1. Community
  2. Gut, bowel and stomach
  3. Pancreatitis and Pancreatic Disorders

Can anyone with Chronic Pancreatitis describe the pain that they suffer?

Posted , 4 users are following.

pete70517
pete70517

Hi !

My question is this. Does the pain that you experience subside if you are vertical and walking about or is it a constant feature no matter what position your body is ? I was diagnosed with Acute Pancreatitis with an abdominal pain very much to my right hand side. My doctors seem confused and I'm due to have a colonoscopy next week as the pain is located in the area of the colon. When I sit down I feel the pain and when I stand up I get relief from it. Is this a typical pain that you could have if you have chronic pancreatitis ?

In my case the doctors want to rule out any possibility of colon cancer as I continue to lose weight and my pancreas looks ok on an ultra sound scan. My amilyse and lipasye levels are normal also. My GP insists that with these results I shouldn't have Chronic pancreatitis. However, another doctor and several pancreas patients on this site disagree and maintain that it's very possible to have normal pancreatic enzymes results and still have Chronic pancreatitis.

So, the pain I have is a source of confusion and that is why I'm asking this question. I would greatly appreciate if you would describe the typical pain you suffer if you have been diagnosed with Chronic Pancreatitis and if a sitting position makes it worse?

Thanks a lot for your help,

Regards, Pete.         

0 likes, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • Reefsider
    Reefsider pete70517

    Posted

    Sitting up straight helps me Pete.  If I'm in bed I have to sit up and sometimes get up and walk about a bit.  If I'm having the really sharp pain it's central and goes through to my back and can feel like kidney pain sometimes.  Position doesn't help that one.

    Do you have any other symptoms?  There are a lot of weird ills, I know given I have a doozy other than CP.  My doc's kept blaming my other disease for years when as I now know it was the pancreatitis kicking in.

    Some things are quite obscure unless you know what you're looking for or the symptoms present obviously.  My other disease is notoriously difficult to diagnose and if I hadn't presented one absolutely classic symptom as a child it may not have been picked up.  It was even more unusual because it doesn't usually show up until puberty or later so I was lucky in that sense I suppose although I'd not wish it on anyone.

    Creon helps you've said so whatever it is it impacts your digestion but that can happen with other diseases too, including my weird one. 

    Perhaps you need to find someone willing to look a little deeper, beyond the obvious.  Keep pushing don't give up.  I hope the colon is clear let us know.  Remember to r-e-l-a-x, don't stress.   

     

    • pete70517
      pete70517 Reefsider

      Posted

      Hi Reefsider,

      That must be the Barrier Reef you are beside!  Thanks for your answer. This pain is bothering me a lot recenltly, but I just feel it when I sit down. So, it could be a lot worse I suppose. I'll keep standing as much as possible. So far, although pain is probably different for everyone, I haven't really heard of anyone with the precise symptoms as myself.

      Luckily, I can sleep at night as it doesn't bother me when I'm flat out. 

      Sorry to hear that you have had health problems for such a long time. It's not easy but nevertheless, a positive outlook is the best way forward, I keep telling myself and anyone else who will listen to me!!! Which isn't an awful lot of people.

      All the best for now,

      Regards, Pete. .

          

       

  • Nina55437
    Nina55437 pete70517

    Posted

    I have CP and I don't feel pain in my colon and it doesn't get worse when I sit down. I do feel better when I stand up though. My pain is just below my ribs and is usually on the right and hurts through to my back. Actually my back hurts the worst. Hope this helps you.
Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.