocysts sucked up all the amylase, lipase, and

insulin so there was nothing left but the pseudocysts and a

non-functioning pancreas. I'm not quite sure what you mean by

" destructive enzymes " . If you could clarify that I might have an

answer. I do know that the only pain I have remaining is from the

pseudocysts, not the pancreas itself. It is hard to explain, but

very different from the pancreatic pain that I used to feel before.

The all over pain that radiated to the back is gone, the tight

binding pain underneath the rib cage is gone. This is different.

Lipram is the generic version of Ultrace, a pancreatic enzyme

supplement. Nearly all of us are taking them. I'm surprised that

Barry's doctor didn't prescribe these sooner. They should help

him a lot with his digestion problems.

Fortunately I'm not an ERCP'er...never have been and there's no

need now, so I consider myself lucky.

With hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina

SE & SW Regional Rep.

PAI, Intl.

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

should not be substituted for professiona

> Also ... since the pancreas is dead tissue now (except for a

piece of the head), will it still emit destructive enzymes?

Barry is taking Lipram to help digest food.

I am reading about people having ERCPs. Aren't

they afraid of developing a worse condition?

Beth

[Guest guest]

Hi, Heidi! I appreciate your response!

I have heard of pseudocysts refilling (sorry to hear yours did

that).

>>>> Heidi's question: " I'm not quite sure what you mean

by 'destructive enzymes'. If you could clarify that I might have an

answer. " <<<<<

By destructive enzymes, I mean the enzymes that the pancreas emitted

that " ate " itself. If these enzymes get out of their sacs, they will

digest anything they can find. Just curious if a necrosed pancreas

will still emit such enzymes - if it's dead tissue, you'd think no

more enzymes to worry about (?????).

>>>> Heidi's response on the Lipram: " I'm surprised that Barry's

doctor didn't prescribe these sooner. They should help him a lot

with his digestion problems. " <<<<<

Barry just started real food this week. He'd been on TPN and then a

pick line and then sent home with nasal feeding tube directly into

the small intestine (over the course of 2 months). So these capsules

for digestion are new to us. I didn't realize how powerful their

digestive nature are.

Just received word this morning an endoscopic sonogram is scheduled

in two weeks. Time will tell ...

Thanks, Heidi, for your insight and input!!!

Warmly, Beth

>