Pancreatitis - Diet to be followed after recovery

Yes - I had diarrhea for about 10 days before my attack of acute pancreatitis. It was yellow water that came without warning and without pain. I had no hunger for several days and then the attack. My attack only lasted one day. They don't know what caused it. I also continued to have diarrhea for about a week following.

Now, I still have diarrhea every morning. Every single day after breakfast, I cramp, pain under the left ribs and along my left side and then diarrhea.

For two years now, I have suffered from pain under my left ribs and down my left side (sometimes in the back under the ribs, too). I have had test after test and nothing comes back abnormal. I really am beginning to think it is chronic inflammation of my pancreas. I don't know how to confirm that is the case, though. And if it is, what do I do about it?

This is so frustrating...

I am a clinical pharmacist and also had pancreatitis in Dec. 08. Don't know why, but I do drink wine. And under stress lately, maybe too much. But knowing the cause is difficult sometimes. However, it is in the medical literature that oral estrogens, like in birth control pills, can cause gall bladder problems, and gall bladder is the #1 reason for pancreatitis. So there has to be a link between BC pills and pancreatitis. There are several drugs listed that can cause pancreatitis. I don't remember if BC pills are listed, but it only makes sense. If they affect the gall bladder negatively, and that's the top reason for pancreatitis.....

If you ever had gallbladder issues this can cause pancreatitis if it was removed. I have chronic pancreatitis that is becoming increasingly painful and my prognosis is not good. Please be aware that the more attacks you have the more damage that is being done to the pancreas I checked out the website for the national pancreatic foundation and found it very useful.

If you are suffering from Chronic Pancreatitis you should avoid ALL alchol use. There is alot of supporting research that Alchol can KILL a person that has chronic pancreatitis, I have been suffering with this since I had my gallbladder out 10 years ago. Because with every attack you do more damage to the pancreas you definetly want to avoid to many attacks. Mine is beyond help and my prognosis is bad because I have alot of damage. I have EUS's done every six months to ensure that it isn't so bad that I will have to have the surgery that requires them to remove the damaged part which leaves you insulin dependant for the rest of your life and increases your risk for kidney disease and pancreatic cancer. Please heed your doctors advise when they tell you not to drink at all.

I have been told that I have pancreatitis caused by my gallbladder. I cannot have my gallbladder removed until my pancreas heals. So far I have been home from the hospital for 4 weeks, it is healing but still some fluid in front, so waiting another 6 weeks before the next dr apt. I have been told to eat frequent lowfat small meals. I have difficulty in the morning with feelings of nausea and discomfort, and so far toast is the only thing that doesn't bother me. For lunch or dinner, the following foods work well for me. Campbell's chicken noodle soup with a few oyster crackers (small soup crackers). I have eaten this almost every day and feel better almost immediately. Even when I don't really want it, it still makes me feel better. Also, cook some chicken tenders in a skillet with water and turn over once. You can cook these frozen. Then add any noodle or rice package, box, or sauce that sounds good to you but omit butter. The Lipton's packages are now called Knorr and they are okay. Even healthier cook brown rice, original not instant. You can keep in the frig for different meals. I like Lawry's sauces to put on the chicken with water and veggies. My favorite is Sesame Ginger. Teryaki is good too. 1/3 bottle is enough for 3 or 4 servings of chicken. Then serve the chicken dish over the rice. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers. I have no problem eating chicken and rice/noodles. Too many veggies gives me gas. Lean cuisines with chicken seem to be okay for me. I like the fettucini alfredo with chicken and broccoli. I can eat fruit also, primarily apples and oranges, although my aunt said her doctor said not to. I really enjoy oranges and think of them as dessert. I also eat low-fat yogurt and low fat cheese sometimes on toast or bake potato. You can cook potatoes in water in the microwave, tear off the skins, mash with a fork, add fat-free sour cream, smart balance margarine, fat-free milk, low fat cheese in moderation, and mash. My son helps me eat this up.
My solution to pain is to try phenergan + gas-x + Alleve. If it doesn't let up in 30 min or is severe, I have pain med which makes me sleepy.
CT scan will show if your pancreas is healing or better since the last time.
Ultrasound of your gallbladder will show it more clearly and show any stones. Unfortunately a low fat diet can cause stones. But I have learned that I cannot eat a diet with fat, especially a full American breakfast, without having a gallbladder attack. If we lived in Asia, we would be use to eating rice for breakfast. I haven't tried this yet. I met one person that said she lived on cereal. I forgot to ask her what kind because my bran cereal bothers me. I don't feel well after oatmeal either. I feel like I have morning sickness most mornings until I finally have the Campbell's chicken noodle soup.

wow my daughter had a choledochal cyst. had it removed and still in pain. what's your age? and did they remove the cyst? my daughter is 38 she hadf it removed 2 yrs. ago. I now have pancreatitis this is my 3rd hospital stay in 3 years. I just want to avoid it ever happening again. I am always wondering what caused it. yours is caused by the ercp. hopefully you dont ever have to have another one. God bless u and health be with u also. starwings (Renee)

I have been suffering for 3 1/2 weeks iwith my first "gastroenterological episode" as the "doctors" are calling it. I had an endoscopy today and there is nothing wrong with my stomach. I have a burning in my upper abdominal area right in the "triangle" of your rib cage at the base of my sternum that gets worse at night and after eating. I have no symptoms in the morning when my stomach is empty. I am living off of Sprite, honey-nut cheerios, crackers, bread, etc. I'm 5' 4" and now weigh 115 lbs. (I've lost 8.) My gastroent. put me on Reglan today to speed up my digestive process. Curiously, I was about 4 weeks late on my period and finally started right in the middle of all this mess. I do have high cholesterol at 257. What could be the link between all this? I am going to a different GE on Friday and MAKE them look at my pancreas.

i cant beleive the people that have this i got pancritus in oct of 08 was hospitalized 2 mths had surgery removed part of my pancritus, gallbladder, had cycst. have been hospitalized 2 times since, feel like im going crazy sometimes, will it ever stop. the tips on eating i will have to try. i havent had a drop to drink since oct. just getting home from last one still in pain. especially after i eat. maybe one day someone will find a final cure so we dont have all these so called flare ups... god bless u all and good luck...

The message in this blog was very helpful. in my case my daughter is the one attacked with this evil disease name pancreatitus. I hope she will grow out of it. The repeated epesod of pancreatitus scares me because it is 5 times she Hospitalized with this disease, i am so afraid because there is no answer what the cause of this in her case. i just search by my self certain things like food ingridient like seasoning, bread crump, cookies and candy. I always try fo find what she eat before she gets sick. The very furstrating thing is i can't identify the ingridient that make her sick becaue the seasoning has a lot of ingredient so i ended up not giving her the whole bread crump,candy or cookies. In my daughter case i am thinking there is some food alergy to her sadly i couldn't figure out. Any way i will try my best to keep my daughter safe.

OMG..I have been thinking thee exact same thing, every time I have my period my pancreas flairs, both times I was hospitalized for it, I was on my period.the stupid Doctor in my last hospital stay accused me of drinking alcohol, I was like hey! I haven't drank in over 4 yrs, FIX ME!

both times I was hospitalized for inflammation to my pancreas, I was on my period. even b4 the last hospitalization last month, I started to question it, b/c every month on my period, my stomach would act up and I could feel my pancreas swelling, then BAM, in the hospital. as I sit here right now, a month later, on my period, my side is tender and I can feel the cramping in my abdomen starting just like b4. One problem with relating to you others, I am not on birth control at all, but I KNOW that I KNOW it's some how linked to my period, I have horrible periods, every symptom is extreme, to the point of during the 3 days b4 I start I cant even function b/c of the headache and fatigue.

Taking Birth Control pill can be a problem as in most of the s\case it always cause you some side effects...

Has any of your doctors consider this to be an issue? I don't know that much about pancreas inflammation, but if this is really related with BC and all of you are experiencing it, there has to be some kind of treatment. Or the only solution is to stop taking the birth controls?

I am just home from 3 acute pancreatitis episodes in 6 weeks. My first one was Memorial Day. But this last one was after a day of drinking PowerAid. I noticed that someone else had an episode after drinking this. I work outside and have been drinking alot of it. How about it? Anyone else finding that connection in their life?

Also, does heavy lifting bring it on?

Kristeneleigh:

YES, I have the same problem also!

On drugs that can cause pancreatitis, estrogen is listed. However, like you, I am not on birth control pills...however, I went on them last year for 3 months and had pancreatitis twice during the last two months on my period. There IS a link.

I am currently having a pancreatitis attack, and it is around that time of the month.

Have you thought of getting your hormones tested?