Could I have a problem with my pancreas? Does anyone have pancreatitis?

[navyeyelasH]

Ok I'm 25 and on new years day 2008 I was really really ill (as in being projectile sick every 20 minutes for 4 hours), clammy shaking etc. I put this down to drinking too much on new years eve (although by my standards of what I normally drink I had not drunk that much) and mixing champagne and wine.

Since new years day 2008 I have been on and off ill. Symptoms are

*pain in lower back
*abdominal pain sometimes just like period pain but other times like seriously in agony crying on the floor wondering if I should go to a&e. Sometimes no pain at all.
*pain in my ribs, can't explain it but it's the last rib on my left side of rib cage
*if you touch my ribs they hurt all over but if you don't touch it's only that one spot that is always hurting
*nausea, sometimes vomiting and (near constant) tiredness
*did have a sore throat for about 6 months but that went and now I get it on and off if am feeling especially tired.
*near constant swollen gland under right ear
*alternatine constipation and diorrhea with smelly gas and stools (never ever had this before) and bloated tummy

And then yesterday I noticed something else which may be related. When I have a drink I am always really ill the next day. I only drink socially about once every other month. So I got ill forst time put it down to drinking too much on NYE, got ill second time again thought must be drinking too much, got ill again but was drinking wine so thought maybe should stick to vodka (as thought might have wheat intolerance) and it's gone on like that with me trying to rationalise it (ie. getting older etc).

Obviusly I have cut down on my drinking a lot now but I have only just (maybe stupidly) made the connection that my body is rejecting alcohol?

The Dr says I have IBS the pain in my rib back thing is muscular. But yesterday I googled about the sickness while drinking thing and found out about pancreatitis. Could this be what is wrong or have I fallen into the google trap?

I'm sick of feeling ill and the DR saying it's IBS - it bloody isn't!

Can young people get this? HELP!

Should say have had an ultrasound - normal. And had a chest x-ray (collar bone hurts on rght side!) - normal.
Blood count - normal
Thyroid - a little under normal
Other blood test things - normal

So would one of those tests ahow up pancreatitis?

maybe you have Chron's disease. Ultrasound will show up pancreatitis.

expact dr says it's not chrons as there is no blood in my stool. I think the problem is my family think DRs are god so I have a hard time challanging them and always feel like an eejit when I'm there.

Good to hear an ultrasound would have shown it. I'm going back to the dr on Thursday but I'm guessing they will tell me not to drink alcohol?

I have crohn's, I agree it could be that
Do you have any blood or mucus with your diarrhoea?

sorry expat!

oh sorry x posts

some stuff on diagnosing here

CountessDracula thanks for helping feeld like such a relief to have people trying to help. I have no blood or mucus at all I'm afraid.

Just wish I knew what it was so I could stop it from inerferring in my life so much.

anything here ring a bell?

thanks for the link CountessDracula it seems I have a few symptoms from a few different boxes. The thing is with the pain it definately started on one side (left I think quite low) but now I don't know where the pain is coming from it just hurts everywhere and especially constantly hurts in my rib part.

When I had my ultrasound I was nealry crying because the wand thing on my skin hurt so much; is that normal?

bump

[wails]

navyeyelasH
had exactly the same three years ago when i had a binge for my big birthday. I am not a big drinker but went a bit over the top for two days whilst on hols.
" days later on the plane home i developed really bad sickness, severe stomach pains just left of belly button and about two inches higher. My stomach was so distended and i have never known pain like it.And gurgling like nothing on earth. After struggling at home for a week ...couldnt even lie down in bed as it increased the pain. Like you, alcohol made me feel worse very soon after drinking it.
Went to my gp and he did an amylase test and found it was up. Admitted me to hospital with suspected pancreatitis and put me on a drip as you are not suppose to eat or drink anything other than water.

Seriously, steer away from alcohol completely for at least 6 months, dont eat fats ,caffeine, e tea or coffee, very low carbs and no sugars as these all stimulate the pancreas. You need to rest the pancreas or gallbladder completely but go and get the amylase blood test from your GP...pancreatitis can be life threatening and i honestly felt as if a was dying after 6 weeks of un ending pain and bloating. My belly swelled out from right under my ribs..i was so uncomfortable.

Have a look on internet for diet for pancreatitis and gall bladder problems.I wont send the web page as i picked up a virus on my laptop when i opened someones advice, so i dont trust webpages that are sent to me any more...(some kind person sent me the trojan virus)
The other possibility is that you could have a small gall stone lodged in the common bile and pancreatisc duct. You arent going yellow are you?
Keep in touch...anytime

BTW my gp initially told me to go away and that it was IBS...here is some buscopan,colpermin.domperidone... Would love to rub his nose in it now as three years down the line and a constant niggly abdomen, guess what...i have had to have my gall bladder out as it wa full of stones... GPs go and do your homework

Why not cut out drinking altogether for a few months and see how that goes?

a blood test will give you an absolutely definitive answer as its not worth hanging around with pancreatitis.

Gastritis can also give you alot of theses symtoms as alcohol irritates your stomach lining and inflames it. The gp can do another test for CRP ( cReatcive protein) at the same time as the amylase and that will tell you if you have inflammation around the guts

PS I also had really bad wind too..... not normally like that either

You have gallstones I bet, and yes they can rattle back into the panceas, my friends dh is seriously ill in hospital with it at the mo.
I have to say I think you more have gallstones as you wouldn't always recover totally in between bouts - get to a& e next time it happens and get a scan.

The low thyroid would account for the near constant tiredness so probably start making a fuss about this - it should not be left. Give up the alcohol and ask for a glucose test and amylase. A raised amylase would indicate pancreatitis. Anyone who has pancreatitis has dereanged sugar levels. But it does sound as though you have an under active thyroid from your test results and constant tiredness. You eed to get that sorted out and see how you feel from there. hth

need.

navyeyelasH
I'm sick of feeling ill and the DR saying it's IBS - it bloody isn't! was exactly how i felt. BLOODY angry and frustrated with the medical profession. Made me feel like a hypochondriac til unfortunately proved them wrong.
You know your own body and you know when its more seious dont you

Just seen your next post about your collar bone....having just had my gall bladder out ,these are the classic symptoms of gall stones and the one thing that is quite common is pain going to right shoulder. You get that with the gall stones and just after the gall bladder op as there is a nerve that links to the gall bladder...( it does go after about 2-3 days) Classic symptoms my dear... why is your gp not recognising them. RING UP YOUR A and E department and the dr or triage nurse will give you advice...

QOD
My friend is also seriously ill with a stone that has gone into her pancreas and it ahs caused an 8 cm cyst. She has had to have a stent put in her pacreas as it blew up like a balloon. She had projectil vomitng and collapsed.... she was given a very low cahnce of recovering but happily 3 months down the line after being on drip feeds and morphine she is slowly recovering.
Like u , i think she has multiple small gallstones that are just waiting to niggle dont you. Get the gall bladder out and prevent anything more serious like an infection...

Well as this has been going on for ages I have obviously tried to sort it out myself via my diet. I did a candida diet for about 6 months which changed nothing (but sore throat did go at this time), I also cut out anything "fatty", any sort of sweetners anything high in sugars (but not natural sugars), cut out wheat. This has meant I don't really get constipated now but I do still have diorheaa or really lose stools - which always smells horrible! I don't like coffee and drink tea once in a blue moon I only drink water. I also don't smoke.

I totally intend to not drink for a good few months and see what effect this has. But I can't but feel I'm treating the symptoms not the cause.

Since Saturday at 3pm I've eaten nothing - but I have stopped being sick now so will try to eat something later.

Nelly the DR said my thyroid was borderline low and it's not a worry?

Thank you all on your input - gallstones seems like a majority call here. Wouldn't I always be ill if it was gall stones? Can gall stones run in the family, I know my auntie had hers out.

Can I just ask for a test - wont the DR tell me to naff off?

you do appear to have symptoms such as chronic tiredness which is either classic anaemia or under active thyroid. So yes I would push that one a bit more and tell him how crap you feel. The only other tip I can offer is that the next time you are rolling on the floor in agony is o go to A&E. If it is pancreatitis then your bloods will be deranged and they can start treating. At the least you would be kept in and see a gastro bod who would be inclined to be more proactive in investigating and treating. Your only 25 you should not be feeling this crap. so dont be afraid to fight.

navyeyelasH
navyeyelasH
you are treating the symptoms and not the cause and the linger you leave it , thge more likely you are to get complications.
No you wouldnt always be ill if it was gall stones. ( they have this habit of blocking for a couple of hours and then it goes away for ages)I had this bad bout 3 years ago and had my gall bladder out 6 weeks ago after a single bad episode 10 weeks ago. I had lots of abdo pain, threw up, cold sweats, thought i was having a heart attack( but it was in right shoulder and this was the marker for the hospital... even the ambulance paramedics said it was gall bladder. Alcohol used to make me feel awful too even after just one glass of wine.
They nearly always run in the family and can happen soon after pregnancy too.

You are entitled to have a test, you dont have to be in constant pain. If they wont take yourself to a and e wen you feel crap and ask tem for a test. they are obliged to...dont be fobbed off. its your body..your life