Saturday, December 17, 2011

Pancreatitis Remedies: 5 Pancreatitis Remedies I Use

My pancreatitis remedies (I personally use what I'll share with you) may prove helpful in your journey to overcome pancreatitis because in 1979 I was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. I also know that you are probably still suffering if you haven't discovered the pancreatitis remedies that I was able to find. So ...

I KNOW the suffering you are experiencing with acute and chronic pancreatitis because I have experienced similar agony which enables me to have a pretty good idea of what your suffering may be like as well. I also understand your need for pancreatitis remedies, simple remedies for pancreatitis you can do at home and which seem to work, at least they have worked for me and will hopefully work for you too.

It took awhile to find a doctor that even knew anything about pancreattits but, after 7 ER visits and consulting 6 other doctors of various experience and specialties (GP, IM, GI)I finally achieved success with doctor #14 who gave me a firm diagnosis of Acute and Chronic Pancreatitis.

After diagnosis I was given medications to slow digestion (robinul), relieve nausea (compazine) and to help with pain (demerol). I found through experience that demerol did absolutely nothing to help with the pain of an Acute Pancreatitis episode, at least it didn't do squat for me.

I stumbled upon Ibuprofen one night while in a painful acute pancreatitis attack. How Ibuprofen releived the pain

Since demerol didn't do anything to help and Ibuprofen stopped the pain I told Dr. Langdon and he gave me a script for 800 mg tablets of Ibuprofen.

Unfortunately nothing was stopping the Acute Pancreatitis episodes from occurring. I had quit drinking alcohol (no I wasn't an alcoholic, I simply drank socially) but that wasn't enough. That simply eliminated ONE trigger and ...

I continued to have some extremely painful Acute Pancreatitis episodes and since being diagnosed Dr. Langdon had left to teach at a major Texas University and so I was left to the incompetence I had delt with previously via other doctors who couldn't even recognize and diagionose Pancreatitis let alone treat it so I was on my own.

I developed a lump just below my rib cage and my abdomen was extremely tender but I can't tell you with any certainty what that lump was because I never bothered to have it checked out. I should have, I imagine that may have been enough of a clue for an ER doctor to maybe order a CT scan to find out what it was but I had been subjected to such piss poor treatment previously that I didn't bother. I had Ibuprofen, which relieved the pain, actually it eliminated the pain of the acute attacks in about 60 minutes so I just didn't want to be bothered by those who didn't have a clue.

Dr. Langdon had told me, in a round-about way that I may be dead inside of 10 years and quite frankly with as many Acute Pancreatitis episodes I was enduring I thought he may have been generous in his time frame. The point is I didn't particularly want to die so I went in search of a way to stop the attacks and save my damn life. Below you'll find 5 Pancreatitis Remedies I use to stay pain free.

Pancreatitis Remedies


1) Ibuprofen and Aspirin. The first of the pancreatitis remedies I discovered was Ibuprofen and it was by accident during a painful acute attack. Of course the reason why Ibuprofen worked became clear once I found out from Dr. Langdon that it was an anti-inflammatory (pancreatitis is an inflamation of the pancreas). He gave me a script for prescription strength 800 mg tabs but it can be purchased over the counter in 200 mg tabs and is not addictive like morphine etc ...

Over the years I have discovered that 1300 mgs of aspirin (4 tabs) works as well as Ibuprofen and doesn't carry the risk of heart attack. However, aspirin does carry the risk of acidosis in those who are susceptible. I have also tried them in combinations such as 400 mgs of Ibuprofen and 650 mgs of aspirin. That worked too and the aspirin may help to reduce the risk of heart attack that NSAID's such as Ibuprofen carry. Both work to quickly eliminate the inflammation which inturn eliminates the pain so you may want to try them for yourself to see if they work for you.

Please note that the dosages I personally use for both Ibuprofen and aspirin are quite high. You should ask your doctor or pharmacyst if they think it is safe for you, with regard to your weight (weight has to do with possible toxicity), health and current medications (ask about adverse reactions or potential interactions), to take those amounts and if they will cause any adverse reactions with other meds you might be taking.

One other thing - I only consume Ibuprofen and aspirin in those amounts to stop acute pancreatitis. I do not take either one on a daily basis.

2) Pancreatitis Diet. The next of the pancreatitis remedies I found (through research) was to eliminate the fat from my diet. Dr. Langdon had already told me to eliminate alcohol which was no big deal to me because I only had wine with dinner on ocassion and drank beer when shooting pool or on a hot summer day. I wasn't an alcoholic, that wasn't or isn't the reason I have Pancreatitis. Anyway ...

Fat is the enemy. Eliminate fat (red meat, pork, lamb, duck and anything made with those meats including soups and broths, anything greasy such as deep fat fried foods, potato chips and anything else that has a high fat content, cooking and salad oil) from your diet and you should see some relief from pain and nausea.

What you have to clearly understand is that food is NOT your friend when you have Chronic Pancreatitis. This is a very important lesson to learn: If your pancreas is inflamed, you have pain - DO NOT eat. If you have nausea DO NOT eat.

Those two symptoms are HUGE signals that Pancreatitis victims need to heed. Nausea and pain signal that your pancreas ain't happy. IF you continue to piss it off you are going to pay so - get smart - Do NOT eat when you have nausea, pain or both and eliminate what I call "triggers" from your diet.

3) Grapefruit Juice. Ok, began drinking grapefruit juice by total accident, maybe Divine Intervention because I have had so many Acute Pancreatitis episodes that Dr. Langdon had already told me I should be dead and then continued to have some real bad ones after his diagnosis but those AP episodes STOPPED after I started drinking grapefruit juice.

I didn't match the grapefruit juice consumption to the elimination of my AP episodes until a shortime ago when I found research that suggests it was the grapefruit juice that stopped the AP and protected my pancreas from further damage.

It turns out that grapefruit juice contains polyphenol flavonoids that may be responsible for its healing capability. Anyway, I started drinking large amounts of grapefruit juice and my AP episodes simply stopped. Then I discovered another of my pancreatitis remedies.

4) Grape Seed Extract. I discovered grapeseed extract in 1994. In fact that is when I learned about OPC's (Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins). OPC's are found in many fruits and vegetables but are found in extremely rich quantities in grape seed extract. The seeds from red grapes are full of OPC's so wine is a great source but if you have Pancreatitis alcohol is not your friend so the next viable option is grape juice or in order to obtain the amounts needed to see the benefits I now experience grape seed extract is the source of choice. Grape seed extract is also non-toxic.

5) Curcumin. The next of my pancreatitis remedies I discovered was curcumin. Curcumin is the most prevelant curcuminoid found in the spice turmeric. Curcumin is also a very strong, natural anti-inflammatory with capabilities of relieving pain and inflammation running close to NSAIDs such as Ibuprofen. Curcumin like grape seed extract is non-toxic.

I also use pancreatic enzymes to help with digestion. I do NOT use prescription type enzymes because I hate prescription drugs. They have far more side effects, some lethal (depending upon the drug) and quite frankly I have found that natural, non-toxic supplements work better and are safer. In fact, approximately 100,000 people die each year from the toxic side effects of prescription drugs but in contrast very few people even suffer side effects from natural supplements let alone die from them. However ...

When first beginning to use grape seed extract and curcumin for pancreatitis you may experience flu like symptoms (headache, diarrhea, nausea and in bad cases vomiting) caused from "cleansing." If your body is extremely toxic due to your lifestyle (you eat junk food, smoke, drink, don't exercise, do not use antioxidants) the side effects you may experience are due to kidney and liver overload, the grape seed and curcumin cleansing those toxins from your body and ...

The more toxic your body is, the more unpleasant your experience may be. For this reason it may be beneficial to start out slowly with 50-100mgs of grape seed and 400 - 500mgs of curcumin per day and increase it weekly until you notice relief from pain and other symptoms.

Because Pancreatitis causes malabsorption (your intestines may not absorb the necessary nutrients your body requires) and due to the elimination of a lot of foods from a diet for pancreatitis it is also necessary to take a QUALITY vitamin-mineral supplement.

Well, there you go, you now have the 5 Pancreatitis remedies I use to stay pain free and be able to function almost as well as I did before I became real sick. If they help you please let me know. If you have questions feel free to ask and I'll do my best to help.

If you suffer from Pancreatitis, I hope today you have a pain free day.

8 comments:

  1. I had my second (maybe 3rd or 4th) attack yesterday. I went to a local clinic and they told me to go to the ER. But by the time I got there, which is 1 hr away, I felt better. I called my Chiropractor who was able to tell me for sure it was pancreas. He put me on supplements but can not say for sure what is causing it. I have done hours of research today when I came across your blog. I am just wondering what you would do in my shoes. Everything I read says I should have gone into the hospital to be put on iv. That does not seem like something I want to do. I have 4 kids at home. BUT I do want to live for years to come. I am only 37. The thing that bothers me is not knowing what is bringing them on. I have been on a vegan diet for about 2 weeks when this happened. Thanks for any info you can share. Just wondering how long I need to fast on just water if that is what will heal the pancreas. Thanks Karissa

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    1. Hi Karissa, first I am not sure I'd trust a Chiropractor in diagnosing pancreatitis. I have a hard time trusting doctors with a diagnosis and they have diagnostic tools (US,EUS,MRCP,CT) that are non-invasive to help them along with blood work to diagnose pancreatitis. So I guess IF you haven't been diagnosed with pancreatitis as yet that would be my first suggestion because if it isn't pancreatitis diet may not be of benefit - Then again if it is pancreatitis it may take some time on diet and supplements for the inflammation to resolve and your symptoms and attacks to lesson, even go away.

      IF it is pancreatitis fasting on water and using grape seed extract, curcumin, vit C and Ibuprofen should help resolve any major pain and vomiting within as little as a couple hours to several days but ...

      If you haven't been diagnosed with pancreatitis you could have gallbladder disease and experience relief as well doing the same thing and gallbladder disease has some very similar symptoms especially if it occurs with an acute infection - so like I said if it were me and I hadn't yet been diagnosed that would be my first step. It is hard to know what to do when you don't know for sure what is wrong.

      When you are sick and in pain always seek competent medical advice. It may be difficult to find but there are good, caring doctors out there.

      I wish you better times Karissa and if you have anymore questions please don't hesitate to ask. I'll answer to the best of my ability.

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  2. Thank you for your reply. I have enjoyed your site. There is very little out there on pancreatitis.

    I have a hard time trusting Dr. let alone an er where you get the luck of the draw. I went to the er 2 yrs ago and they did blood work. Said for sure I had a pancreatitis attack, go home on liquid diet (that included sprite and Gatorade as recommendations) and follow up with a dr in 2 days. Well in 2 days he decided they should have done a ct scan so he orders one. Finally 5 days later I call them back only to be told everything was back to normal so I could go back to eating whatever I wanted. Horrible medical advice! All I got from that trip to er was a $3000 bill. The Chiropractor I see is not just a regular one but one who does Bio Energetic Synchronization and kinesiology. He could tell the pancreas was weak and inflamed. I trust holistic doctors far more than medical because, in my opinion, they want to help your body heal itself over drugging it. But since advice for pancreas is hard to come by I am having to learn as I go. I have had a hard time finding a Dr who will actually listen and answer question.

    Can a doctor figure out if you have pancreatitis when you aren't in the middle of an attack? I just knew if I went to the er they would end up running thousand dollar test.

    When you have had your attacks have you had to stay in the hospital on iv? If you didn't and where sent home, will you share what worked for you as far as the first few weeks after an attack.
    Thank you for all the information you have shared in your blog.

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    1. Hi Karissa (I'm assuming this is Karissa!), so you have been diagnosed with pancreatitis; that is good and unfortunate. Good is respect that you know what your illness is and unfortunate because it sucks to have it. It is also unfortunate that you find yourself having a similar experience to mine where doctors are concerned.

      I have NEVER been overnight in the hospital due to pancreatitis. If you had read my story it would have explained that I visited the ER 7 times (they just looked at me like a bull with a bastard calf) and found it to be a waste of time. All they did was draw blood ONE time upon each of the 7 admissions and stand around with their thumbs up their butts while I was in agony. One ER doc did give me a shot of demerol for pain (at least they told me it was demerol) but it did absolutely nothing. Didn't even take the edge off.

      I was finally diagnosed by a really GOOD doctor who listened, did tests and then when he had a suspicion of what I had he gave me 2 drugs (he practiced in a state of the art clinic for that time period) that caused an acute pancreatitis attack. He drew blood every 30 minutes and my enzymes spiked about 3 hours into the attack.

      Then I had one of the older CT scans (it was 1979 and the scan came out in 1976) and so on and so on.

      Anyway the only things that worked for me for the first couple years were God's Angels taking care of me and Ibuprofen. I had some horrible times, times I don't even like to remember.

      I had a LOT of acute episodes.

      Once Dr. Langdon (the doc who diagnosed me) gave me a prescription for 800 milligram tablets of Ibuprofen I had some help with the pain of the acute attacks. It took awhile for me to figure out the diet thing correctly, I stumbled onto the grapefruit juice thing or maybe I was LED by the good Lord to drink it but I am sure (due to my research) that it was originally grapefruit juice that stopped my acute pancreatitis attacks. I drank a boatload of it. Anyway ...

      EVERYTHING I do to relieve my own pain (during acute attacks), what I do after an acute attack, my diet, my supplement regimen, EVERYTHING I have done which has allowed me to heal and live somewhat normally can be found on this blog.

      Oh and to answer your first question "Can a doctor figure out if you have pancreatitis when you aren't in the middle of an attack?" The answer is ...

      Yes.

      Of course they have to be smart enough to connect the dots and suspect pancreatitis in the first place but enzyme levels can remain elevated for up to a week after an attack, if you have chronic pancreatitis they can remain elevated for as long as you are sick or until your pancreas is so damaged it doesn't produce enzymes any longer and of course damage can also be seen via MRCP, ERCP, EUS and CT scans. So ...

      It is my humble opinion that doctors have no excuse what-so-ever in this age of new technology and information to miss a diagnosis of pancreatitis if it is present in any capacity and those that do should simply be tarred and feathered and given a sign to where that say: IDIOT DUMBSHIT

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  3. Thank you so much for your information. And you guessed correctly it was still Karissa. I have spent the last day reading all of your blog (sorry I hadn't finished them all when I asked some of those questions). I will keep looking for that doctor who will listen, but just know if you hear of a bunch being tarred and feathered I haven't found the right one, lol. Have a blessed day, Karissa

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    1. Karissa, you are very welcome. I just hope you find healing and your pancreatitis pain becomes a memory. So many don't. If you do tar and feather one please send pics! LOL

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  4. grapefruit juice means orange juice or grape juice

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    1. No, it means grapefruit juice. Grape juice may also be beneficial because it too contains remenants of grape seed but when I say grapefruit juice, I mean grapefruit juice.

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