Symptoms of Pancreatitis

Symptoms of Pancreatitis?

There are two forms of pancreatitis.  The symptoms of pancreatitis in both types are similar but differ in severity and how they present.   Both forms cause abdominal pain that can radiate into the back.

In my case, during a severe attack, my symptoms of pancreatitis feel like a hot sword is pushing through my upper gut and out my back.  With the severe pain comes nausea though for me when the pain is treated the nausea goes away.  I’ve also had fever a couple of times and a severe attack will usually cause increased heart rate and a higher blood pressure.

With chronic symptoms of pancreatitis a person can experience constant pain.  For some patients,especially with an acute attack, the pain can be disabling.  Other symptoms to watch for include weight loss because of poor absorption of foods because the pancreas is not putting out the enzymes needed to digest food properly.

One thing that can happen with pancreatitis is pseudocysts.  These are small sacs that develop on the inside of the pancreas and can become filled with fluids.  In some case these sacs will disappear but in others medical treatment is required.

Other symptoms of pancreatitis are a swollen or tender stomach, especially in the upper stomach area.  The pain can cause nausea and vomiting, a fever, and an increased heart rate.

It is important that you seek medical attention if you have any of these symptoms of pancreatitis.  Although an attack of Acute Pancreatitis will subside on its own, it could develop into Chronic pancreatitis which could stay with you the rest of your life.

Also, if these symptoms of pancreas  damages the pancreas enough it can cause diabetes to develop.  If you have ever had any of these symptoms of pancreatitis in the past it is even more important that you seek medical aid as soon as possible.

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  • It's really a great and useful piece of information. I am glad that you just shared this useful information with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.

  • This is a great site! I have chronic pancreatitis due to pancreatic divisum which was diagnosised by a doctor at University of Penn. He told me....I don't know what else to do for you.. I have not been able to find a good pancreatic doctor in the Phila area that real cares or seems to know the facts other wise....gets it. My GI doc now in NJ told me the other day, I don't believe you have CP you describe the pain URQ and radiates to the back. I said yes , it also feels like it burns and I am sick with terrible pain with everything I eat. He said the pain is in the center of the abd for CP. We all know the pain radiates. I also saw a doctor atrn John Hopkins who was a fool. He said I don't believe you have CP, I believe its a neuropathy. He seemed shocked that I would take Percocet prn for this pain. What should I take when I am doubled over with my knees pulled up for hours on end with deep organ pain?? Then he precedes to tell me they lost my CD's and have never looked at them!! Is he kidding! How do I know if the enzymes are damaging my pancreases? I really need a doc that understands this disease. Do you have any suggestions?

    • I wish that I knew a decent Doctor in your area but I don't. Just keep strong and advocate for yourself and remember that even though they have M.D. after their name it doesn't mean that they know what they are doing.

  • When Pancreatitis flares up is there anything you can do to stop the pain. I was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis, and the pain is getting moderately worse. I struggle on a daily basis with as the pain can get so severe I have to have time off work.

    I need this to change because I'm tired of risking my job because of it. I would like some information of what I can do to help this. I like in Stoke-on-Trent, England and I have been my doctor on countless occasion however nothing seems to be happening and they don't seem help the situation. Please can you advise me on a best person to contact so I can see if I can sort out this pain.

    • I'm sorry to hear about your problems. Unfortunately one of the only ways to treat pain is with drugs. And you can only get these from your Doctor. If they aren't helping you I'd suggest that you find another Doctor that has more experience with Pancreatitis. Also you can try to identify the foods or behavior that is causing the flare ups and modify or change them. I'm sorry that I don't have any better advice but this disease really knocks a person down.

  • I went to the Closest Emergency Department, I told them that my insides feel too large and I feel sharp pains radiating towards my back and I feel a compression like pain in my lower spine. I also had to tell my "story" to 3-4 different people that came into my exam room, finally, the last time I had to tell my "story" to had arrived, the doctor that was going to be overseeing me. And after 3-4 prior examinations by people I really couldn't tell you who they were, I was sick of them pushing on my stomach to inspect or whatever they were doing, but it ultimately just made things 10 x worse. I was brought into the Emergency Department where the examination rooms are at and the person that was guiding me to where my examination room would be, as I followed the instructions given to me to get to my room, I passed a bunch of examination rooms with the lights on and no one there, but a hospital bed, there were no signs that a person was in those rooms, but as I got to my exam room I had to turn the lights on myself and the whiteboard with the names of your Nurse and RN's and Doctor, had at least 6-7 names on it, as it may have been placed there for helping patients know who is who, having 6-7 names on there it made no difference who was who. They then take blood work, and after that one of the people assigned to my care came in and said this is what the doctor ordered, Zofran (which he had previously asked me if I was nauseous or vomiting where I clearly said I wasn't, that I was in a lot of pain). And Toradol which I have been told by my PCP not to because I have Stage 4 Fibrosis of the liver, and a few years back (2-3 years) I was admitted to that hospital (same as where I was during this "story" for renal failure. Cause, as I looked up, that both the liver and kidneys are involved in metabolizing part. And I have told everyone I had to tell my "story" to that I had Liver Damage (never asked how bad it was) and I also made all the people I had to tell my "story" to aware that I had renal failure 2-3 years before. I felt as though I was being profiled as a drug seeker. I even told the person that was supposed to administer me "comfort" medication. That I was told by my PCP that knows me a whole lot more than that doctor that saw me for the time it took for me to tell my story and press on my stomach a bunch of times all over. And even made them aware about the time I had renal failure, and a few years back (2-3 years) I was admitted to that hospital (same as where I was during this "story" my insurance company won't cover the medication due to the fact that it could cause unexpected adverse side effect due to the fact that I had previously had renal failure. At about this time I told one of the hospital staff members that were going in and out of my exam room I have had enough of this, it's like no one is acknowledging anything I am saying and just going by what the doctor thinks he knows about me. So I took off the leads from my stomach and removed my gown and put my clothes back on and left. When I arrived back home and looked at my cellphone and the hospital left a voicemail saying "David your Lipase Enzyme Levels are elevated where we would probably admit you do the hospital for observation and to be able to run more test, We really hope that you'll come back to the hospital. I called the number back that they had left at the end of the message and I called that number and I told them I will not be returning to that hospital because of the way I was treated and how I felt that everything I said fell on deaf ears.

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