I have experienced this. When we are out and I smell a restaurant or cooking here at home. My pancreas just starts to ache, down right throb at times. Does anyone ever have this or am I crazy??
Keri
Your definitely not crazy! I do the same thing. When I’m not feeling good and the pancreas is acting up just the smell of food and some other things sometimes makes it so much worse. It can drive you crazy, especially when the family is looking at you wondering whats for dinner and all you really want to do is avoid food at all costs. Haven’t found a way to cope with this except battle through somehow. If you come up with anything I’d be interested in finding out what it is.
hugs,
drea,
you definitely aren’t crazy. i have the same thing happen to me. i remember learning in biology class that the process of digestion begins before food even hits your stomach. when the cue of the sight or smell of food is sent to the brain it sends a message to the rest of the body that “hey, food is coming, get ready.” the smell makes your body think food is coming so it makes the body get ready by starting to produce digestive enzymes which in turn makes the pancreas work and causes pain. i think when we have a flare up and are starving but can’t eat it makes the body extra sensitive.
or maybe all of us ARE just crazy… 
Yep, I do feel a bit crazy sometimes… I find that I can’t face certain foods anymore… Like the thought of making chicken makes me sick… use to like it. I never know from day to day what will or will not make me “mentally ill” or physically cause pain. I guess this is our challenge-
Hugs to you,
Jackie
I am new to this forum and have enjoyed reading all the emails. I also get tired of chicken. I eat so much of it I feel like I am going to grow feathers. I can eat plain chicken, baked or boiled potatoes soy yogurt, pasta, crackers all the bland stuff. If anyone out there has some great recipe ideals or comments on what they can eat that works for them I would really like to hear from them. It’s really a challenge trying to eat and I am out of ideals.
Thanks, Snow Flake
I always had a lot of good luck with fresh fish, either baked in the oven or on the stove in a pan. I kept away from salmon and shell fish but had luck with yellow fin tuna, mahi mahi, sea bass, other fish that is white when cooked. I always had trouble with chicken, it just felt like a rock in my stomach!
My friends would always say that it seemed like all I ate was fruity, sweet stuff! Which was the easiest, everything else felt like I was taking a risk. I did find a recipe for hot and sour soup but I need to make a few tweaks.
Amanda
One of my favorite lunches or light dinners is to put tuna on some lettuce with some tomatoes and a little fat free mayo. With a few crackers, it can really hit the spot!
Ugh! I can’t in think about chicken…since the CP the thought of chicken makes me ill! 
Jackie
Would love that recipe 
Jackie
keri,
NO, YOU ARE NOT CRAZY !!! whenever i have been in the hospital they always shut my door at meal times, they say just the smell of food activates the pancreas, makes sense ! hang in there girl !
julie
Keri,
How are you doing???
Jackie
Thanks for asking Jackie. Actually I am in pain right now. I have been having some pain regularly. It started last week (about 1 week post op) So I am pretty sure the gall bladder removal didn’t do much. I go to my post op doc visit today and then I will probably be calling my pancreatic specialist. My next step was the ERCP with manometry. I dread that though. It will be my first ERCP. I will update after my appointment tomorrow. Thanks for asking about me.
Keri
Thank you for your reply. I haven’t tried tuna. I will give it a try. My thoughts are with all of you out there who are having so much trouble and pain. Hugs
Thanks for the reply. I haven’t tried much fish because I am not experienced in cooking it. My kids never liked fish but they are grown now so I can cook for my self it would be nice to have something other than chicken. I too find that eating sweet stuff does not bother me (except for chocolate) I have to limit it now. I was a chocoholic before this. Pain is a good motivator in resisting food.
Does anybody out there know what the best pancreatic center or specialist is in the country. Is the Duke Center in North Carolina good. I can go anywhere. My GI is not a specialist just in the pancreas. I would like to see just a pancreatic specialist. Maybe I can ask my GI.
Thanks
Snow Flake
Do you have pancreatic cancer or just looking for a pancreatic specialist? Usually they aren’t one in the same.
Of course I think Dr. Freeman (U of Minnesota see minnesotaplc.com) is the best but it isn’t the only place. I know that my doctor also said there was a good place in Indiana?
Amanda aka president of the Dr. Martin Freeman fan club
Thank you for your reply. I do not have pancreatic cancer. I have Chronic Pancreatitis. I was just diagnosed with it. I want to do as much as possible to slow the progression of this disease. My condition is not as severe as most of the ones I have been reading about in this forum and I want to keep it that way as long as possible. I am trying to find out as much as I can so that I can try to protect my pancreas as much as possible. They don’t know what caused mine, which I find very frustrating, I would at least like to know that, but there are no answers. So I am trying to find out what foods stress the pancreas the most, and what toxins. This is a very frustrating disease because it seems they don’t know a lot about the pancreas and there is not a lot of info out there like there is for heart disease, etc. Sorry to go on and on.
Thanks, Snow Flake
Snowflake,
I am waiting to hear how your appointment went today…I hope you are doing well. Please let me know as soon as you can because I am heading to Minnesota next week to see the same dr. You are in the same boat as me…but I haven’t been told I have chronic yet. I don’t think mine is as advanced as many people here either, but I am on a downward spiral lately. Maybe we can both get some answers because I too am exhausted and frustrated by the unknown. Take care Dear.
Danielle
Snowflake,
I too have CP and they don’t know why. They have recently discovered that I have an irregular pancreas…seems I was born with it. Most of the doctors have different opinions. I am finding that I eat was does not upset me too much and stay away from things that are painful like raw veggies. Some days it’s soup and/or mashed potatoes. It is trial and error and a lot of pain… The doctors did tell me to be very careful about taking lots of vitamins as the body can’t take too much at once. I keep reading, getting some great info from this site and consulting with doctors. The trouble is it is hard to know what to do as each doctor has a different philosophy on what to do/eat and what not to.
I’m lucky as most of the time I can work and have been able to “suck it up” during school. Weekends I don’t have to force myself to suck it up and if I need a pain pill on the weekends I do (or at night). I hate the nausea! I am considering consulting with Dr Sutherland when I can get away to do so.
Dr. Freeman and Dr. Sutherland seem to be the foremost experts on the subject. I am lucky that everyone on this site has been so supportive from day one when they verdict of CP came down. I felt upset and alone… in the dark about a lot. I read constantly on the internet and “listen” to everyone here.
Wishing you a pain free day and and a smile.
Love to you,
Jackie
I am so sorry you are having pain. Ugh! It never ends does it?! I am hoping your doctor appointment went well. I am anxious to here what the doctor has to say and how you are feeling!
Love to you,
Jackie
Danielle,
I am not going to see a doctor right now. My GI is handling all of this right now. I would like to see a panc specialist. I keep reading in the forum about a Dr. Freeman and Sutherland. Are they panc specialist and if so where are they? I hate you are in a downward spiral it can be frustrating and depressing. But, hang in there : ). Thank you for your reply. Also, is Minnesota the best place to go? Anybody out there know?
Hugs Take Care