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Gastroenterology (Expert Forum)
could this pancreatitis?
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could this pancreatitis?
by mckeymowse, Sep 14, 2002 12:00AM
I am a 35 yr old female with stomach discomfort for the past couple of yrs. the following are my symptoms and what tests my Dr has ordered without all the results.
every morning as soon as I get out of bed I am extremely nauseated and do vomit. whatever I ate yesterday makes a reappearence the next morning.
I am not in excurciating pain, but I am experiencing major discomfort in the pit area of my stomach, feels like someone is sqeezing it, and experience a stabbing pain on my left side shortly after eating, but this goes away as fast as it showed up. eating is not apealling to me these days and I have lost about 16 lbs in the past three or so months without trying. I do have very oily BM.
the liver enzyme tests show that I have an extreme elevation of LIPASE.
I have had endoscopy with biopsy and I do not have GERD( which is what my GP has been treating me as having)
I have also had GB ultrsound that was negative for stones or inflamation
and yesterday I had the abdominal CT with contrast
I do not see the Doctor again until the 30 of Sept. unless he calls to see me sooner. he has given me nothing for my discomfort or nausea. He seemed concerned about this elevated lipase but gave me zero information as to what where or why? I have looked and read what I can online, but not sure what I read.
any input into this would be greatly appreciated. thanks in advance Jodi aka mckeymowse
every morning as soon as I get out of bed I am extremely nauseated and do vomit. whatever I ate yesterday makes a reappearence the next morning.
I am not in excurciating pain, but I am experiencing major discomfort in the pit area of my stomach, feels like someone is sqeezing it, and experience a stabbing pain on my left side shortly after eating, but this goes away as fast as it showed up. eating is not apealling to me these days and I have lost about 16 lbs in the past three or so months without trying. I do have very oily BM.
the liver enzyme tests show that I have an extreme elevation of LIPASE.
I have had endoscopy with biopsy and I do not have GERD( which is what my GP has been treating me as having)
I have also had GB ultrsound that was negative for stones or inflamation
and yesterday I had the abdominal CT with contrast
I do not see the Doctor again until the 30 of Sept. unless he calls to see me sooner. he has given me nothing for my discomfort or nausea. He seemed concerned about this elevated lipase but gave me zero information as to what where or why? I have looked and read what I can online, but not sure what I read.
any input into this would be greatly appreciated. thanks in advance Jodi aka mckeymowse
From what you have already explained, it does sound as though chronic pancreatitis may be your problem. I have CP and experienced many of the same symptoms before I was diagnosed. I still have pain, but much of my problems are controlled by a low fat diet, enzyme supplements with meals and snacks, antioxidants and vitamins, and class II narcotics when my pain episodes are unmanageable. I've pasted some information from a research source below for you to review. Feel free to post again if you have any more questions.
What are the symptoms of chronic pancreatitis?
The symptoms are very variable.
Pain occurs in most patients at some stage of the disease. This may vary in intensity from mild to severe. It may last for hours or sometimes days at a time and may require strong painkillers to control it. It often radiates through to the back and can sometimes be relieved by crouching forward. It is commonly brought on by food consumption and so patients may be afraid to eat. It is also commonly severe through the night. The pain varies in nature, being gnawing, stabbing, aching or burning, but it tends to be constant and not to come and go in waves. It may sometimes burn itself out but can remain an ongoing problem.
The mechanism of the pain is unclear. It seems to be related to pancreatic activity since it is frequently caused by food, especially fatty or rich foods. Some patients will have obstruction to the small ducts in the pancreas by small stones, and this is thought to cause back pressure and destruction of the pancreas. There is no relationship between the severity of the pain and the severity of the pancreatic inflammation.
The pain is often difficult to diagnose and can be mistaken for pain caused by virtually any other condition arising from the abdomen or lower chest.
It can be difficult to distinguish pain caused by pancreatitis from pain caused by a peptic ulcer, irritable bowel syndrome, angina pectoris, gallstones.
Diabetes is also a common symptom which affects over half of all patients with long-standing chronic pancreatitis. Long-standing chronic inflammation results in scarring of the pancreas which destroys the specialised areas of the pancreas which produce insulin. Deficiency of insulin results in diabetes. Diabetes causes thirst, frequent urination and weight loss. It may be possible in the early stages of chronic pancreatitis to treat the diabetes with tablets, but in the late stage of chronic pancreatitis, insulin injections are usually needed.
Diarrhoea occurs in just under half of patients. Normally, all the fat in food is broken down by enzymes from the pancreas and small intestine, and the fat is then absorbed in the small bowel. With a reduced level of digestive enzymes the fat is not absorbed. When the fat reaches the large intestine, it is partially broken down by the bacteria in the colon. This produces substances which irritate the colon and result in diarrhoea. The undigested fat also traps water in the faeces, resulting in pale, bulky, greasy stools which are difficult to flush away. They may make the water in the toilet look oily, smell offensive and be associated with bad wind.
Weight loss occurs in virtually all patients with chronic pancreatitis. It is due to failure to absorb calories from food and diabetes may also contribute to this. In addition, patients may be afraid to eat because eating brings on the pain. Depression is also common in chronic pancreatitis and this can also reduce appetite and lead to weight loss.
Jaundice (when patients develop yellow eyes and skin) occurs in about a third of patients with chronic pancreatitis. It is usually due to damage to the common bile duct which drains bile from the liver to the duodenum. The common bile duct normally passes though the head of the pancreas. In long-standing chronic pancreatitis, the scarring in the head