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

Describe Your Pancreatitis Pain & Symptoms Please

Posted , 7 users are following.

HumanBeing
HumanBeing

I have been suffering from severe Upper stomach pain from the last 6 months. It all started when I took 7 days antibiotics course for Hpylori. I did not have any symptoms of hpylori but doctor prescribed me the antibiotics (Amoxicilin, Clairythromycin & Nexium). Upon second or third day I developed extreme upper stomach pain and bloating but upon doctors suggestion I continued, I was dying everyday but I toughened up and continued taking the antibiotics. Now after 6 months I am still in pain everyday.

I have done endoscopy, mrcp/mri, ultrasound and blood tests all normal. I am describing the nature of pain here please help me identify whether this is related to pancreatitis or not.

I experience severe upper stomach pain that feels exactly like you get punched in your solar plexus or a severe upper stomach cramp. When deep breathing I can feel the pain and band like circle of pain surrounding my upper left front back and middle. Sometimes I feel out of breath and deep breathing is difficult. My upper stomach muscles tighten with slight activity and the inner stomach wall pain, the inner stomach walls feel swollen and sore and painful. Any activity like walking or brushing teeth tightens my stomach upper muscles. I used to think it maybe directly linked to my pain but now I think its because of malnutrition because of so much pain I was unable to eat properly and lost a lot of weight and somehow my stomach muscles are now directly connected to the source of pain and physical activity aggravates the pain. Eating does not particularly cause pain there is no pattern with eating causing pain, bowel movements are normal. I am young, and was a healthy and active person with no issue at all. I am a strong person but this pain is so painful and disabling that from the last 6 months I have not left my house. I cant do any physical activity. When pain is extreme I find it even difficult to breathe. The pain is there all the time but it isnt extreme all the time but still very very painful and disabling you can imagine someone punching you in your stomach and how it feels.

I started a thread a while ago requesting people to diagnose whether my symptoms are pancreatitis related or not. The reason is although docs have not found anything from the tests that suggest pancreatitis but the severity of pain and the fact that it happened after antibiotics and have not settled for so long, docs dont have answers and they are too quick and inclined towards pancreatitis. 

Since doctors have no answer I have to find answers myself, in my other thread some good people suggested that my pain does not seem like pancreatitis as pancreatitis pain settles for sometime and is not continuously sitting there. But I read conflicting views on internet.

I am here to find answers and I would like everyone who have suffered from pancreatitis pain explain the nature of their pain and tell me whether my pain sounds like pancreatitis?

Link to my other thread: https://patient.info/forums/discuss/help-me-diagnose-pancreatits-share-your-experience-please-643820

2 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • linda9693
    linda9693 HumanBeing

    Posted

    Acute pancreatitis is a sudden onset of severe pain in the upper left stomach area, going through to your back. It feels that severe that you feel like you're going to pass out. You get high temp, feel or be sick and I would say it also feels like a heart attack. This will most defiantly show up in blood tests and also the amdominal scan or mrcp. 

    Have they tested you for all these?

    Also get them to test gallstones and a hiatal hernia too. Both of these cause severe stomach pains like you are describing. 

    I hope they can resolve everything for you soon. 

    Good luck x

  • HumanBeing
    HumanBeing

    Posted

    yes so far Endoscopy, MRCP (MRI), Ultrasound and Blood tests are done and all are normal. But these tests were performed weeks after when the pain started. The pain never left me but throughout the day the intensity and focus of pain changes, sometimes its severe others time its just there but manageable. 

    Although I know Pancreatitis pain is extremely painful and disabling but most of the reading I have done suggests you do get times when you are completely pain free whereas that is not the case with me my pain never left me in these 6 months. I am unable to perform any physical activity. I walk in my house but that too sometimes aggravates pain and from the last few weeks I am getting severe back pain also. Back pain maybe because of malnutrition or whether its related I dont know. I also do get pain behind upper left back when taking a deep breath it does seem like its connected to the front. But whether all these even related to pancreas I am not really sure.

  • clivealive
    clivealive HumanBeing

    Posted

    I wonder whether the h-pylori and subsequent antibiotics have caused a Vitamin B12 deficiency. Do you know whether your B12 and Folate levels were ever tested?

    Symptoms of B12 deficiency tend to develop slowly and may not be recognised immediately. As the condition worsens, common symptoms include:

    Weakness and fatigue

    Light-headedness and dizziness

    Palpitations and rapid heartbeat

    Shortness of breath

    A sore tongue that has a red, beefy appearance

    Nausea or poor appetite

    Weight loss

    Diarrhoea

    Yellowish tinge to the skin and eyes

    If low levels of B12 remain for a long time, the condition also can lead to irreversible damage to nerve cells, which can cause the following symptoms:

    Numbness and tingling in the hands and feet

    Difficulty walking

    Muscle weakness

    Irritability

    Memory loss

    Dementia

    Depression

    PsychosisI cannot help you with symptoms of pancreatitis as my "interest" with this forum is because I have an "under performing" pancreas.

     I am not a medically trained person but I've had Pernicious.Anaemia (a form of B12 deficiency) for more than 45 years.

    I wish you well and hope you find some answers soon. 

    • HumanBeing
      HumanBeing clivealive

      Posted

      I am taking B12. The pain started suddenly after taking medicines and it is very painful and cant be this sudden because of a deficiency although I do agree deficiency can create further problems if the pain is triggered by something like it did in my case. I am experiencing terrible back pains from the last few weeks and I never had them. I lost around 12 kgs maybe that is the reason or maybe its related to pancreas I dont know. The pain in upper stomach is severe like a punch or severe cramp in your upper left stomach. And the back pain is now contributing to the pain as it feels like back pain is also creating cramp like feeling in stomach and in kidney area.
  • Psychdoc
    Psychdoc HumanBeing

    Posted

    Please find another gastroenterologist. My pancreatic problems was due to a birth defect that surfaced while pregnant 14 years ago. Yes, punched in solar plexus type, pain, deep breaths excruciating. I ended up having the Whipple surgery in 12/ 2016. I am much better now. My prayers are with you. Don't give up.

    • HumanBeing
      HumanBeing Psychdoc

      Posted

      I did change my doc but since first was inclined towards pancreatitis, the second was quick to say that pancreatitis is the possible cause although they did not diagnose or told me that I have pancreatitis. The tests I have done should be enough I believe to diagnose pancreatitis? I have done Endoscopy, Blood Test (blood test were taken after a month when pain started), Ultrasound, MRCP (MRI). All of these tests are normal.
  • HumanBeing
    HumanBeing

    Posted

    After these tests doc is not saying that its pancreatitis but still inclined towards it because of the nature of pain and series of events that lead to that pain i.e. antibiotics use. Docs simply dont have any answer that is why I have decided to find answers myself. Problem with my pain is that any physical activity aggravates and tightens the area where pain is. My pain moves around and focuses on upper left stomach, upper middle, and below heart (feels like heart pain and severe cramp but all heart tests were normal). Even when walking my stomach feels like its a seperate sac and it pains in upper left side or sometimes in the upper middle. Stomach feels swollen. At first when the pain started my stomach was very bloated there was no movement but after 6 months bloating has almost gone and thats the only good thing that happened but still it has not affected the pain rather it made the pain more pronounced (as when stomach was bloated the pain felt like its every where in the upper stomach).  I also get the feeling like my stomach is hanging and falling down this happens when I am walking or when I am sleeping on side as well. 
  • greg10651
    greg10651 HumanBeing

    Posted

    My guess is that this is not pancreatitis. I had very similar symptoms at one time and it turned out to be a very inflamed colon. But you ultrasound should have revealed this. Have you done a colonoscopy?
    • HumanBeing
      HumanBeing greg10651

      Posted

      Thank you for your input. My pain is in upper stomach exactly below ribcage and I can feel its my upper stomach. Whatever pain it is its all in the upper stomach whether its pain or cramp like feeling it all happens in upper stomach. I dont think its related to colon.

      Can I ask what makes you say it cant be pancreatitis? I just want to learn and I am very thankful for your help.

    • greg10651
      greg10651 HumanBeing

      Posted

      The meat of the pancreas is on the left side of the body, not where you are experiencing pain.  if you did have pancreatitis, i would think your endoscopy would have revealed the inflammation that come with it,as well as an ultrasound.  Have you experienced diarrhea, oily/fatty stools, weight loss?  These are some of the common symptoms.  
    • HumanBeing
      HumanBeing greg10651

      Posted

      Did loose a lot of weight about 12 kgs in 5 6 months. That was probably because I was unable to eat properly because of pain, other than that bowel movements are normal. My stools do look shiny and soft but I dont think its fatty stools, they dont leave any residue when mixed with water (as oils do). I am experiencing pain on upper left stomach and that is where most people experience pain when they have pancreas issues maybe because stomach is on the left side so any pancreatic inflammation presses the stomach. I cant stand for long as my upper left stomach starts to hurt clench and gives me the feeling like I have been punched and it gives me severe cramp like feeling in upper left stomach. Upper middle back hurts as well. 

      Pancreatitis does not always inflame stomach unless it wents on for very long so endoscopy wouldnt show anything. Ultrasound does show abnormalities in pancreas but it is still not very accurate at detecting pancreas problems. So the nature of pain is the only diagnosis tool for me to rule out any pancreatic issue.

  • HumanBeing
    HumanBeing

    Posted

    My pain often feels like theres a ball inside upper left stomach area and when I walk or do anything it gives the feeling like its hanging. While walking I can feel the pain and sometimes each step hurt a little. Even sleeping in certain position aggravates the pain next morning and I have been noticing I cant breath properly and my whole stomach feels like it swells when I sleep on right side, I feel weak shaky next morning and stomach feels swollen. From what I read physical activity does not increase pancreatitis pain or at least not the way it is aggravating mine. Endoscopy didnt say any hernia and my pain is like someone punches you usually cramp like feeling or like someone punches you doesnt happen in hernia.
  • HumanBeing
    HumanBeing

    Posted

    Sleeping on sides also sometimes feels like rib bones crush my stomach and its not imaginary stomach feels its touches left rib cage when lying on left side and next morning it feels sore and bruised in that area similarly when I sleep on right side stomach feels like its hanging and you can feel the pressure and muscle stiffness on upper left side. My pain is involving my abdominal muscles too and feels they are directly connected to inside of  stomach which is not possible but it somehow signals that something is wrong and my abdominal muscles gets tightens as well. Pain is not completely localized or focused on specific area so an injury or ulcer is unlikely (I did have endoscopy which showed nothing).
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.