ERCP

[Guest guest]

I have just come home after a week long stay at s Hopkins for an ERCP.

I feel very fortunate to have found a wonderful doctor, who is also

associated with such a prestigious hospital. This is my second ERCP, the

first one being around 14 months ago, when I was finally diagnosed with CP.

My pain had been getting worse in the past few months, so he suggested

another ERCP. When he got in there, he said my pancreatic duct had alot of

scar tissue causing a partial blockage. He placed another stent, after

performing another spincterotomy. Unfortunately, somewhere along during the

procedure, my duodenum got perforated. I then got to experience having a

tube placed through my nose into my stomach, which periodically " pumped " my

stomach. After performing the CT Scan and an Upper GI, they determined that

the tear was small enough that it had closed on it's own. But I got to

experience a whole new level of pain. Thank God for morphine! Every single

nurse and doctor who took care of me did so with a compassion and concern

unlike any I had experienced up until then. I spent a week at the hospital,

and feel pretty good since I have been home. In fact I am back at work

today. I also read where someone was not weaned off of the morphine and

sent home with only Hydrocodone. Thankfully, they weaned me off properly

and sent me home with oxycontin and oxycodone. The dose is about three

times the amount I was initially taking, but they have me slowly weaning

down from that too. I am really hoping that this might be me turning the

corner on living in daily pain.

Hope everyone is having a pain free day, and happy thoughts!

Robin

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[Guest guest]

Robin,

I'm so sorry you've been having such a terrible time with

pain. I sure hope that things start getting better for you

with this new stent. Let us know what you decide to do,

plexus block or whipple. And if you decide on the whipple,

let us know where to send cards. You'll be in my prayers

that thing work out for you. I wish there was more I could

do for you and all the rest of us in this group.

Kimber

--

Kimber

Vallejo, CA

hominid2@...

Note: All advice given is personal opinion, not equal to

that of a licensed physician or health care professional.

[Guest guest]

>>>>I have just come home after a week long stay at s Hopkins for

an ERCP.I feel very fortunate to have found a wonderful doctor, who

is alsoassociated with such a prestigious hospital. This is my

second ERCP, the first one being around 14 months ago, when I was

finally diagnosed with CP.My pain had been getting worse in the past

few months, so he suggested another ERCP. When he got in there, he

said my pancreatic duct had alot of scar tissue causing a partial

blockage. He placed another stent, after performing another

spincterotomy<<<<<

Hi Robin, so glad you did not have a rougher time after your

ERCP...your GI MD is so good that even when he does something he did

not mean too, he is still better than a MD not well trained doing an

ERCP!! I have a question for you. I had my pancreatic duct cut

(spincterotomy)in January 2002. I have been having increasing pain

under my right rib cage, almost like a spasm of some sort. Last week

it would not let up even with my oral Dilaudid so I had to go to the

ER. I ended up getting admitted for 4 days for pain control. My

potassium was low, amylase slightly elevated, and my hemoglobin was

back down to 9.0...again (occurred In February of this year too).

What type of pain were you having since it was caused by the

pancreatic duct scar tissue...I think I have the same problem. I also

had a bile duct sphincter in 1992. (All of my pancreatic problems

started after the removal of my gallbladder via scope in Feb 1992).I

feel the pain creeping back again the last 2 days.My GI doctor and I

had a " fight " of sorts last year because he liked to blame my

abdominal pain on my pain medicine, even when I was NOT on any pain

meds! Luckily my primary MD does my pain control. I will have to go

to another GI doc within my insurance system...so I am not anxious

for another ERCP (I have had 8 since 1992, all by the same GI doc).

The GI doc that I don't see anymore was excellent at doing ERCP's,

but he and I just don't see eye to eye on the importance of pain

management. I don't think he wants to see me anymore since I stood up

for myself...he is very high and mighty and frankly I think he was

upset that I still had pain even after his multiple pancreatic

stents, etc. Anyway, I would like to know what your signs and

symptoms were prior to your last ERCP? We are going away for the

weekend so I will not be able to respond back to you till Monday or

Tuesday. Hopefully I don't ruin the trip by having increased pain!!

Thanks and Take Care, Debbie in So. CA

[Guest guest]

Beth,

You wrote, " His pancreas was traumatized during a routine ERCP " , What caused

him to have a routine ERCP? He didn't have Pancreatitis before?

Karyn E. , RN,

Exec. Director, PAI

*http://www.pancassociation.org

[Guest guest]

Good afternoon, Karyn!

Barry (my husband) had an ERCP done in April because his blood test

showed some elevated liver enzymes. The doctor felt he could have a

blocked duct. So, they decided to do an ERCP. We had no worries

whatsoever because this is a routine procedure - so we thought.

Before the test, the doctor warned us 5% of patients will develop

pancreatitis from the test. Five percent didn't seem like anything

to worry about. AND usually pancreatitis from ERCPs resolves in a

matter of days.

Turned out, he does not have any blocked ducts (yeah!). Gallbladder

is good .... everything turned out great. EXCEPT ... four hours

later he experienced - what we now know - an acute pancreatic

attack ... which turned into necrotizing pancreatitis. The surgeons

told us Barry's case is 'unfortunate.'

Karyn ... the more reading I do, it almost seems as though Barry

endures less pain with dead tissue of a pancreas than what people

with live pancreases deal with. Could this be true? There is a tiny

portion on the head of the pancreas that is still viable tissue -

which seems to be keeping him from becoming diabetic (so far ... the

doctor needs to watch it).

It's possible the doctor forced an object too large into the

pancreatic duct while doing the ERCP ... maybe punctured the

pancreas ... we'll never know. Maybe it's just something that we

were meant to deal with.

Anyway, he's on a no fat to super low fat diet, taking enzymes, and

babying two pseudocysts that have developed due to the large amount

of enzymes released after the ERCP and digested the pancreas.

We're not sure what the future holds .... but we'll cross those roads

when we come to them. Right now, the surgeon says wait and see (the

fluid in the cysts is too thick).

Thanks for asking, Karyn! Any information you provide is greatly,

greatly appreciated!!!!

Warmly,

Beth

-- In pancreatitis , KarynWms@a... wrote:

> Beth,

>

> You wrote, " His pancreas was traumatized during a routine ERCP " ,

What caused

> him to have a routine ERCP? He didn't have Pancreatitis before?

>

>

> Karyn E. , RN,

> Exec. Director, PAI

> *http://www.pancassociation.org

>

>

>

>

>

>