Chronic Calcific Pancreatitis_Problems and Life Expectancy

Digestive health
1

Hello,

I have been diagnosed with Chronic Calcific Pancreatitis 6 months ago with epigastric pain, radiating to back and increased postprandially associated with steatorrhoe undoucmented weight loss. CEC Abdomen showed chronic pancreatitis with dilated pancreatic duct and extensive calcification.

I underwent ECRP, ESWL and pancreatic sphincterotomy. Pancreatic stent was placed on January 25. After that I have been suffering from vomiting tendency, pain in pancreas. Also, facing memory loss issues since 6 months.

What could be the reason? Also, what is the life expectancy? My age is 25 years...

2

CP can have a number of different causes and cause should form part of the investigation into your diagnosis. Sometimes the cause can be difficult to determine and the diagnosis is Idiopathic CP.

As long as you stop drinking alcohol, smoking and adopt a healthy lifestyle you should live into old age.

3

Dear siteshrajan,

I was diagnosed with CP 3 months ago with abdominal pain that radiates in the upper back, stiff abdomen or flatulence. I had an acute attack in mid 2013, but didn't what was the problem even the doctor believed that I had gas and even heart problem. As the pain subsided I resumed alcohol, and eat a lot of fatty food especially during the festive season. In January the pain returned and my abdomen was swelling. I told the doctor I suspect pancreatitis. He took blood sample, ultrasound, CT-scan and I was told it was a chronic pancreatitis. I was so worried specially when I read several forums of patients with the same illness. Some claims that our life will be shortened as the disease is progressive (meaning getting worst rather than better) and the possibility of the pancreas to become cancerous where one can only expect to leave a max of 1 year etc tec. Fortunately, I have an old Cuban doctor friend who is now working in Brazil who told me what to do. Today only one and a half months after, I feel well, no pain, no abdominal swelling and living a normal life.

What to do:

1) Must have discipline and willingness to treat yourself.

2) Stop alcohol immediately (not even beer or wine)

3) Very, very, very important keep your diabetes under control (if you are diabetic)

4) Do not eat fatty foods, e.g. pork, bacon, ham, sausages etc.

5) Eat a lot of vegetables and fruits (1 or 2 guava a day + fresh guava juice)

6) Do not eat a lot, split your meals into small portions rather than a big lunch and dinner. The aim is not to disturb the pancreas as a lot of food will trigger a lot of enzymes being released which is damaging your pancreas.

7) Check your cholesterol level. If high you should be prescribed with anti cholesterol medicine such as atorvastatin tablets by your doctor. If low fine.

8) Take a glass of fresh aloe vera juice last thing every night before bed time.

9) Walk 40 -50 minutes daily (brisk walking) very very very important.

10) Pray for your cure.

If you have enough self-discipline to maintain the above, you should start seeing changes in your health and the pain should subside slowly but surely. It might take you about 3 weeks before you see any changes, but it will come if you persist.

I hope I have been of help you.

4

I have to disagree with some of what Norbert has written .....

Pork is a low fat meat and is very good if cooked in the correct way.

By all means drink aloe vera juice, but there is no proof of its benefit.

Keep fit, but vigorous exercise can bring on an attack.

By all means pray, but don't expect a cure. Once the pancreas cells are damaged they cannot be repaired or replaced.

CP is progressive, but you can still live without a pancreas. It is not a death sentence.

5

Thank you so much everyone for your help.

6

My daughter suffered with chronic pancreatitis.  She never drank a drop of liqueur in her life.  We honestly thought she had a very bad flu.  Took her to ER and they scrambled around her and before we new it she was going down hill quickly.  Enzymes showed out of this world...her gallbladder was so upset and was shooting gall stones out hitting her pancreas.  Her pancreas was so swelled and suda cysts were all around it.  They could not do surgery until they got her staple.  It took 4 antibiotics and a week to get her fever down.  We come close to losing her.  She had 4 stents placed in the suda cysts to drain them and one month later her Gall bladder was able to be removed.  The pancreas was still upset with cysts and was literally eating itself.  The pain she had was gut wrenching.  After 16 ER visits and 9 hospital admittance we were told this would pretty much be her life with pancreatitis and pain.  We did research and found a doctor in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Dr. Syed Ahmed.  We sent our daughters medical records and he sent for her to come.  He placed a feeding GJ tube in her to bypass her pancreas to work.  She could not eat or drink for 6 weeks to give her pancreas a rest.  It started working...after 4 months she one day woke up with her pain gone!  Her pancreas was healed!  God used Dr. Ahmed ....and saved our daughters life!   Siteshrajan your tips your dr gave you are excellent and are all what Dr. Ahmed advised my daughter also!  

7

My daughter has had chronic pancreatitis for 25 years now. The doctors finally decided to place a feeding tube into her stomach. The question have is, does your daughter still using the feeding tube? 

8

Thank you for inspirational note I'm happy you have controlled your pain managment , I'm still on the morphine tablets awaiting a surgical procedure , good luck too you and thanks ,,yours Ivor ..

 

9

Unlike almost everyone else I've read here on this forum, I've not been officially diagnosed with CP, but I've had all the symptoms of the AP and CP. Also I did have a short hospital stay for acute abdominal pain about 5 yrs ago, but I think at the time I was misdiagnosed. After that attack and for the past 5 yrs, I thought that I've had gallbladder issues(which run in my family), ie the upper abdominal pain that radiated to my back which would crop up every morning when I ate too many fatty foods the day before. For the most part, I have done all the things you say to do for CP, except the exercise, but I did them for what I thought was gallbladder issues and may have been or may have been CP. Since they are related, the diet was what helped me the most.  I found the diet by doing a Google search for gallbladder &  finding a web site that is called gallbladder attack dot com (take out the spaces). I went on a very strict diet that was on the site...and that got rid of my pain within days. After a several months  being on and off of this diet (depending upon if I was in pain or not), by accident,I discovered that I could totally get rid of the upper abdominal pain that was radiating to my back, within 15 seconds. Each time I had the pain, I was quite sure I'd eaten the wrong fatty food the previous evening or late afternoon. If I had  severally over eaten some fatty things, like peanut butter and chocolate and possibly something like cheese,  then I would just stay on my newly discovered treatment for a day or 2 and all pain would go away with in 24-48 hrs. It works every time for me..It's never failed me. What I do is... if I wake up with pain radiating from my upper abdomen around to my back,I go straight to my refrigerator and get out a lemon (which you can get at any grocery store). I put the lemon into my microwave for 15 seconds on high (this is not necessary, but the lemon will give you more juice if you do this). Once heated, I then cut the lemon in 1/2 and I ream the lemon on a juicer ( or you can just squeeze it) . Then the important part....I drink the lemon juice (which is usually only 2 tablespoons). Then I rub what's left of that 1/2 of the lemon on my fore arms and on my face (lemon is also good for the skin & it get absorbed into your body faster that way). After 15 min I rinse it all off. Typically my pain is gone in 15 - 60 seconds after drinking the lemon juice. I save the other half of the lemon in the refrigerator for the next day. If I have really over done it and eaten lots of fatty foods the previous day or previous evening (typically that would be chocolate or peanut butter) In stead of refrigerating the other half of the lemon, I squeeze that half of the lemon into a 12 oz bottle of cooled (but previously boiled water [I've drank only boiled spring water for the last 5 years, since shortly after my original attack]) and drink that all day. I also may have the juice of a 2nd lemon during the day or evening if I feel I need it, but I always give the 1st lemon, a good 2 hrs to work before I'd have more lemon juice. Hope that helps someone...it's been an incredible help for getting rid of my pain. Now I'm reading up on pancreatic enzymes and plan on taking them, starting next week.  

BTW for those who's CP has advanced to Kidney disease, I was in stage 3B last year and put myself of a strict (low protien)diet for Kidney disease and now I'm greatly improved and have healed my kidneys to point I no longer have Kidney disease. (I also take a great number of vitamins, minerals, & hearbs every day, so I'm sure they, along with the diet, helped my Kidneys heal)

10

Hi Stuart there should have more people like you on this forum

what you write it give hope to people like me,sick reading  stuff like you only have 7 years left to live and your life is finished,but as you have stated you can live a normal life and grow old if you keep to diet no smoking and no drinking and controling your pain meds,biggrin people with CP will have to tell themselfs its not a death sentence,people die everday but its not with chronic pancreatitis,we should enjoy life while were still on this planet,so come on all you CP guys go for it theres nothing to lose anyway

11

hi,

i had calcification on my pancreas three years ago approx one year after having two large cysts removed due to chronic pancreatitis, i was diagnosed 8 years ago.

calcium is the problem and needs to be balanced with MAGNESIUM,my calcifications cleared suggest "high absortion 100% chelated magnesium",

very important make sure your body is not acidic this will cause more pain

i take a glass of water with bicarbonate of soda every morning and a glass

before bedtime,the pancreas requires plenty of water so make sure you drink

several glasses per day,you must keep your ph balance in check,hope this helps.

 

12

I don't understand!

You say that the calcification cleared?

Once calcification of the pancreas takes place, is not, to my knowledge, reversible. 

By all means drink plenty of fluids, particularly if you are take artifical pancreas enzymes, but I'm not sure that taking bicarbonate would have any effect on calcium with the pancreas.

13

hi stuart13,

yes my calcification cleared i put that down to magnesium,i had a ultrasound several months later no sign of calification.had a ct scan

4 months ago the specialist said no calcification and no cycts.bicarbonate of soda taken to keep my ph level, no idea if it contributed to removal of calcification.appears if you have to much calcium the magnesium will get rid of the excess i'm convinced it worked

for me so yes i'm living proof that calcification of the pancreas can be

eliminated.

 

14

This is interesting! And completely noteworthy. How long would you say it took for the magnesium to work? I started taking it about a month ago because of something I read. I am even considering EDTA for a long shot approach to clearing calcifications. I don't care if it's true or not, I really hate it when people say there's nothing you can do. Here's the deal, hope is everything.

How much baking soda do you take?

thanks for sharing people!

15

 it was 6 months from being diagnosed with calcification when my next scan ultrasound showed it was clear,if you have to much calcium in the body magnesium will get rid of the excess and balance it out,regarding

bicarbonate of soda 1 teaspoon with water in the morning and one teaspoon before bed.this may also be of interest,a few months ago i had problems with sudden mild pancreatic pain within minutes my saliva

became watery and was sick which made the pain terrible,my specialist

informed "nothing we can do for you" well to me that was a red rag to a bull,researched the internet "pro biotics and pancreatitis" appears trials

have taken place in sweden & china and one pro biotic appears to benefit pancreatitis L.PLANTARUM,have been taking them for 10 days

and the symptoms have stopped,with this disease i will try anything remember what good is a healthy patient to a doctor?all they do is send you home with pain killers and digestive enzymes with a disease that must be the worst pain a human being can suffer.

 

16

I was diagnosed with calcified pancreas in 2007, this year I have had two MRI scans, 2nd for a probable cyst but thankfully there's none - Yet. I have had chronic calcified pancreatitis for 7yrs now and the pain is unbearable at times, agonising for the rest. Thank you for your post on here, it's encouraging to read you're proof cysts aren't "the end" like we're led to believe! I wondered if you still have pain? Was surgery painful? I'm on oxy's, quite a lot and have been for over a year, now they want to try a cealiac plexus block around my spine. I've scared, it's a 100/1 safe with a 50/50 chance of any relief and I'd still be on my meds! I'm worried about it, heard many bad story's and the 50/50 chance it'll work seems a needless risk - Or am I wrong? Any experience or advice would be appreciated. I'm 36, feel like I'm 76 with all negative views about my future from numerous doctor's and so called specialist. I feel like a guinea pig and very confused! Thanks for reading and I hope all people suffering CP are staying strong :-) 

17

I was diagnosed with calcified pancreas in 2007, this year I have had two MRI scans, 2nd for a probable cyst but thankfully there's none - Yet. I have had chronic calcified pancreatitis for 7yrs now and the pain is unbearable at times, agonising for the rest. Thank you for your post on here, it's encouraging to read you're proof cysts aren't "the end" like we're led to believe! I wondered if you still have pain? Was surgery painful? I'm on oxy's, quite a lot and have been for over a year, now they want to try a cealiac plexus block around my spine. I've scared, it's a 100/1 safe with a 50/50 chance of any relief and I'd still be on my meds! I'm worried about it, heard many bad story's and the 50/50 chance it'll work seems a needless risk - Or am I wrong? Any experience or advice would be appreciated. I'm 36, feel like I'm 76 with all negative views about my future from numerous doctor's and so called specialist. I feel like a guinea pig and very confused! Thanks for reading and I hope all people suffering CP are staying strong :-) 

18

I was diagnosed with calcified pancreas in 2007, this year I have had two MRI scans, 2nd for a probable cyst but thankfully there's none - Yet. I have had chronic calcified pancreatitis for 7yrs now and the pain is unbearable at times, agonising for the rest. Thank you for your post on here, it's encouraging to read you're proof CP isn't "the end" like we're led to believe! I wondered if you still have pain? Was surgery painful? I'm on oxy's, quite a lot and have been for over a year, now they want to try a cealiac plexus block around my spine. I've scared, it's a 100/1 safe with a 50/50 chance of any relief and I'd still be on my meds! I'm worried about it, heard many bad story's and the 50/50 chance it'll work seems a needless risk - Or am I wrong? Any experience or advice would be appreciated. I'm 36, feel like I'm 76 with all negative views about my future from numerous doctor's and so called specialist. I feel like a guinea pig and very confused! Thanks for reading and I hope all people suffering CP are staying strong :-) 

19

CP is diffrent with everbody some people have bad pain some people dont it just depends on how much the pancrease is damaged yes it is a  bad disease i have had it for 6 years pain comes and goes but by all means you can live a long life its just  what you have to go through to be comfortable diet no drinking but smoking is link to pancreatic cancer  they say at the meo clinic best in the world for this kind of thing that 1 in 500 people would develop cancer   but it hard to carry on with life when you know you have CP i  try not to worry about it cause you could be worring for the next 20 years the main thing is get you diet write try no dairy food but plenty of water because CP mean that your pancrease has shrunk a good bit so it need a lot of water even when your not dry but we have to deal with it all of us

20

Thanks for your reply. It's encouraging to hear that despite the pain life can carry on as normal for possibly many many years. I have had CP for years, it is depressing thinking of the negatives so to hear positive feedback helps. I've not touched a drop of alcohol for almost a year now, same with smoking. I'm consciously watching my diet but maybe I don't drink enough fluid. I'll take on board your comments and thank you again.