Lipase Levels
Posted , 4 users are following.
About 6 weeks ago, I thought I had a stomach bug. I was in a lot of pain, had a fever, felt sick to my stomach and bloated. i tried to "wait it out" and do what you do with stomach bugs- but it wasn't working so i decided to see the Dr. Maybe it was something else? it was around day 5 when I got into the Dr. and she sent me for blood work.
With the blood work she diagnosed me with Pancreatitis. She gave me the option to try to treat it at home or to go to the hospital. I choose to stay at home ( looking back i should have just gone to the hospital. ) I did a clear liquid diet for 24 hours.
then from there slowly introduced foods. I lived mainly of off apple sauce, Jello for the first 2 weeks. I have since " updated" to lean chicken and rice and veggies and oatmeal. I am not drinking any alcohol and mainly drink herbal tea and water. and I have increased the amount of tea I drink.
My lipase levels arent really going down.
My labs normal range is up to 60. my level is at 98 right now. from 104, then jumped to 106 then went to 99 now 98.
its been at least 6 weeks since this has all begun. I have had an ultrasound but nothing notable came back from that.
my latest blood test was the 98, taken 2 day ago and my Dr's office called wanting me to come in to discuss the results. It has me worried. Im terrified maybe it is something else?
How long did it take for your levels to go down?
I am just scared. really scared. and i need reassurance i guess
0 likes, 3 replies
vedawms Casey.sarah
Posted
Lipase is not a great indicator of pancreatic health.
Your levels aren't too bad. During an attack I have gone over 12,000. Also, as damage to your pancreas worsens, lipase may not rise at all. Unfortunately, this can lead ERs to conclude that you are fine, when in fact you are not.
My suggestion would be to get an EUS and see what's going on in there. Work with a pancreatic specialist to see what other tests you might need. I get scans run quite often, because pseudocysts and other such things happen.
Otherwise, it sounds like you are doing the right thing with your diet. I would not worry too much, except to make sure you don't do additional damage over time. They probably just want to stress the seriousness of this illness and formulate a plan.
vedawms Casey.sarah
Posted
Lipase is not a great indicator of pancreatic health.
Your levels aren't too bad. During an attack I have gone over 12,000. Also, as damage to your pancreas worsens, lipase may not rise at all. Unfortunately, this can lead ERs to conclude that you are fine, when in fact you are not.
My suggestion would be to get an EUS and see what's going on in there. Work with a pancreatic specialist to see what other tests you might need. I get scans run quite often, because pseudocysts and other such things happen.
Otherwise, it sounds like you are doing the right thing with your diet. I would not worry too much, except to make sure you don't do additional damage over time. They probably just want to stress the seriousness of this illness and formulate a plan.
Reefsider Casey.sarah
Posted
I agree with Vedawms re your bloods and the probability that what you're experiencing isn't too bad relatively speaking. Prevention is key and there are a few things you need to do with pancreatitis. The first is to find a gastroenterologist who specialises in the pancreas. Whilst gastroenterologists are specialists, they don't specifically deal with the pancreas so have your GP find you someone who does. Don't be fobbed off, insist on it. You do need a EUS.
2nd through to 4th. You can't drink alcohol, even socially. You can't smoke at all either as the pancreas hates it and you need to change you diet to low fat and increase fluid intake. These changes should be permanent not just when you've having pain.
When experiencing pain we call it a 'flare'. When having a flare it's best not to eat solid food at all for a couple of days to rest your pancreas. Obviously you need to ensure you're getting nutrients so liquids taken during that time need to be nutritious, plus water of course. As you feel better introduce low fat easy foods, small amounts frequently. Having 6 meals pd is way better than 3 big ones as the flare results from your pancreas' inability to digest food and you don't want to overload it.
There are products called digestive enzymes which help with digestion. You may be prescribed them. If so you need to take them immediately prior to eating.
No need to panic at this point, stress makes everything worse so don't go there. Find the right doctor, that's important. Good luck.