Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Pancreas Healing: 5 Steps to Pancreas Healing After Acute Pancreatitis

 
There are certain steps you need to take in order to achieve pancreas healing once you have experienced either acute pancreatitis or you have unfortunately been diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis. However ...

Before we get into the steps necessary to achieve pancreas healing from chronic pancreatitis, which are very similar, I think it is best to cover pancreas healing for acute pancreatitis.

Hopefully you have only suffered a mild acute attack which with proper diet will heal and allow you to be one of those lucky few who heal completely and never have another episode of AP or even minimal change chronic pancreatitis.

One of the things I think that the medical teams do wrong is to introduce to much of the wrong foods to those who have just come out of an acute pancreatitis attack. Even though the majority of the pain may have subsided and your nausea has been controlled chances are very strong that your pancreas is still inflamed and has likely sustained some damage that if addressed properly may completely heal yet I read story after story of patients being given solid, high fat content foods to early and foods that most likely will make the person sick again. So ...

Step # 1 - The Introduction of Foods After Acute Pancreatitis
If you have been hospitalized with mild acute pancreatitis and have been ordered NPO (Nothing By Mouth) in order to rest the pancreas and allow the inflammation to subside food should be re-introduced in 'baby steps." For example:

I have read where acute pancreatitis patients are immediately re-introduced to food with a sandwich, salmon or something similar and that is just asking for trouble. If it were me and it has been me to many times, I'd start really slow with food in liquid form such as pure vegetable juice in enough quantity to allow for decent nutrition. Fresh, organic vegetable juice made from tomatos, beets, carrots, celery, green pepper, spinach, broccoli, red onion and fresh garlic if possible (you'll need a juicer and the veggies) but low sodium V8 juice which is high in potassium will work almost as well.

I'd also drink white unsweetened grapefruit juice (Ocean Spray is a good brand). Grapefruit juice has been shown to offer protection against acute pancreatitis so it could protect you against future episodes even stop them from happening, like it did with me in 1981-82.

Step # 2 - Will Someone Please Get Me Some Supplements!
If it were me I'd have someone run to the nearest health food store for vitamin C, grape seed extract and curcumin (those with gallstones or SOD should not take curcumin) and I'd be swallowing 200 milligrams of grape seed extract 4 times per day, 500 milligrams of vitamin C 4 times per day and 500 miligrams of curcumin 4 times per day to fight the pancreas inflammation and begin the pancreas healing. In fact, I'd do this BEFORE I began re-introducing food to my pancreas. See the Product Regimen page for information on supplements.

Step # 3 - Start a Food Diary.
When you begin solid food you should keep a record of what you eat. A food diary is important because the way you introduce a new food and how you keep track will tell you exactly what your pancreas will and will not tolerate. Read my post on how to prep for and start a food diary.

Step # 4 - The RIGHT Solid Food
After 72 - 96 hours (3 or 4 days) with no symptoms from the pure vegetable juice you can be slowly, in small amounts, introduced to solid VEGAN type food such as rice, beans, peas, lentils, egg whites (NO yolk, just egg whites for protein and vit B12) and vegetables that have NO oil or FAT (butter, margarine) either in content or preperation. TRUE vegans allow no animal products of any kind; NO meat, NO Dairy, NO Broths or soups made with meat or dairy, No fish. They do eat things that contain fat and you will not. This means NO nuts, NO Avocado, No Coconut, or anything else that VEGANS may use as ingredients or in preparation that contains fat. Then ...

After several months of a pure modified vegan diet (no oil or foods such as avocado, flax seed, sunflower seeds, nuts, coconut all of which have HIGH FAT content) you can try introducing different foods, one at a time to see how you do. Eat that food several times over the next week, along with your newly acquired modified VEGAN diet and WAIT at least ONE WEEK more after the last serving before introducing another food type. This gives the body time to completely digest the new food to see if it causes pancreas inflammation. IF you notice pain or nausea upon introduction of a new food you'll know that food should be eliminated from your list, at least for now and maybe forever depending on how well you heal.

Step # 5 - NO Alcohol
If you have been diagnosed with alcoholic pancreatitis you'll need to bite the big, bad bullet and stop drinking. Alcohol is an absolute no-no after acute pancreatitis, no matter what caused it, especially if you have enough damage to cause chronic pancreatitis because alcohol is extremely toxic to a pancreas, especially and inflamed, damaged one so ...

If you don't stop drinking make sure you grab yourself a permanent vacation home at the cemetary of your choice because you'll end up there, probably sooner than you expect.

By following the above 5 steps you may be one of the lucky few who have one acute pancreatitis attack and never have a problem after. I hope you are that lucky! However ...

IF your CT, EUS, MRI, MRCP or ERCP have shown you have damage then the damage is most likely enough to cause chronic pancreatitis and we'll cover the necessary steps to achieve pancreas healing with chronic pancreatitis in the next post even though they are very similar.

71 comments:

  1. Hi

    I read that you should not consume oil of any kind. Does that include oil of oregano, which is good to kill bad bacteria in the gut?

    thanks
    Linda

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    1. Hi Linda - I have very litle knowledge about oil of oregano except that oregano is proving to be a great cancer fighter. In regards to the oil or the fat content of the oil or what it may do in regards to your pancreas (if it's inflamed) I have NO clue, sorry, I have never used it.

      IF you use it you could post your results? :-)

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  2. Hello Health Guy,

    Thanks for your comment over at Livin' the Midlife -- it's reassuring that some of your evidence seems to overlap with some of my experimental plans :), and fabulous that it appears you have beaten this thing. All the best!

    J. GaĆ¼mann

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  3. My mom has chronic pancreatitis and I really think she could benefit from the post outlining how to heal after her attacks, any word on when you'll post it?

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    1. I sorta dropped the ball didn't I by not posting like I promised. The thing is, like I said in my last sentence or paragraph of this post, the protocol I use is almost EXACTLY the same.

      The only difference for ME, since I have already done prep and a pancreatitis diet food diary YEARS ago, is that I don't have to do that step. Otherwise acute pancreatitis from damage caused (chronic pancreatitis) is the same as the original in regards to protocol. In fact, if I had pain or symptoms I usually follow what I outlined anyway because:

      1) The pancreas needs rest to heal
      2) Food has to be re-introduced slowly
      3) The right solid food must be eaten when solid food is again able to be eaten
      4) The supplements are important
      5) Alcohol must be avoided

      And if someone with chronic pancreatitis has NOT done a food diary the PREP and DIARY are essential to finding out exactly what does and does not cause problems. That way those who do NOT believe me about the two enemies (FAT and Alcohol) will find that what I say is true and that if they continue to eat foods that shouldn't be eaten they will continue to be sick.

      In other words those who would rather eat steak (red meat), bacon (pork), and other extremely high trigger fat filled foods and drink alcohol will continue to be sick and progressively become worse while they blame their problems on grapes, peaches, brussel sprouts, cabbage, beans, lentils, spices or some other completely safe, anti-inflammatory, pancreas healing food.

      So there ya go, in a nutshell, those with chronic pancreatitis need to do the exact same things in order to begin healing and IF ...

      They have suffered enough damage (I do NOT know how much that might be) or have been butchered by a surgeon so their pancreas looks like a filleted fish (whipple procedure for example) they may never truly heal to where they feel decent ever again and that really sucks but it is truthful.

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    2. I'd like to point out something about your initial diet recommendations, I was told by several specialists, my surgeon and nutritionist to stay away from high-fiber and raw vegetables for 3-4 months. So no beans, lentils (as you suggested) early on.

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    3. Hi Anonymous - you can point all you like. I usually don't approve posts from people who are sick trying to tell others who are sick what to do and how to heal but for you I'll make an exception because I'd like to ask you ...

      ARE YOU WELL?

      I mean are you totally healed? I'd guess not otherwise you wouldn't have found this blog and you found this blog because you ARE sick and are searching for answers of moral support.

      Here's the deal Anonymous Pointer ...

      I'M WELL

      I was sick for YEARS. Your frickin specialists and nutritionists couldn't do shit for me. In fact they had NO CLUE how to heal heal me. So ...

      I could care less what you want to POINT OUT. I have people that were SICK and are much better, some who are healing NICELY.

      IF you want to keep doing what your specialists have told you to do have at it. I could care less. Again ...

      YOU are SICK.

      I AM WELL but ...

      Thanks for stopping by :-)

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  4. hello my 7yr old sister has lukemia and chronic pancreatits.do you have any other method on how to reduce the pain.The doctors have been unable to do anything and she has been in pain since January

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    1. What I do may help her as well but it is difficult to get a 7 year old to do anything that is good for them so that may be a challenge in itself not to mention the lukemia and all the cancer drugs she is on which probably destroyed (or at least harmed) her pancreas.

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  5. Hi, my husband was just diagnosed with chronic acute pancreatitis and has been suffering from pain and feeling very sick for the past few months. Is there anything that he can take that might help with the pain and nausea? I can across a supplement that someone recommended parasitin by vaxxa...any thought about this product? Thank you!

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    1. I don't know much about the particular product Parasitin by Vaxa but it is just another parasite cleansing product and unless your husband has parasites I doubt it would be useful.

      Grape seed extract, curcumin and vit C should help with the pain and nausea. They did for me and of course still do. However ...

      I also keep other drugs on hand just in case such as prescriptions of compazine and phenergan (both for nausea). Compazine (10 mgs) for continued usage (good for 8 hours) to control nausea and phenergan suppositories (25mg) for fast relief of nausea and vomiting.

      Suppositories are very important when vomiting occurs because it is difficult to keep other pills down unless it is controlled.

      200 - 400 mgs of Ibuprofen (Advil) help with moderate pain and help reduce the inflammation and for severe pain (like during an acute attack) 800 mgs of Ibuprofen along with grape seed extract and curcumin will usually STOP the AP in 90 minutes or less.

      The above is what I use and do when needed. Now, since I am healed up I simply take the supplements and watch my diet. I do, like I said, keep the other stuff on hand just in case.

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  6. My Husband has a feeding tube and cannot take anything by mouth. He had a pancreatitis attack on 2/10/13. In and out of hospitals, now diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis. He experienced nausea & vomiting so bad, that they finally put a drain tube in his stomach, so that he would quit vomiting up so much bile, it can be drained out of the stomach into a bag now. His stomach is not working right now. My question is, can I crush up the "C" & empty the grape seed extract capsule into his formula to be absorbed through his small intestine? That is the only way right now, or I could inject it through his feeding tube directly with a mixture of purified water? Would this be okay? Thx, Susan

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    1. Hi Susan great questions and I have to admit have never had it before. I would go with crushing the C and putting the C and the grape seed into the formula. It should absorb, don't know why it wouldn't but I guess you'll find out. Let us all know how it works out. I wish you and your husband good luck and him better health :-)

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    2. Hi Health Guy, I just want you to know that I was praying to the Lord so hard about my husband, when He guided me to you sight. I know this wasn't by chance! My Husband was litterally dying. He couldn't quit vomiting. I got the C Caps, Turmeric Curcumin & Grape Seed like you suggested. I emptied out the said amount into a little bowl and added purified water. I used a syringe to slowly inject into my Husbands feed tube, as putting it in formula didnot go over so well, clogged the tube line. Once we got going on this 4 times a day, it only took less than a week to start seeing a difference. First thing we noticed, is that the vomiting slowed way up. After a couple of weeks we noticed that he was not vomiting or feeling nauseated for the most. Steve kept saying that he was going to eat Thanksgiving Dinner with the rest of us, but I felt sick to my stomach wondering how he was going to take it when he finds out that he will never eat again. I was wrong and so were the Docs!!! To make a long story short, Steve ate Thanksgiving Dinner with the rest of the family and I have to say I'm still in shock. Now Steve is making up for lost time. I really thought I'd never see this day come, I only hoped for him to live and stop vomiting and feeling sick, so he could have a better life. Everyone thought that Steve was going to die. Now we see that he is going to live, thanks to God for sending us you!!! Can't thank you enough, you truly were God sent... Susan

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    3. Susan THAT IS AWESOME NEWS! I'm am always in awe of God's power and the kindness, mercy and love He bestows upon His children.

      I don't want to rain on Steve's parade but make sure he eats with extreme caution. The last thing he needs is to have another acute attack that causes more damage. I understand his joy in being able to eat again BUT ...

      Make sure he does NOT eat bad food (fat or alcohol). Food is NOT his friend anymore. He has to eat to live, not live to eat.

      Your news is absolutely heart warmimg. Merry Christmas!

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    4. Hi Health Guy, Thank-you for your response & concerns. Steve doesn't drink alcohol ever, thank God! He has been getting carried away with his eating though. I guess it's because he went so long without being able to eat. He does watch how much fat he eats. We are just so glad that the Lord guided us to your site and how well it worked. It's just amazing to me! At first we were afraid to get happy, but we're sure happy now! We will forever be grateful to you and the Lord for sending us your direction. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year and many of them!!! We will never forget you. We are living proof that the Lord is using you and great will be your reward in Heaven for the work you do. It was hard for me to come back and visit the pain again, in-order to share our story, but I know that is what the Lord would want us to do. Not only that, but it has become a good story to tell... your sister in Christ

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    5. In looking back on my post, I realize that I have left out a very important detail. How the pancreatitis attack came about. My husband was an over the road truck driver and was picking up a load in Tacoma, WA when he started having so much pain, he thought he was having a heart attack and hit the pavement. Coworkers called 911 & Steve was off to the hospital. Steve had so many gallstones in his gallbladder, that it was insane. The Doc took a pic of them all & gave it to us. One got loose and lodged itself in his pancreas duct, that is what started it all. It was so bad that the Doc couldn't take the chance in removing the gallbladder, so he carefully removed the gallstones and left the gallbladder in, until the pancreas would settle down some. The Doc said he wouldn't have even done that, but his hand was being forced to do something, as we were loosing Steve. Later Steve transfered to our home town of Carson City and connected up with a Doc here to take out his gallbladder and follow-up care. It was a long road of terror. I would have to say that Steve's heart racing at times, resulting in ICU, and the vomiting of much bile off & on through out the day, everyday, was the hardest to take. The last big scare was when Steve finally got to come home and then septic shock set in, due to a fungus they said, as he had TPN at the time. The kids & I got Steve ready, even though he said he was okay & just wanted to go back to sleep after vomiting, we rushed him to hospital. On the way there Steve became incontinent without realizing it. We live about 30 miles from hospital. We thought that this time he would never leave the hospital. He spent another month in Carson Tahoe & then got transfered to L-Teck, a recovery place. I was so affraid for him to come home, that next time I might miss the signs and not get him back to hospital in time. Through much prayer, I ran across The Health Guy, followed instruction to the "T", and found a much needed miracle at the end of the tunnel. Prayer is truly powerful. God uses His people to help others. I pray for everyone that has pancreatitis...

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    6. WOW! What an awesome story and one heck of a trial for Steve, you and the family to go through. I appreciate your kind words but it's ALL God. He saved my butt, then showed me how to heal, then YEARS later whispered to me to put what He taught me online. Heck, I thought it was crazy but eventually did it and well ...

      I am ALWAYS amazed at His wondrous power. The glory is ALL God's. I didn't and don't have much to do with it.

      I hope Steve continues to improve. His recoverery from feeding tube to Thanksgiving dinner was an amazing story. Praise The Lord! God IS Great!

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  7. My mom has gotten pancreatitis after an ERCP procedure and cut the ODDI, stint put in, she was hospitalized for 4 days severe pain and fever due to the pancreatitis. Low grade fever never went away. SHe was diagnosed with enzyme test. Ten days post op another attack due to poor eating (they in no way gave us the proper diet!). 4 day hospital stay again and scan showed the pancreatitis attack dumped much of the infection into bowel area and created a very large "mass" of inflamation here. All is stable now she is on your diet. Does this mean she will have reoccurring pancreatitis? Will she ever be able to eat "normal" again? They made it sound like you may get this from the procedure once but NOT that it could be a long term battle. Very embarrassed we trusted the docs and didn't research more. Praying for you all on this site, nothing you can quite describe the condition to someone else. Please stay strong and fight the good fight. THis site is a blessing....not sure my mom is ready to read it all though?? Just focused on the day to day and still living in the dream she is recovering from surgery? Also, doc said to stay away from the motrin/asprin due to caffeine and may stimulate thoughts on this?

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    1. Hi - glad to hear that your mom is stable now due to diet change. That is good news.

      Unfortunately I can't say whether or not your mom will have difficulty with recurring attacks of pancreatitis but from what you have told me - it would not surprise me. That leads to the question about eating normal again.

      Only time will tell. She could always try eating normal again however she should understand there are risks with that strategy. She may merely gt some nausea as an indication the normal food didn't work out well or she could have an acute attack of pancreatitis which may cause some real problems, more than she has now. So it isn't a strategy that should be taken lightly. It's kinda like playing dice.

      Has she had CT scans? EUS? Did those scans show pancreas damage? If so you have an answer to your question which would be a no on the going normal food thing.

      Hang in there, good luck. I hope your mom heals.

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  8. Hi I'm a 25 year old female who was told at the hospital I have mild pancretitis.. I never drank or smoked nor have gallbladder stones at least not visible through the ultrasound. I'm currently waiting for an MRI to see if I have and pancreas deformities. I'm on a liquid diet I only drink 1 banana and some blueberries smoothie for breakfast, veggie smoothie for lunch which usually consists of spinach, celery, 1 beet, and string beans, my dinner is a baby food of some fruit. I'm in discomfort/nausea all day but in pain/ bloating/ belching after an hour or so after eating. I'm also having diharea around 5 times a day. I feel very dehydrated all day even though I'm sipping on water as much as I can. I've lost a lot of weight I'm a petit girl weighing only at a 100lbs healthy but now I'm down to 90lbs and seem to keep losing weight! I'm feeling lightheaded. I get my pain under my left rib and feel it on the other side of my back. I've been sick like this for now 3 weeks and don't feel any better just worse the doctor told me I'd be better in a week! Please give me some advice on what to do , thank you I feel very desperate!

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    1. Hi Tennsy - Since you have already been diagnosed with pancreatitis have your doc write a script for phenergan suppositories (25 mg) and one for compazine (10 mg tabs). Those two handle the nausea. The suppositories are for when you are already nauseated and/or vomiting. It's hard to puke up a suppository. The compazine tabs are for longer term nausea control once it's resolved by the suppositories.

      If it were me I'd quit worrying about losing weight and stop eating. When the pancreas is inflamed eating ANYTHING just keeps it inflamed. The best course of action I have found for myself (when i was really sick) was to quit eating, rest my pancreas and take grape seed, curcumin, C and wash it down with just enough water to swallow the pills. When in AP 800 mgs Ibuprofen resolved it. And 800 mgs of Ibuprofen coupled with the supplements works even better.

      Oh and I ALWAYS took nausea meds firt to make sure I didn't puke up the pills. The pills have to stay down to work.

      If I had pain or was nauseated I DID NOT eat.

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  9. Hi do you suggest I wait till my pancretitis is healed before taking the supplements you mentioned or should I take them now while on a mild attack??

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    1. Hi Tennsy - If it were me I'd take them now along with 800 mgs of ibuprofen. Take with water, no food.

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  10. Hi health guy, I have some question about this terrible case, but I would like to email or text you if is possible

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    1. If you have a question feel free to post it and I'll answer as soon as possible but I don't do email, texting or phone calls.

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  11. My father is 50 year old 18 month back he got acute pancreatitis attack he was hospitalise for a week that time.(that time pancrese were slightly swelled ). Again before 2 month he got attack of pancreatitis, Doctors are telling it became cronic now, each and every blood report is normal, EUS is showing upper Common Bile Duct is mild dialated, Pancrease and lower bile duct is normal. but still there is regular tolerable pain is there. Sir my question is, in this case supplement (like grape seed and other) will be beneficial for him. His gall bladder has been removed 10 year back.He do not drink or smoke.

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    1. Hi Amit kumar - I can't promise the supplements and diet with be helpful. I can only tell you they helped me but ...

      What does your father have to lose by trying?

      Nothing except maybe the pain and other suffering. If it were me I'd try cuz pancreatitis pain isn't fun.

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  12. Hi healthy guy can you tell me in what order you take all the diet younger talking about please, and thank you so much

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    1. It's ALL on this site somewhere. I also have info on http://beatingpancreatitis.com

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  13. The health guy i have had a really mild attack of pancreatitis , but its gone for a while now . I just encountered it once and my doc doesnt know the reason but it been 6 months and i havent Had any pains but my question is how would i know my pancreas have healed how many years do i wait to finally beat the disease . i am just 21 and its hard not to eat outside when u work 12 hours a day ... It would be amazing if there are symptoms u realise for pancrea recovery at its max

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    1. Hi Kinshuk - If you have only had one mild attack, you symptoms have not returned, your abdomen is NOT tender, you might be one of the lucky ones and never have another problem. THAT would be great for you!

      The only REAL way I know of to know whether you have escaped or not is for you to eat a normal diet just like everyone else and see what happens. I hope you never have another problem but what I just said is kinda chancy cuz you gotta understand that the next attack, IF you have one, could be the one that you never want.

      You have to do what you THINK is right for you. Like I said. ...

      I hope you NEVER have another problem. I must admit an unknown cause should dem caution and looking into. Pancreatitis doesn't just happen. There is ALWAYS a cause. Knowing that cause could help you determine what you need to do.

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    2. Hi kinshuk,

      I'm 22 and just suffered from mild a the pancreatitis. It was only 10 days ago. I wonder how you're doing? I wonder what your diet was like after you were diagnosed? I'm feeling good, but having constipation and feeling bloated. I have been eating relatively normally again already, minus fatty foods (I don't drink alcohol anyway) the docs saw no damage to my pancreas or anything else. The cause was unknown, possibly medication e.g. Paracetamol and codeine, possibly thick bile. The specialist couldn't say.

      Anyway, any info would be great.

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  14. Hi, My daughter is 17 yrs old & has had stomach probs throughout her life on & off. It has progressively gotten worse the past 4 or 5 yrs & no one could figure out what it was. Due to one of the facebook support groups I was advised to have the genetic pancreas test done. It came back positive for SPINK1 mutation. We had her to Tucson, AZ about a month ago for extensive testing & she has been diagnosed with hereditary chronic pancreatitis. They are recommending that she have the TP/AIT. I actually found your site before we were sure of what it was & got all the supplements & bought a juicer & had her on the very strict diet but her pain never changed. It seems that no matter what she eats the pain is the same. My husband & I are at a loss of what to do. We do not want her to have the surgery but don't know what other options we have. She has been out of school this yr & the entire yr last yr & is doing a home school program now but is barely able to even do that. We have tried pretty much every natural thing out there including acupuncture & nothing changes the pain. I was raised by a chiropractor who didn't believe in ever taking drugs so this is extremely hard for me to not have any change in her pain when we are using every natural thing I can possibly think of!! I was always taught that if you eat right & exercise that the body will heal itself but it just isn't happening with her!! My biggest worry right now is her weightloss. She is 5' 7" & is now down to 115 lbs. Due to the nausea & pain she just doesn't want to eat anything anymore! I still have her drinking veggie juice daily & taking all of the supplements you recommend. Any ideas what I could try?

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    1. I'm sorry to hear about your daughter's condition. Unfortuately since it is a genetic problem which has screwed up the trypsin inhibitor there may not be much that will help.

      I quote: " the serine protease inhibitor Kazal type 1 (SPINK1), also referred to as pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor (PSTI), have been found to be associated with idiopathic chronic pancreatitis.10,11 Although the biochemical role of SPINK1 in the onset of disease remains to be elucidated, SPINK1 mutations are clearly involved in the pathogenesis of different varieties of pancreatitis12–14 including alcohol induced pancreatitis.15 One possible explanation for this association is that trypsin seems to be critically involved in the premature activation of other digestive proteases16,17 and SPINK1 is its most potent endogenous inhibitor. Structural alterations in SPINK1 could thus affect the protease/antiprotease balance within the pancreas and this may be of particular importance in HP where the premature activation of digestive proteases is thought to play a predominant role." This quote is from this article: http://jmg.bmj.com/content/40/4/e40.full

      If you haven't done so you should "google" this term: spink1 mutation - and do some reading.

      I'm sorry I don't have any more answers. I wish I did.

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  15. Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge. Correct, not much info available. I'll have my girlfriend (diagnosed two days ago) follow your regimen. Do you have any belief in Ranson score for severity?

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    1. I know that IF a doctor can diagonose pancreatitis you are either very sick and/or very lucky to have gotten a good doctor. In regards to scoring criteria I am under the opinion they misdiagnose many along with degrees of severity due to the amount of criteria needing to be met. It's like every other "test" or diagnostic criteria - it all depends on the skill of the doctor doing the diagnosing.

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  16. Hi, I know that you don't trust doctors ( I don't blame you- I've been told it's all in my head for so long that I started to think that I was crazy). I just wanted to ask you whether you know anything about the treatment I was prescribed. I recently got diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis. I've only had one really bad attack - which subsided within 30 minutes on its own. The ultrasound showed that my pancreas is inflamed and that I have two small polyps in it. My doctor prescribed a spasm relieving medicine (Mebeverine) and digestive enzymes (Pancreatin).... Thank you for making this blog by the way. I'm only 20 and am living really far away from my family. I'm having a hard time dealing with this new aspect of my life. Your blog helps :)

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    1. Hi Iryna, sorry to hear you have chronic pancreatitis. The polyps could become a problem (i am not saying they will, just could) you may want to ask some pointed questions regarding prognosis of those polyps if you haven't done so already.

      Since you have chronic pancreatitis the enzymes certainly make sense. Mebeverine is commonly used to treat IBS (Irritable bowel syndrome). It may or may not help with some of your symptoms. If it does great, that's a good thing.

      Iryna, dealing with pancreatitis is difficult no matter what age and this may sound strange but being away from family may be a benefit. I know it's not easy to be alone when sick but at least you won't have well meaning family trying to feed you food that only makes you sicker.

      Good luck to you. Feel free to ask anything. I can't really give medical advice but I can give you my thoughts. Hang in there.

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  17. Hi, My name is praba from malaysia. I was diagnosed chronic pancreatitis and done puestow surgery on 2005. Until now i'M eating creon 10000 medicine. Is that your solution can be solution for my case eventhough already done surgery. I still hoping that my pancreas can be healed.

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  18. I have done surgery puestow after diagnose as choronic pancreatitis. I done thia surgery on 2005. Till nw eat med creon 10000 as supplement. I'm still beleiving that my diagestion problem will be solve one day. Is that this step could help. Hope fully cn help to cure my pancreas back

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    1. Hi Praba I am sorry to inform you that there is no cure for pancreatitis especially for those who have had surgeries. Surgeries seems to make it almost impossible to heal but doing certain things like adhering to a proper pancreatitis diet and taking supplements could likely lessen your discomfort. Good luck.

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  19. Hey, Health Guy! I'm so happy to have found your site. I've been living with pancreatitis for almost five years. I started out with several severe AP attacks that resulted in hospital stays, pseudocysts, tube feeding, cyst draining, gall bladder removal, countless scans, and ultimately surgery to deal with an infected pseudocyst. This past December, after having some on and off pain, and my lipase/amalyse counts being up, my GP ordered an MRCP that discovered two things: I have Pancreatic Divisum and at least one of my two pseudocysts that I developed in 2009 is still there. I also have learned that I have high tryglycerides that can contribute to pancreatitis. Funny thing - during my journey in 2009 I saw three different GI doctors, had a GI surgeon treat me for months (a really good guy, btw) but it took my General Practitioner to discover the Pancreatic Divisum and the tryglycerides.

    There is so much in your blogs that makes sense and I'm starting your regimine to try to get pain free, and stay pain free. Like you, I was confused during my hospital stays, that when they re-introduced food, it was a "heart healthy low fat diet" but it very visably had fat. I would tell the nurse that I didn't think I was supposed to eat fat, and she'd say "this is low-fat." So I had to basically make my own diet by picking from the things on the plate I could identify as truly fat-free. And again, recently, my GP's assistant was talking to me about my pancreatitis diet (no fat) and also how I could try to lower my tryglycerides. She recommended fish oil. Fish OIL!! The main thing I've learned during the last couple of months of trying to eat no fat is that there is fat in a lot of things that people don't realize, AND the average person has no idea that is true.

    So, now I'm trying to get to where you are. I can't express enough to you how much it means to read the words from someone who has gone through this. Someone who understands that feeling when someone offers you a delicious looking cookie and all you can think about is how painful that would be to eat.

    Anyway - just wanted to say thanks and I'm starting on a new journey to an un-inflamed pancreas!!

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    1. DLJwriter you are welcome. It sounds like you are on the right track. FAT and ALCOHOL are the enemy. Fish oil is not good for a damaged pancreas. Once you have healed to the point you have ZERO symptoms, your abdominal tenderness has resolved you may then tolerate fish oil in small amounts from fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel, trout, tuna) not fish oil capsules. Until then stick with less fatty fish that have white meat and only in small quantities. That may not work either until you are much better. Good luck to you I hope you heal up fast.

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    2. Dear Health Guy,

      Love your site. Thank you ever so much! I have been diagnosed with pancreatitis & one of my annoying & scary symptoms is spasms. The doc prescribed .librax for this. Have you had the spasms & if so, what helped you?

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    3. Thanks, glad you like it. I have another also called beatingpancreatitis.com - about the spasm: I think I have had some symptoms years ago that could be classified as spasms. Weird twitches. Never thought much about them. I guess as I started to heal they disappeared. Haven't noticed anything for years.

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  20. I have Pancreatitis with diabetic for past five years.. just having fat free food and avoided alcohol. i get often pain in my abdomen. Pancreatitis lead to mouth ulcer and skin peeling from mouth...have anyone experienced such a kind of mouth ulcers...??? doctors couldn't rule out the reason... pls explain

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    1. The mouth ulcers could be from malabsorption. If your pancreas isn't producing enough enzymes to breakdown food you may be deficient in certain vitamins and minerals. A lack of B vitamins can cause mouth ulcers. IF you have celiac disease mouth ulcers are a common problem. You may want to have your doc check you out more thoroughly.

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  21. Thank you for your information. I'm awaiting my results after two very bad attacks the last two days. I've been out of pain for about 16 hours now, and am drinking only water in small amounts. I just sent hubby to the store for the supplements you recommend, minus the cucumin since we don't know what is causing it yet, and the juices. Can I start the juices tonight or should I wait a few days? Also, I had been taking Acidophilus everyday, should I continue that or is that of no benefit here? Thank you for any information you can provide.

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    1. Darcea sorry to hear you are not well. Have you been diagnosed with pancreatitis? I'm asking because you said you don't know what is causing it. Have you been told you have gallbladder disease/stones? Or SOD (Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction)? Those two diagnosis are the only reasons curcumin wouldn't be a good choice. Personally if I had only one choice in products I'd go with Now Foods Grape Seed Extract simply because I get both grape seed and vit C in one cap. Grape seed and C are the work horses I rely upon, curcumin is very excellent though as an addition. Make a powerful trio. Now to answer your questions ...

      IF it were me and I was just coming out of an acute attack I wouldn't be eating anything, nothing, for at least 3 days. Just water for hydration. The pancreas must rest. If you eat you are only going to keep the inflammation acute for a longer period and that is NOT a good thing. So I wouldn't be drinking juice for at least 3 days - if on the 4th day I felt 200% better I'd try some v8 juice or fresh organic veggie juice i had made myself to see how that worked out. Other wise only water, grape seed extract, C, curcumin and a couple aspirin or Ibuprofen to help lower the inflammation further.

      No Acidophilus. There is research that suggests probiotics are actually hazardous during an acute attack. I would take them after either until I was really well. Unless you are on antibiotics for some reason they are not necessary anyway - no matter what people tell you.

      Good luck hope you feel better soon!

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  22. Any experiences you can share regarding exercise and pancreatic healing? Short jogs and bike rides ok?

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    1. Exercise is good. IF you are still symptomatic the jogging may jog your pancreas to much (no pun intended) and cause either pain, nausea or both. Walking may be better if you are extremely symptomatic. Riding in the car even sometimes made me nauseous and I never ever had motion sickness before, even while on board ship in the Corps. Bike riding and walking may be just the ticket.

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  23. Hello Health guy;
    I had an acute pancreatitis attack 2 years ago caused by the drug puri-nethol, was hospitilized for 6 months and nearly died from this horrendous illness. I now have diabetes as well as a result of damage done. I am reacting to almost everything I eat and my life is becomming unmanageable. I stumbled upon your site and I am extremely interested in following your diet. I will keep you posted on my progress. Thank you so much for sharing your information free. Because from this I know that you are speaking the truth. Please can you tell me what fruit is suitable to start eating as I am not a big veggie eater. I will start the v8 today,
    Thank you again
    Fellow sufferer

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    1. Howdy - sorry to hear you have hadsome really rough road. Purinethol is a nasty drug which you have unfortunately found out.

      I know you said you aren't a big veggie eater but I suggest you learn to be because vegetables like spincah, broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, chard, tomato (actually a fruit), onion, garlic, are extremely high in nutrients such as polyphenol flavonoids which reduce inflammation and fight cancer. They are also high in vitamins and minerals and have some vegetable protein. They offer more than fruits with far less sugar.

      You should also read my other blog @ beatingpancreatitis.com it has so me info this blog doesn't. And will soon overtake this blog in onformation.

      To answer your question about fruit, which is best. I'd focus on grapes. They contain polyphenol flavonoids called OPC's. These powerful flavonoids reduce inflammation, even kill cancer cells. The best way to get large amounts of OPC's is to get some grape seed extract. From what you have said it'll take some health doses for you to see relief but you may find it is extremely worth it. You simply can't eat enough grapes to do the same thing. The other benefits in your case will be that the extract is cheaper than a ton of grapes and - no sugar. Grape seed extract also helps with some diabetic issues.

      Visit my other blog and keep me posted. Good luck to you :-)

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  24. Hi Healthy Guy, this is the best resource I have found in hours of searching online for a real life experience, doctors do talk about things without really knowing anything. I had an ERCP to remove gallstones from the common bile duct, after 2 hours of the ERCP i developed a pancreatitis and had a severe attack, was in hospital for 3 days and was discharged after introduced drinking and food. 4 days later I ate a fatty meal and had another Pancreas attack, no one at the hospital told me to avoid any food. Now i am on strict diet, it`s been a week since my ERCP now, and having found your website I will follow this strictly, I was hoping if you know : Will I heal completely to be able to eat anything I want after ? Should I follow step 4 for months like you said or just weeks ? Thank you for your amazing blog and information that is by far the best I have found in hours of browsing and despair from the Doctors statement who are already talking about extreme problems I might develop over time including cysts, giving me enzyme medication but no mention if I could heal completely or what kind of diet to follow.

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    1. Sorry I didn't get to your comment until now.

      Question 1: "Will I heal completely to be able to eat anything I want after? "

      I don't know. It depends on how much you were damaged.

      Question 2: "Should I follow step 4 for months like you said or just weeks? "

      I'd do at least 4 months, preferably 6 months but if you had damage that could be seen on CT you most likely will need the diet for life but who knows?

      IF you were diagnosed with SAP (severe acute pancreatitis) and then had another attack after eating a fatty meal - that doesn't bode well for being able to eat normal again. Sorry I know that isn't what you wanted to hear but most likely on target.

      Good luck. I hope you heal.

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  25. Hi ! Is it possible to link constipation to pancreatitis ? I changed my eating habits was good for a while,but now I get pain after food and cant pass food through. No blod. Thanks

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    1. I apologize for taking so long to reply. I would think constipation could definitely be a problem for pancreatitis patients, especially those who follow my no, low fat diet. Fat kinda works like the "grease" and helps move fecal matter down the old tubes but water can help a lot. drink more water. Eat more high fiber foods such as beans, lentils and wheat germ (on morning oatmeal). IF those suggestions do not help after a few days try a stool softener.

      Oh and another way constipation may be linked to pancreatitis is if the damaged pancreas doesn't produce enzymes or in sufficient amounts.

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  26. Hi Healthy guy,

    I have read through your blog and found it very informative.

    I was diagnoised with chronic pancreatitis 2 years ago, now I am 29 years old. I dont drink alcohol or smoke. Mine was idiopathic case. The MRI report acutually says "focal pancreatitis". My only symptom was mild pain in the upper abdomen for 2-3 months before diagnosis. my amylase and lipase levels have always been normal. Till date I am on Creon 10000. I try to maintain a healthy diet but as I have no symptoms I now eat like a normal person. Sometimes say once in 2 months I get mild pain in abdomen and it subsides in 10 days or so. But, always at the back of my mind I am scared that my pancreas might be damaging and in few years I will be sick. I do not eat red meat or drink alcohol ever and also avoid food with very high fat. But I add oil( little) to my vegetables while cooking and sometimes eat desserts and fried stuff.

    Do I have to follow a very strict diet all my life or can i relax it because I am feeling better now.

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    1. Neha IF it were me I'd reconsider my diet. Some folks would rather take the chance and play "russian roulette." But all you have to do is spend some time in a support group, listen to what severely damaged people say in regards to their quality of life and ask yourself: "Is eating normal worth it?"

      What most people who have chronic pancreatitis don't seem to "get" is that their next meal could be the one that starts a cascade of events that leads to death or severe disability. It is all your choice right now. If something happens (acute pancreatitis) and you sustain more damage it may never be your choice again.

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  27. Can you drink N.A. beer after having pancreatitis . It does contain less than 1%.

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    1. Sure you can. You can drink anything you like if you enjoy being sick BUT if you want to heal your inflamed pancreas I'd not touch the stuff.

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  28. I, as a someone who suffers chronic pancreatitis appreciate most of your advice. It is a difficult situation to deal with, and can be extremely detrimental to someones entire life. We need to find the best ways to control it. I would give you one bit of advice when you are posting on the internet however. There are many people that may read your blog, and believe it as fact. It simply is NOT true however that someone can be "healed" from chronic pancreatitis. That is just simply a medical FACT. I think you are doing more harm than good by using that wording with the chronic form of pancreatitis. It would probably be more wise to replace the word healing, with the word controlling. You can do your best to eat properly, avoid alcohol totally, and monitor your health, in order to control this horrible health crisis. You cannot however heal the chronic form. I would with you would just be careful in using that term, as you are giving many how are yet fully educated on this a false sense that they will be healed.

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    1. Thanks for the advice. I'll try to be a lot more careful even though controlled and healed are somewhat similar, neither means cured. Have you ever read where I have said cured. No you have not because there is no cure so I have to disagree with you. There are others besides me who have become healed. IF you had taken the time to read the comments you may have learned that your view may be incorrect. In fact there is scientific evidence that the pancreas can regenerate under certain circumstances. You can find that info under the appropriate posts. Now - I am not going to argue with you or have a long discussion. ALL of my posts are usually backed with science, somewhere on this blog. That's the difference between you and me. I do research before I chastise someone and those that chastise me or tell me I'm wrong usually don't know squat about what they are talking about. Sorry if I hurt your feelings. But YOUR kind of information comes from those who want you to stay sick. YOU are an income source, a revenue generator, as long as you stay sick. You might even buy some surgeon a new mercedes with a surgery or two. If you want to believe you have no options and stay sick, that's your business. I on the other hand take a more proactive approach and use common sense along with science. There are some who are so damaged, usually from surgical procedures that they may never heal. IF you'd have read more of my blog you'd have read that already. Obviously you need more education on the subject of pancreatitis, acute and chronic, just like most doctors. Thanks for stopping by. IF you would seriously like a chance to heal, do more than just skim what I write. Do more than just read. Before you tell me what I say doesn't work try taking the steps it takes to heal. I would wager you have no clue what those steps are and if so aren't willing to do what it takes. Just willing to tell me I'm an idiot. I'm well, you're sick, obviously. I have people who are either getting well, or are pretty much healed. Some who have CT's that show NO damage where damage was showing before! HOW do you explain that? Come on, tell me, maybe it was just magic?

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  29. When reintroducing food I know that all dairy is out and nuts too. What about almond milk? The box says 2.5g fat per cup and no dairy.

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    1. You can always try Almond milk to see if it works for you. You can always try NO fat milk and see if that works. No fat milk works for some and not for others. I can drink a little no fat milk (once or twice per week and be ok. Every day doesn't work. I've never tried Almond milk so I can't say.

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  30. My husband is a truck driver just had a severe attack ! He is allergic to aspirin what do you suggest for anti inflammatory to help with the inflammation? He had his first attack about four years ago. He's a diabetic, I am not a nurse but I do work in local ER, I've seen several cases of acute pancreatitis attacks. Him being several hundreds miles away from home calling me at 1 am in severe pain and knowing that I can't get to him . It really breaks my heart! I had him to call his boss just because I told him to call ambulance which he calls his boss but didn't go for medical help! Which frustrates me being in the medical field. I'm a Cna and phlebotomist and I work in Er and lab. I know enough that he should have went to er . He's stubborn! I just don't like asking my doctors I work for advice. I've been reading your blogs this morning after being up all night talking to him, he does have 2 stents in his heart. I've already told him npo! Maybe a few sips of water off and on and to check his sugar frequently and not to take his diabetes medicine unless his blood sugar was elevated, which I know pain can cause blood sugar to rise. At least until he can get back to his work because of his stubbornness. Any suggestions on anti inflammatory alternative? Appreciate your support and advice.

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    1. I'm sorry to hear about your husband. The best anti-inflammatory for pancreatitis (IMHO) is Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) (800-1200 mg one dose) BUT with your husband's previous heart issues it may not be a great idea. I'd ask a doctor who knows about his personal heart issues whether a healthy dose or even two would be an issue ... seriously ask first! He should be in the ER. It is difficult to determine whether the attack is mild or severe, even for doctors (that's why they take so many tests and have so many criteria). I urge you to harp on him to go to the ER. I hope he is better soon :-)

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  31. Hello, I was very excited to find your site as it is the only one that gives hope with this condition. I might be a strange case though, as my problems worsen when I have anything that is spicy, sour or very salty. I took some Chinese pills three weeks ago which were very spicy and could sleep all night from incredible pain radiating to my back between my shoulder blades. The next day, an avocado eased it as I'm guessing it just covered the hurting nerve part with its "cream". I used to eat a ton of berries and ginger/spices as it was helping my condition but now I am in despair and have no idea what to do. Should I try introducing the supplements you suggest gradually or should I try a super delicate diet for some time first until that sounded part heals? God help me that this pain is not here to stay for good :( I cannot imagine not being able to take ginger or raw food with vit C...! What are your thoughts on this? I'll be grateful for your opinion.

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    1. Hi Monimin - I'm guessing from what you have already said that you haven't been told the two enemies to a damaged pancreas are alcohol and FAT.

      I can't tell you how many times I have heard people tell me they eat high fat foods such as avocado with brilliant success (even helps) but that spices, grapes, apples or water cause them to be violently ill.

      The problem is that spices are extremely beneficial especially curcumin (tumeric), pepper (both black and cayenne), garlic, chili powder and host of other including ginger (similar family as curcumin).

      People eat fat one day and see no harm then they eat grapes the next and have an attack or flare and blame grapes. Grapes are EXTREMELY anti-inflammatory and grape seed extract is one of the few supplements that actually help alleviate pancreas inflammation. Vitamin C and curcumin are the others that do extremely well. Ginger is also quite good. Again ...

      FAT and ALCOHOL are the two enemies not no fat or low, low fat foods such as spices, fruits, vegetables, legumes and more. There are EXCEPTIONS to the fruits - avocado and coconut have way too much fat. So do flax seed, nuts (all kinds) and cooking oils (ALL). Oils are PURE FAT. Anyway ... This blog is OLD. I have a much newer site. IF you really want to learn how to heal and beat pancreatitis visit my newer site: https://beatingpancreatitis.com/

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