pancreatitis?

Question

what's the cure for pancreatitis?

Answer 1

I am so glad you asked that question. There is NO CURE FOR pancreatitis. I suffered with this disease for 10 years. There are many treatments and procedures that can be done but an actual cure doesn't exist. ERCP is an endoscopic examination that is done ( you are put to sleep, but able to breath on your own and a scope is inserted into your mouth and moved around to give a picture of your pancreas) some times they will do mamometry ( pressure readings) this should give the endoscopist an idea about what is going on. They can insert stents if needed during this procedure or open blocked ducts during also. Some people receive no relief from these procedures and opt for surgery such as myself. Total pancreatectomy with autologous islet cell transplantation. The pancreas is removed and the small bowel is rerouted the insulin making cells are extracted from the removed pancreas, cleansed and placed into the liver at the time of surgery. This surgery isn't perfect and doesn't always remove all pain. At this time it is however ALL we have. Most have mistaken belief that alcohol is the major contributing factor and most people I have met with this disease have NEVER been drinkers. I have met a few, but the majority don't know why they have pancreatitis.

Answer 2

There is really no "cure" except to prevent it from occurring. You don't really give any indication as to the cause of (your?) pancreatitits, but there are several different reasons one can develop it. Pancreatitis can also be acute (sudden onset) or chronic (slow developing).

Excessive sugar metabolism (possible due to drinking or diabetes), severe dehydration, gallstone formation or even genetics can be some of the causes.

Generally to treat acute pancreatitis the person will need to go to the hospital. There the patient wil be given iv fluids and not be allowed to eat for a couple days to give their digestive system a break. Antibiotics will also be given through their IV as well as pain medicine. If the lab tests do not show a decrease in the right categories, gall duct blockage might be suspected (but that is a different question :-)

There are many, many good places on the web to learn about this disease -- wikipedia is not one of them.

Answer 3

There is no cure, just different ways of treating it. I had pancreatitis when i was 16 and they still have no clue what the onset was. I was in the hospital for 4 days and was very sick. I found a site that gives some info: Hope this helps :)

The treatment of pancreatitis will, of course, depend on the severity of the pancreatitis itself. Still, general principles apply and include
1. provision of pain relief (which in the past was done preferentially with meperidine, but is now not thought to be superior to any narcotic analgesic
2. provision of adequate replacement fluids and salts (intravenously),
3. limitation of oral intake (with dietary fat restriction the most important point), and
4. monitoring and assessment for, and treatment of, the various complications listed above. When necrotizing pancreatitis ensues and the patient shows signs of infection it is imperative to start antibiotics such as Imipenem due to its high penetration of the drug in the pancreas.

Answer 4

There is no cure, just prevention.

Acute pancreatitis is often self-limited and can resolve with conservative therapy.

Chronic pancreatitis is an irreversible condition with scarring of the pancreas, and it can cause both endocrine (diabetes mellitus) and exocrine (maldigestion/malabsorption) pancreatic insufficiency.

If acute pancreatitis is due to gallstones, alcohol, medications, sometimes a tumor, or congenital abnormalities such as pancreas divisum or benign conditions like autoimmune pancreatitis, then further attacks can be effectively prevented.

Answer 5

No cure. It's not a disease that you 'cure'. The pancreas is inflamed/infected for some reason. Could be from drinking, bad gallbladder, cancer, blocked bile duct, certain tests and medicines, etc. Sometimes the reason is unknown. If it is bad enough then one would be in the hospital on I.V. fluids,antibiotics, pain med., and nothing by mouth for several days. Certain tests will be done to see if they can find a reason for it . Some people have it more than once especially if they are a heavy drinker.

Answer 6

their is no cure! if you or your family member has it they need follow a strict diet:
no fat
no alcohol
no spicy food
no sugar/sweets
and see a GI specialist
you will become diabetic

Answer 7

Cut back (stop) drinking.