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Help - suspected pancreas issues

Posted , 9 users are following.

andrea64883
andrea64883

Hi I'm just looking to see if anybody can share their experience and give some advice.

I had a baby 7 months ago, during my pregnancy I had terrible heartburn which I think is quite common. I did not put on much extra weight, I had back pain mostly on left side but it would spread all over but overall I felt well.

Baby came and then things went downhill, the heartburn and reflux stayed but to a lesser degree, but i can often regurgitate my food

The left sided back pain turned from a niggle to a constant bad ache and feels much worse after I eat. it also now creeps around my side and front under left ribs but is mostly my back.

My tongue feels swollen and this sounds stupid almost feels too big for my mouth.

I have lost 2 stone (as i say not much baby weight so this is tracking from my pre pregnancy to now), my appetite is reduced but I force myself to eat to try keep my strength up.

Then about 2 months the scary thing happened and my stools became really greasy/oily but they are still brown. there is often a layer of oil, fat bubbles when i poo. My movements are erratic with some constipation and then some diarreah.

More recently I often feel light headed, with buzzing in my head and tingling hands and feet. I am worried that i have malabsorption with my oily poo, my weight loss and I'm concerned how long this can go on for.

After much debate with my gp (she thought I had baby anxiety) I have had bloods they were fine but I don't think they checked my lipase and amlayse levels. I was referred to gastro consultant who is only doing zoom but he arranged abdominal CT scan with contrast which he said was clear. He was then going to discharge me but i pushed and said but what about my symptoms and he had now arranged an endoscopy for early November. I have also emailed him asking for further bloods and poo tests, surely they need to check the elastase.

I am usually super fit and out exercising, hiking etc but now I am generally fatigued. I know there is something wrong with me and i'm convinced its my pancreas given all of my pain and symptoms but the gastro consultant said it looked ok on the CT scan. I just feel like nobody believes me and that each day i get a bit weaker, i know that sounds dramatic but that's how I feel.

Do these symptoms sound familiar, what about the tongue, i've not read about this being common, also how did you get anybody to listen to you.

0 likes, 23 replies

23 Replies

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  • theresa00461
    theresa00461 andrea64883

    Posted

    Hi Andrea, sorry to join the discussion so late!

    I wondered if you had got any further with your diagnosis.

    i am much older than you (57) but have very similar symptoms - constant loose yellow smelly oily stools, complete exhaustion and pain below my left ribs and indigestion and heartburn.

    i had a colonoscopy today, at my GP's request. The consultant i spoke to in November said he doubted my problems were colon related, and that i would probably need an EUS.

    As he predicted, there were no problems with my colon and my GP had been asked to consider cross sectional imaging.

    i am exhausted and have lost 1.5 stone (this has gone on since mid-September) but my GP is convinced i am suffering from IBS and depression.

    i have told her that my Grandmother died of pancreatic cancer. And I know from the pancreatic cancer charity website that if i was 60 presenting with these symptoms i would immediately have been referred to a pancreatic specialist.

    i understand that my problems may be caused by some other condition, but i would like to have any tests i can.

    i am mistrustful of doctors generally as in the past what i was told was a swollen lymph gland was in fact a very large tumour (not malignant thankfully) requiring extensive surgery to my neck and face.

    Any pointers would be gratefully accepted. i will read all the other posts too.

  • theresa00461
    theresa00461 andrea64883

    Posted

    Hi Andrea, sorry to join the discussion so late!

    I wondered if you had got any further with your diagnosis.

    i am much older than you (57) but have very similar symptoms - constant loose yellow smelly oily stools, complete exhaustion and pain below my left ribs and indigestion and heartburn.

    i had a colonoscopy today, at my GP's request. The consultant i spoke to in November said he doubted my problems were colon related, and that i would probably need an EUS.

    As he predicted, there were no problems with my colon and my GP had been asked to consider cross sectional imaging.

    i am exhausted and have lost 1.5 stone (this has gone on since mid-September) but my GP is convinced i am suffering from IBS and depression.

    i have told her that my Grandmother died of pancreatic cancer. And I know from the pancreatic cancer charity website that if i was 60 presenting with these symptoms i would immediately have been referred to a pancreatic specialist.

    i understand that my problems may be caused by some other condition, but i would like to have any tests i can.

    i am mistrustful of doctors generally as in the past what i was told was a swollen lymph gland was in fact a very large tumour (not malignant thankfully) requiring extensive surgery to my neck and face.

    Any pointers would be gratefully accepted. i will read all the other posts too.

  • andrea64883
    andrea64883

    Posted

    Hi sorry i don't cone on here very often now.

    I am no further on, my pain has worsened, i am fortunately not loosing any further weight but i cannot gain what i lost.

    i have had every test and all clear except a recent feacal calprotectin test which should be c.50 and mine was 442. this means there is inflammation somewhere but we cant find it. i am seeing my next week and im going to beg for an EUS.

    i hope you get some answers soon and pray it isnt anything sinister. keep me posted xxx

    • jim05207
      jim05207 andrea64883

      Posted

      i have the exact same symptoms qnd recently had a clear EUS, i am in New Zealand. how are getting on?

    • andrea64883
      andrea64883 jim05207

      Posted

      hi im still the same, agony in my left side, swollen tongue (malabsorption), odd stools. tests all clear apart from stool sample for calprotectin which was abnormally high. im so depressed. doctor doesnt know what to do next

    • andrea64883
      andrea64883

      Posted

      meant to say i haven't had eus, im really desperate to have one but my gi consultant says there is no point given all of my other tests bring clear. im looking at other clinics to see if anybody else will do it

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