Sunday, September 18, 2011

More Questions About Pancreatitis That Need Answers

Here are more questions that come in the form of search keywords whereby people have found my Squidoo lens or this blog. Obviously if they are using questions as search terms they are looking for answers so to the best of my ability I am going to answer some more questions about Pancreatitis.

1) Can pancreatitis kill you?
Unfortunately yes, pancreatitis can and does kill people. Either the Acute Pancreatitis episode is so bad that they die of shock, organ failure or develop necrotizing pancreatitis which results in the death of about 30% of those who get it. If the damage done is bad enough they can still die of further complication.

2) Can chronic pancreatitis kill you?
Yes chronic pancreatitis can kill you. It can develop into acute pancreatitis of cancer of the pancreas. Many people with chronic pancreatitis eventually realize so much damage they suffer complications with lethal consequences or need to have their pancreas removed.

3) Can you get pancreatitis more than once?
Usually once is all you need to make it a lifetime experience of pleasure (that was sarcastic). There are some instances from what I have read where a patient has one mild attack and recovers completely but I doubt that holds true for the majority of cases. So in either case, whether this person is looking for an answer as to how many Acute Pancreatitis episodes you can have or if you have had one mild episode and were lucky enough to completely recover with no residual experience for say several years, can it occur again? In either instance the answer is yes.

4) How many mgs of grape seed extract for pancreatitis?
Here is the right answer: As many milligrams as it takes to find releief. Grape seed extract is non-toxic but it is so powerful in regards to eliminating free radicals and cleansing that large amounts can make you feel sick at first due to the overload of toxins flushed out through the liver and kidneys. It is best to start slowly with 50 - 100mgs 2 x per day and build up to the amount you need to begin feeling results as far as pain and nausea relief, due to the elimination of inflammation. In other words do not start with 1000 mg doses, start with 50 - 100mgs twice a day, then go to 3 times per day before you increase the dose in milligrams.

5) Why is it so damn hard for a gastroenterologist to diagnose chronic pancreatitis?
God only knows but I do have several thoughts on the subject.

A) They don't know how to diagnose. in other words they shouldn't be doctors because they simply don't have the combination of brains and common sense necessary to come to a correct diagnosis unless the condition jumps up and slaps them in the face. I've met doctors who couldn't diagnose an infected pimple on their own nose without a CT scan.

B) They don't listen because they don't care and are more concerned with when they get off to play golf or if it's time to bang some nurse.

C) They think patient's are stupid liars who have nothing better to do than waste their time because the patient is lonely.

D) They think they know what the patient's symptoms are better than the patient does and so disregards what the patient tell them.

E) They see to many patients in a day, are tired and can't think because they want more money.

Go ahead and pick one that fits the best for your circumstance.

6) Is it necessary to miss school with pancreatitis?
This has to be a parent asking, hoping their kid can go to school? I doubt if anyone who has had an acute pancreatitis episode would ask that question, of course I am assuming the patient feels ill? If the patient is ill and doesn't feel up to going to school they should definitely stay home because feeling ill is a BIG warning sign of impending Acute Pancreatitis.

7) Multiple mild acute pancreatitis doesn't lead to chronic
They don't? News to me. If the pancreas is damaged due to mild acute pancreatitis episodes it is going to become a case of chronic pancreatitis.

8) Is coconut oil good if you have chronic pancreatitis?
No. No oil is good when you have pancreatitis. The only exception is fish oil. Fish oil is highly anti-inflammatory but when your pancreas is inflamed it is not going to be a good thing to subject it to any kind of oil.

9) Do enzymes take the load off your pancreas?
Yes, enzymes are helpful for digesting food when you suffer fom pancreatitis and so they do in some respect help to take the load of producing enzymes for food digestion off your pancreas as long as they are the right enzymes.

10) Why do avocadoes cause me pancreatic pain?
Avocados cause pancreatic pain for the same reason fish oil may. Avocados are full of oil. It may be GOOD oil full of omega 3's and anti-inflammatory but an inflamed pacreas can not handle oil of any kind without reprocussions.

Ok, I'll answer more questions on another occassion.

I hope you have a pain free day.

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