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!

I'm looking things up on google and most people say gall bladder pain is on the right side??

I've been taking paracetemol and ibro since it started but it's not touching it. I don't want to go to a&e as it's not an accident or an emergency and I'd feel like a time waster.

If I see my gp at 8am would these levels still be raised or is it only when pain is there?

I don't want to sound dismissive but if you are on MN and looking at Google then you are probably not in enough pain to go to A&E and certainly at my worst I couldn't even lift my head and speak properly let alone log onto the computer.
See your gp in the morning and make sure you write a list of things you want to ask about and get checked and if they're decent they will run through things with you so you don't feel fobbed off again.
good luck

ok I will try GP tomorrow not sure anything can be done as I'm waiting for an endoscopy at end of Jan so prob just have to grin and bear it till then.

Luckily the pain is manageable if I lie down on the water bottle and don't move so will just wait it out. My bed is much comfier than a&e!

Navyeyelash....i developed pancreatic pain after a binge on my 50th birthday. I dont normally drink alot but i went away skiing with my best friend and we celebrated for two days. I drank more in 2 days than i have ever had in a month. Felt unwell the day i was flying home. Really sore stomach,constantly being sick,really noisy stomach,so incredibly bloated,stomach that just kept churning,diarrhoea,felt like i was dying with the pain. The main pain was about 2.5 inches up at 45dgrees from belly button on my left side. I could virtually draw a mark on my stomach where the pain was constantly.
Mine was also relieved by leaning forward which is a classic symptom of pancreatitis.
I went to doctors after i collapsed at home. They took blood tests. Amylase and crp were raised. I was initially put on a ppi as they thought i had associated gastritis(which i have had in the last 5 weeks and is not the same acute pain)because stomach was so noisy. Had to sleep sitting up as i was on so much pain. Was admitted to hospital an put on a drip for 3 days and stayed in hospital for 3 weeks as consultant told me it was potentially very very dangerous and that i shouldnt eat aything for at least a week.

when i could eat ,i had to start on consommes and then gradually add in simple things. I did not drink for 10 months because he said it could kill me.
He also said i was very unfortunate for this to happen after one binge,but apparently some people are just more prone to t.
The pain frightened me and i have hardly drunk since. Prior to me being diagnosed i too found that alcohol made me feel unwell even after just 2 drinks. Food made me feel sliggly better immediately after eating then 15 minutes later ,i would be in agony again.
yours does sound very similar.
This carried on (on and off ) for 3 years til i finally keeled over (thinking i was having a heart attack. Got taken in to hospital and they found gall stones. My consultant reckoned that a small stone may well have gone into the pancreato-biliary duct and caused me all that pain years ago. I have since had my gall bladder out earlier this ear in June.

Dont take ibuprofen incase you have gastritis...if you have a good doctor and you are in that much pain ,doc could give you some emergency pethidine. Mine did...as codeine can affect the sphincter of oddi which is in the same area. My doc was really well up on the pain relief.

there are different levels of pancreatitis too,but i would suggest you stay away from ALL alcohol.ALL cheese ,all sugar and stick to a simple low fat diet for now www.gallbladderattack.com/gallbladderdiet.shtmlow

keep a food diary but i would rest your system for a week and maybe get doc to prescribe some high energy drinks called fortijuice..they were life savers. Had them instead of meals as they were easy to digest.
Maybe some omeprazole from docs would also help possible gastritis that you may have set of with the alcohol binge.

Gastritis is incredibly painful as i have just found out 6 weeks ago.I am now on 40 mg omeprazole at the mo.