Pancreas Divisum

I started having attacks around age 15. ER trips in college with horrid pain that I wanted to die! I was told reflux, given GI cocktails, and it was menstrual cramps. It wasn't til I read and finished nursing school that I came to conclusion something was wrong with my pancreas or gallbladder. My grandfather was diagnosed with pancreas cancer and died after a long battle. I have always had constipation and as the years went I saw several doctors who diagnosed me with IBS and tested me for everything in the book.In 2005 I became very sick with nausea, abdominal pain so bad it radiated to my chest and I thought a possible heart attack. I knew all to clearly this was another abdominal attack after many over the years. I went to ER again looking like a med seeker. I told the ER dr to draw an amylase and lipase stat along with other regular labs. they came back 6 times higher than normal. I was admitted and finally told it's pancreatitis. I was literally relieved but still in serious pain, I was seen by GI dr who told me they had to do an ERCP asap. I agreed and he wasnt able to get the catheter tip through due to some blockage. Another GI dr came in and said he could do it. I again went under and awoke with even more horrid pain and 3 surgeons in my room. I had an NG tube in and IV. They were monitoring me because the dr had nicked my bowel.I awoke with another bout of pancreatitis which is a side affect of ERCP. By the grace of god I healed in a week and lost lots weight. The GI dr was not able to measure the pressure in the pancreatic duct and mentioned I had sphincter of oddi dysfunction. He  had did a sphincterotomy and finding my common bile duct was completely closed off and none of the pancreatic juices could flow through causing a back up. I was not jaundice. He told me he had seen several psuedocysts around the bile duct and needed to go back in. I decided to go to MCV in richmond for another opinion. The did an MRI to confirm I also had pancreas divisum, I had lived in pain on and off a long time as I am now 44. I have had bloating, gas, bowel changes, pain in my back, nausea, and pain that comes and goes. I was going to see a specialist at UF Shands to discuss stents being put in but as a nurse I have read so much I have talked myself out of anyone doing anymore ERCP's. With Pancreas divisum you have 2 narrow pancreatic ducts instead of one large one. Their failure to fuse together in utero is the defect.Some people are asymptomatic and others have issues. My fear is will it develop into pancreas cancer or chronic pancreatitis??  I have read so much with having divisum and it truning into chronic pancreatitis but there needs to be more research. The pancreas diviusm gene is very very similiar to the cystic fibrosis gene. There are some relations. I have tried taking pancreatic enzymes and saw no difference. Has anyone else experienced any of this? I still live everyday in fear an attack will happen. 

0 likes, 2 replies