You may have pancreatitis. People with chronic pancreatitis have pain that gets worse when they eat or drink ("nasuea. when I eat it's as though my stomach gets upset"). The pain of chronic pancreatitis spreads to their back or the pain might become constant and disabling ("I have been experiencing dull lower back pain"). Occasionally the abdominal pain goes away as the chronic pancreatitis advances because the pancreas is no longer making digestive enzymes. They also have nausea, vomiting, weight loss, and fatty stools which they sometimes can mistake as mucus in their stools ("I see mucous in my stool"). Chronic pancreatitis is long-standing inflammation of the pancreas that results in deterioration.
When the pancreatic digestive enzymes decrease, then, naturally, food will be inadequately absorbed which will result in malabsorption and bulky oily stools. Blood tests are not useful in diagnosing chronic pancreatitis; however, sometimes amylase and lipase are elevated. Also blood sugar might be elevated.
Abdominal x-rays and ultrasound might show stones in your pancreas. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) might show that you have a dilated or narrowed duct with stones.
Avoid alcohol. Avoid all food when you have pain so that you can rest your pancreas and intestine. Your doctor can order opioid pain medications to help relieve your pain. Other types of medicines used to relieve pain that are not opioids are: acetaminophen (Tylenol) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs) drugs (e.g. Motrin).
When you have no more pain after you have rested your pancreas then you should eat frequent, small, low fat, low protein, and high carbohydrate meals so that you can reduce the frequency and intensity of your nausea and painful flare-ups.
I hope this information is helpful for you.
Edited by morekare on March 6 2006 at 8:10pm
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