Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
318529 tn?1201901296

pancreas? *Jaybay*

I posted this back in November but never got a reply.  I am 2weeks post op my thyroid surgery & it went well but now I am needing to figure out the whole abdominal pancreas issue.  The pains on my left side are just at an ache level & come & go.  I have no nausea.  Some diarrhea at times which I believe is related to stress.  Let me know what anyone thinks...I'm worried.  Here is my previous post.

I'm 31.  Had gallbladder out in 05.  Had a stone near common bile duct & resulted with mild pancreatitis at that time my amylase was 328.  No probles since then until 2 weeks ago I had pain in the epigastric area that radiated to the left side & back.  My GP doc thought it was stress...ulcer & possible kidney stone.  I was on cipro for kidney infection.  I had really bad pain one night that almost drove me to the ER but it last 30minutes then down to a tolerable ache.  She drew labs & ordered CT of Abd/Pelvis.  Amylase was 317 Lipase normal, WBC slightly elevated.  The pain has gotten better..she started me on Nexium which alleviated the epigastric pain.  CT scan came back with pancreas unremarkable as well as all the other organs were normal.  The pain is much better just a twinge from time to time however, I have majorly changed my diet hardly any fat less than 25g/day I never was a drinker,  did take ibuprofen a lot for headaches, backaches, menstrual cramps but thats it no other prescription meds.  I just had the amylase/lipase rechecked and to much of a suprise to me the amylase is even a little higher at 332.  I don't understand as the pain is much better.  I am having surgery next Tuesday for a partial thyroidectomy & the pancreas stuff scares me.  The doc says not to worry about it & go ahead with the surgery.  The doc who took out my gallbladder said if I the pain is better to stop checking my amylase levels for a while.  HELP!!!  I'm not sure what to do.
7 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
318529 tn?1201901296
Thank you :)  I am pretty much pain free now.  My last amylase level was the 1st of Jan & it has come down to 230.  My GI suggested SOD but treatment w/ERCP & sphrincterotomy does not have good success rates.  I have opted to chill & wait & see.  With symptoms resolving I feel this is the best decision.  I am sticking to a healthy low fat diet & focusing on health & happiness.  Thank you again for responding & God bless you & all you've been through.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Just now reading you posting and I agree with Jaybay, you do not want to rush into ERCP. Trust someone that suffered over 12 years with pancreatitis and just goin through a TOTAL PANCREATECTOMY in november, a pancreas is NOTHING to mess with. A wait and see approach would be better since your cat scan showed nothing !
Helpful - 0
318529 tn?1201901296
Merry Christmas!!!
Helpful - 0
82861 tn?1333453911
Glad I could help Margie - and Merry Christmas!  :-)
Helpful - 0
318529 tn?1201901296
I see the GI doc Christmas eve...yippeeee.  Thanks again for your response.  Confirmation is a good thing.  

God Bless~
Margie
Helpful - 0
318529 tn?1201901296
I appreciate your thought.  I think I will call the doc tomorrow & go see a gastro I know from the hospital where I work.  I have read all your posts think it's best to hear from someone who has gone through the same as the docs just just trial & error everything.  Of course my biggest fear is pancreatic cancer.  I guess the CT does give me a lil rest assured factor for that though.  I thank you greatly for your response!!!  
Helpful - 0
82861 tn?1333453911
Bless your heart!  Pancreas issues on top of thyroid surgery.  I'd be freaking a bit myself!  :-)  Glad to hear your surgery well well.  It appears as though your pancreas is a bit irritated over something, and that "something" just hasn't been figured out yet.  It's entirely possible you've built up more sludge in your bile duct, or even have sphincter of oddi dysfunction.  Have you discussed that with your doctor yet?  Also, people that have one episode of pancreatitis have a greater chance at having more episodes in the future.  The pancreas is an organ that gets very irritable, and very quickly.  Mess with it once and it'll let you know for ages how unhappy it is.

I have to agree with what your doc is telling you so far.  You don't want to jump into an ERCP and take the chance of making things way worse.  I'm no doctor, but since your symptoms are "tolerable" I think it's right to adopt a wait and see attitude.  As you probably already know, there isn't much to do for an acute pancreatitis attack than treat the pain and nausea, and provide IV hydration and nutrition.  The great news is that the CT scan ruled out any serious problems like a psuedo cyst or tumor.  Since things seem to be changing in the wrong direction, it wouldn't hurt to make an appointment with your gastro doc to discuss what may be going on and if ERCP is appropriate for you at this time.
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Gastroenterology Community

Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Learn which OTC medications can help relieve your digestive troubles.
Is a gluten-free diet right for you?
Discover common causes of and remedies for heartburn.
This common yet mysterious bowel condition plagues millions of Americans
Don't get burned again. Banish nighttime heartburn with these quick tips
Get answers to your top questions about this pervasive digestive problem