Chronic Pancreatitis

Question: Where can I find a doctor specializing in Chronic Pancreatitis in New York City? Looking for a gastroenterologist that specializes in Chronic Pancreatitis or pancreatic diseases, who is known to be an "expert" in this field. If you also know of someone in New Jersey or Pennsylvania, that would be great too.

Answer: There is a directory called "Best Doctors in New York." They should have it listed. Also, you might want to google 'doctors, new york city, pancreatic specialists.'

Question: Does anyone know if chronic pancreatitis can cause your abdomen to be itchy in the upper right side.? I know chronic pancreatitis causes abdominal pain in the upper right side, but I have been experiencing itchiness there too. I'm just wondering if anyone knows what causes this, is it normal, or if anyone else has the same problem. Any info would be most helpful. Thanks!!

Answer: what you may be describing is a part of referred pains. the major nerve called the celiac plexus runs through the pancreas and up to the skin. itching is an experience through the nerves.one other thought, is if your liver enzymes are elevated, then an entire body itchiness may occur.i run a webgroup called http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/sphincterofoddi_pancreatitis you may wish to come and join.we have over 230 members who experience what you describe. plus, you can come and share and learn from other sufferers. in the meantime, try some plain benadryl cream (generic name diphenydramine) for the itching.goodluck ;)michele

Question: Is there a connection between chronic pancreatitis and high cholesterol? I have chronic pancreatitis. I am not an alcoholic. My surgeon believes that I was born with this condition, I am 45 yrs. old and I just found out last year. I am controlling the pain, by being on a very low fat diet, and so far it is working. I have had one major attack after my ercp last July. Horrible... My surgeon was going to operate(the whipple surgery) but after I had a horrible drug interaction(from drugs my home town hospital administered during my pancreatic attack) he changed his mind and does not want to operate. My question arises as I am on a low fat diet (usually under 25 grams of total fat in a day) My family doctor did bloodwork and tells me I have high cholesterol. I am to watch my fats and carbohydrates. I don't see how my cholesterol can be high, when I probably have never eaten healthier in my life. That is why I want to know if somehow chronic pancreatitis can cause high cholesterol? Thanks so much for feed back. bak

Answer: Just want you to keep in mind that cholesterol is a substance that your body produces naturally. You don't need to ingest it to have it circulating in your blood. Chronic pancreatitis can cause a number of complications, but high cholesterol isn't one of them. You may need an extra hand in the form of a medication to lower your serum cholesterol. Make sure your doctor is aware of how hard you've been working to reduce your fat/carb intake.

Question: does it take a dog longer to get back to normal after a chronic pancreatitis attack over an accute attack? ive heard that it takes longer to get over a bout of chronic flare-up than a one-time acute case...is this true in dogs?

Answer: Chronic pancreatitis is the #1 cause of diabetes, so I guess in a way they may never recover. Acute is sudden onset and if it is going to be resolved, it is usually resolved very quickly if prompt and proper medical care is given. Chronic pancreatitis is usually caused by pancreatic insufficiency (the pancreas is not creating enough digestive enzymes), repeated toxic ingestion, or ingestion of foods rich in fats or sugars.

Question: My co-brother is suffering from chronic pancreatitis. Any cure in Ayurvedic medicine? He is just 42 years old. He gets pain in abdomen frequently. After ERCP test, doctors found that he has chronic pancreatitis. Can it be cured permanently by Ayurvedic Medicine? Please advise, if we can go to Baba Ramdev for the cure.

Answer: You should be contacting a licensed professional to help you with major life problems like that. Keep Hope Alive!

Question: does chronic pancreatitis in dogs mean that the pancreas is always inflamed? and does it mean that the dog is constantly in pain? or does the inflammation only happen when there are acute attacks?

Answer: No it does not mean it is always inflamed. Chronic means it can and most likely will happen again. When it flares up again then the pancreas is inflamed and is painful. A vet should see your dog immediately when this happens. Otherwise your dog is not in any pain.

Question: Has anyone had a permanent feeding tube inserted to treat chronic pancreatitis and diabetes? My father has lost down to 106 lbs and been told by the doctor there is no way he can absorb enough food even with taking enzymes. They're looking at options for feeding tubes so when he gets out of the hospital he can maintain somewhat of a normal life without continuing to lose weight. I'm looking for anyone who has experienced something similar. Thank you. Does the tube have to be permanent? Is there a way he can hook up as needed, but still be active during the day? He's only 54 and has a huge zest for life, so will NOT be bed-ridden. Our doctor is currently exploring all options and we're hopeful there will be a solution that will allow him to maintain his activity, but still get the nourshment needed. possible?

Answer: Being your dad has lost so much weight, a permanent feeding tube is an option. The reason is because there is a tube feeding formulation that is elemental which means that the nutrition is already broken down into a form that he can readily absorb. In other words, basic amino acids, sugars, vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids that do not require pancreatic enzymes are introduced into his gut and is absorbed immediately. What I don't know is if there is a diabetic formulation. Even if there isn't one, the diabetes can be controlled with insulin. The stuff taste nasty and not palatable so drinking it is not possible. Whenever I recommend a feed tube, I always ask the question to the patient and family, is he going to have any semblance or quality of life. If we are simply inserting a feed tube so that he can reside in a bed with little or no quality of life, then why are we doing it? Additional questions that I have are what are the expectations and goals for him and how will this feeding tube help accomplish this. Is our hope that he gets stronger and be able to get back to some sembalance of life? Is it a realistic goal given his current physical state and medical problems? Unfortunately, I suspect there are more medical things going on then simply chronic pancreatitis and diabetes. He probably has chronic pain. How is his liver and kidneys? Does you father concur with this treatment plan? If our goals and hopes are realistic and if your father concurs, then a feeding tube is appropiate. I realize that feeding a loved one is a way to show love. I remember hand feeding by son when he was 1.5 years old apple sauce and the mess we made. Many holidays and celebrations revolve around food and feasting. In some situations, not inserting a feeding tube and not feeding him is also an option. And it does not mean you love him any less. Sometimes, the greatest show of love is being able to let go. It is much harder to not use a feeding tube once it has been inserted then not putting one in the first place. I may be wrong about you dad's prognosis and probably not the best thing to talk about on Father's day but I want to be very clear on the ramifications of a feeding tube. Typically, feeding tubes are not permanent depending on the type they are putting in. The tube either goes into there stomach or small intestines and these tubes are fairly easy to pull out. The tube itself can last a long time in a patient and if need be replaced. The tube (the part that is sticking out of the abdominal wall) typically is about 1 foot long, is capped when not in use and is fairly easy to hide in clothing. In term of feeding schedules, he does not need to be continuously hooked up to the tube feed. The connecting parts are fairly easy to manipulate. The main thing is that he gets adequate number of calories. And secondarily, if we give a large amount of feeding is he able to absorb a majority of it. The feeding schedule can be #1 continuous like over a 12-16 hr period. Say like when he is sleep. The benefit is a slower rate of feeding like 50-60cc/hr and easier absorption of the formula. #2 bolus feeding: say every 6 hrs you push in a larger quantity of feeding. The only problem with the latter is that he may not be able to completely absorb a large bolus. #3 A combination of #1 and #2. The key here is that he gets enough calories. You can easily tell if he is not absorbing the formula completely ie giving him too much too fast by how much diarrhea he has.

Question: How long do you stay in remission with Chronic Pancreatitis,Crohn's,and Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis?

Answer: Impossible to answer as its an individual thing for everyone.

Question: I sufffer with chronic pancreatitis, and alsoacute pancreatitis, there is dense bone calcification on the tail there is dense bone calcification on the tail end of my pancreas, can someone recommend a cure for my condition, i dont consume alcohol, and my pancreas is cery painful. Will somebody out ther please help me!

Answer: my mother of 85 years suffers from this. i don't understand it but want to know more. thanks for asking here. i will be watching for some wise-head to clear it up. been intending to do some searches on this. again, thanks for posting the question before i did.

Question: I need help! I have chronic pancreatitis,I am on fentanyl has any 1 been on anything else that works for pain? i need something else to work along with the patch(50) due to it does not last 3 days. I have had pancreatitis for 9 yrs. my last resort is to have half it out. Has anyone had half their pancreas out?

Answer: you need to go get some ininospartsin .... from your dr. it helps so much...you will get over this.

Question: Chronic Pancreatitis? I have a mild constant pain in my abdomen about an inch or so above my belly button. Sometimes feel it on my side. Im 28 drink about once a week. Doesnt seem to be exasterbated by food or alcohol but also not relieved by food. Does this sound like chronic pancreatitis? Not a debilitating pain, just an annoying constant pain. No weight loss.

Answer: NO, I had suspected pancreatitis and my brother suffers from it, and it causes a LOT of pain, in that you would need tp go hospital and so forth. and it is caused by heavy drinking over a significant period of time. I dont know what could be wrong with you, but I really dont think it is pancreatitus. go to the NHS direct website, it has a very useful self diagnose diagram thingy. hope you get well soon.

Question: I have chronic pancreatitis and Iwould like to know about cases of disbility? I want to know if Ican get apply for social securitydue to pain and vomiting.

Answer: You need good documentation of the illness so you need to be seeing a doc regularly and you need proof that you can't work because of it. Also they may deny you the first and maybe even second times but keep appealing, it eventually pays off and you'll get back pay from the inital time you applied.

Question: Is there a forum or bulletin board for people with chronic pancreatitis?

Answer: Sure, go to http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/pan… for a free group.

Question: How many drinks per day and how many years of that amount would it take to develop chronic pancreatitis?

Answer: Although it is a proven FACT that alcohol ABUSE causes pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis has many other causes. In almost 11 years of dealing with chronic pancreatitis I met one person whose disease was a result of alcohol abuse. That said I am curious what your motivation for the question would be. Do you think that you have damaged your pancreas? I don't believe that anyone will be able to give you an accurate number of drinks here. You will find that there are few people who have adequate information about pancreatitis and the others are like every thing else ask a question and even if they don't really know the answer they will make up something to sound good to them, when in reality it is not true, nor even senseable. The previous poster mentioned something about the liver, which is inaccurate. It is possible to have liver damage from years and years of alcohol abuse, I don't think that is the same with pancreatitis. I think the problems beings with the pancreas, and then a person finds out years later that they have cirrohosis of the liver ( scar tissue developed in the liver) Best thing I can tell you, if your abusing alcohol and worried about pancreatitis... STOP DRINKING. If you have been told you have pancreatitis your not alone there are many support groups available for people with this disease. There is no CURE for pancreatitis and symptom control can be very challenging, there are treatments available. Newer surgical techniques that offer people hope where there once was none. See the links below. http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Tot… http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/The… http://www.diabetesinstitute.org/diabins… Good luck to you hope this helps you.

Question: How long can someone with Chronic Pancreatitis live for? I read all the treatment option but no timeline was given

Answer: If they mend their ways and take their pancreatic enzyme, there is no real reason why they should die any earlier than you or I. The real issue is predominantly the people with chronic pancreatitis from alcohol abuse. These are the people who find it hardest to stop the triggering factor(s) - yes it is hard to break a habit you have had for a lifetime, even if it means your life is on the line - and they come in again and again with pancreatitis and eventually liver disease. This shortens their life expectency as they tend to die of: bleeding oesophageal varices liver failure - hepatic encephalopathy hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer) The pancreatitis patients who have had duct stenosis or gallstones or whatever tend to do much better. Sometimes they need a bit of extra surgery - a stent to let things flow through blocked passages or whatever - but they are usually much more motivated and compliant people. They do what the doctor says and they live longer :)

Question: How is chronic pancreatitis diagnosed please read details? A previous question of mine regarding abdominal pain resulted in a suggestion that the pancreas could be involved, thanks to Suzan K. I did some research and there was a medicine I took a while ago that has been linked to pancreas problems. What kind of doctor should I see? Would I go to an internist? How can they determine what's going on with my pancreas? Just for the sake of info, my digestive system has been examined from every possible direction, more than once, and my gall bladder was removed a couple of years ago. I'm still having the same pain and it's seriously interfering with my life. Advice? Suggestions?

Answer: I have CP (chronic pancreatitis). Another person (neverkn) gave you some symptoms from a website, that appear to be accurate. Pain from CP is very severe, but it is not abdominal, it is higher up and on the right side. For women, the pain is just under the right breast. I see a gastroenterologist, because I have a host of digestive problems. If it is your pancreas, they can diagnose it with a blood tests, looking at your amylase levels. They also would do a CAT scan. You also vomit a lot, can't eat and lose weight in addition to the pain. You might want to check a website called The Pancreatitis Place.