Totally freaked out!

Pancreatitis
#1

Maybe I just got too cocky and all my positive thoughts jinxed me.
WARNING: I am going to write about diarrhea so stop reading now if you
don’t want to hear it…

Since I got up this morning, I have had to run to the toilet. Very bad
diarrhea, which I wouldn’t share with other people besides you all.

I went to dinner with a group of ladies that I get together with and
had some Mexican egg roll type things. I know, big mistake, but I have
been eating anything I want for the past couple of weeks! My "output"
had all the bad signs: floaty, food pieces. The only non-sign is that
it was almost completely liquid and usually mine wasn’t liquid.

It could have been the crappy bar food I had last night. I also have
worked way too much the last few days and I am feeling teally run
down. I don’t have any pain or nausea. I’ll email my GI and see what
he thinks. I think he told me to take Flax Seed oil supplements at my
last appointment. Anyone else take any supplements? Since I am off the
enzymes, I am open to suggestions.

Anyone out there have an ERCP and feel fabulous for a little while and
then got sick again? How did things get bad again? What was your first
symptom to show back up again?

Keri/others- I don’t want this to make you think that your ERCP
wouldn’t be worth it to you. It could be an isolated incident for me
but I am too scared to mention it to my non-careplace friends and
family bc I don’t want them to worry. This was the first meal I had
completely enzyme free so there could be another explanation.

Amanda

#2

Amanda,
I felt great after my ERCP this summer. Almost two months of no symptoms and eating pretty well. Then, it all hit me again. I am like you…at the begining of all this bs. I was really hopeful this summer and I did the same as you…stopped my enzymes and ate more foods. Not a good idea. I would recommend taking enzymes no matter what. Some docs don’t believe in them and some live and die by them. I know they work for me, so I suggest them. I hope that your incident is just from eating bad bar food! I will pray for you. It sucks to get pumped up and then let down. Seriously, I would stay away from bad food forever. I notice my body does great when I eat healthier and stay under 20 grams of fat per day. Best wishes and try not to panic. Stress makes things so much worse.

#3

Amanda,

Well I also hope this was a fluke! I was so happy for you to be able to get back into life. Even healthy people struggle with a high fat meal and sometimes “dump” like that because their body isn’t used to it. So maybe that is all it is. I wondered if this would happen though. What will they do? Will they want to restent often?? I pray you are ok. let us know what the doc says.

Also don’t worry, I wouldn’t let your incident stop me from getting the ERCP. Either way I need some help. I had a really tough night. My husband said I didn’t sleep well, I kept moaning in pain. I did eat pizza at a birthday party last night, I knew it was gonna hit me like a cannon ball.

Take care,
Keri

#4

I really think you should give your doctor a chance to give you the ERCP with manometry. You mentioned it was an actual pancreas center, and I didn’t have one close to me. The Medical Center in Omaha does not have a pancreas center, just my doctor who specializes in it and that is why they don’t do any of the more specialized procedures. He can do the ERCP, and if I have troubles down the line, since I have had manometry, he could go back with an ERCP and do the cuts to open up the ducts where Dr. Freeman did. Those of us who don’t have access are the ones who need to travel - so you should definitely feel good about being able to go to the doctor that is closest to you.

BUT, make sure that they just plan on admitting you overnight. Freeman does that in most cases to monitor and make sure you don’t have an attack. Plus, that way you will have that good old saline IV, Zoffron and which ever pain med you need! (Even if you don’t have an attack, you are going to have pain from the gas they use to inflate the abdomen, if they make cuts, etc.) Just insist on it!! That way you won’t have any emergency calls to the hospital like you did after your gall bladder surgery.

I am at the office now, haven’t had any toilet issues for almost 2 hours and hopefully I won’t have any more problems for the day. I am going to email my doc and ask if I should try the enzymes again. But, I am also going to follow the 20g of fat rule!! I forgot that - thanks for the reminder DD! Sometimes it is just hard to resist though…

Amanda

#5

Food pieces in stool is an indication of malabsorption. No matter what type of food it was, your body just did not digest it. A normal body produces the adequate enzymes for digestion, but those of us who are not “normal” (with some type of pancreatitis) can not produce them, or enough of them. Bottom line, my opinion is to keep taking enzymes no matter what. Supplement what is no longer functioning. They can not hurt you as they are not absorbed so I would continue with them. You are very lucky that you had no pain, that is always a good thing. Sure, it was probably a fluke but unfortunately one never knows when flukes happen.

Good luck

T

#6

Dr. Hutchins (my primary GI) responded to me email the same day - such a great resource to have!!! His replies are always pretty short, but it is so nice to be able to have contact that way.

He told me to go ahead and keep taking them as needed. I have been taking them with anything I have that has fat in it. BUT - I also have been sticking to the 20g of fat rule that someone on the list reminded me!!

I didn’t have any problems the rest of the day. And, I have been careful the rest of the week. My glands are starting to puff up so hopefully I am just getting run down. It is pledge drive time for public radio, part of my job, and I am working a lot. Trying to take good care of myself though.

Cheers,
Amanda

#7

Amanda,

I am so glad you are feeling okay. I really think those enzymes are a good idea. Best of luck to you…don’t work too hard.

Everyone wish me luck. I am on my way to Minnesota tomorrow for a Monday appoinment with Dr. Freeman. I am a bit nervous.

#8

DD - Yay for you!! Your appointment with Dr. Freeman is HERE!!

Don’t be nervous. It is a great place to be going. And maybe you will finally get some ANSWERS!

Amanda

#9

So anxious to hesr about your appointment! Good luck, Jackie

#10

Hey Jackie,

Actually My doc won’t give me enzymes. My old GI gave me some samples on my 2nd flare-up I ever had and I took them for about 3 weeks. They helped me. But when I had my 3rd major flare and went to the Panc. specialist, he felt that since I didn’t have chronic (only acute recurrant) that I didn’t need them. So he wouldn’t prescribe them. So I suffer because of what he thinks. That being said, he has left the practice and a new doc will be my doc. So maybe his philosophy is different. I still need to make an appointment with them to talk about getting the ERCP. Thanks for asking.

Keri

#11

Keri,

I find that I have not slept well since the onset of the CP and the pain. I only sleep a few hours each night. Do you take enzymes? Do they work for you? I’m ready, I think.

I postponed my ERCP as I think I told you that the doctors weren’t on the same page, not doing anything until they are . It feels like Heckel and Jeckel! Anyway, I will see Dr. Freeman as soon as I can get to Minn.- Hard for me as I teach. May have to wait til next summer…

Hugs to you,
Jackie

#12

Keri,

They have natural enzymes at the health food store. I may try them first. :slight_smile: