Need help asap please - pancreatitis?

[Family4Christ]

A bit of background...I had gallstones with my dd and managed to keep my GB. My GB symptoms pretty much went away after my dd stopped nursing as much - around the time she was 9 months.

I started having the same type of achy pain on my left side that I had on my right after eating fat. I hadn’t thought much of what’s been going on, as I was thinking maybe it was my GB doing something funky and feeling it on my left side, but my GB never so much as twinged. In fact, the first time I felt my GB contract in the last year of so, was when I took dandelion several months ago. I should’ve known something was off when I thought it was so weird to have feelings by my GB again.

Well, now I'm 8 weeks and it has returned with a vengeance (being constant, not in severity). Incidentally, my GB has also started twinging. I ate dinner (low fat) and ached all over, but noticed it more on my left. It subsided 3 hours later and then I drank water, which started it up again and still it continues. It gets better when I lean forward with my arms hanging down. This is not at all like GB pain or problems I've had in the past. It’s not even reacting to apple cider vinegar, which would stop a GB attack in it's tracks normally. I googled looking for answers and folks mentioned chronic pancreatitis as reacting to fatty meals and doing the things I described. So, now I’m concerned about pancreatitis.

Sheesh, what do you ladies think?

[Stephaleigh]

I work as a nurse and have seen my share of patients with both gallbladder and pancreas issue. If you have a gall stone, it can occlude the duct that the pancreas drains to which could cause pancreatitis and the pain on the right side from the gallbladder. Usually patients with pacreatitis present with severe nausea and vomiting as well as extreme pain. In general we don't let people with pancreatitis eat at all since most food causes the symptoms, not just high fat foods like with gallbladder issues.

Sorry you're dealing with this, I know how painful it can be and with being pg I know it's not feasable to refrain from eating. If it were me, I'd see my primary care provider soon to make sure labs and everything were ok, specifically amylase and lipase levels as they usually rise with pacreatitis, as well as to make sure you don't need antibiotics or anything.

[Weevil]

I had pancreatitis back in April (completely unexplained!), and it sounds a lot like what you're going through (sorry, not trying to scare you - abdominal pain can be SO MANY THINGS, some serious some not). The pain was definitely worse after eating, and that makes sense since your pancreas is secreting digestive enzymes to digest the food, but the enzymes are digesting the pancreas. And it wasn't just high fat foods either. I ate a piece of bread at 2am and by 5am I had my husband up and taking me to the ER because I was sick of the pain. The pain itself wasn't so awful, but it was bad enough that I knew something wasn't right. When I got to the ER they said my lipase/amylase levels were very high.

Pancreatitis is very easy to screen for - it's just a simple blood test. I would definitely see my doctor (or go to the ER) for serious unexplained abdominal pain.

Hope you feel better and that it's nothing too serious

[seatosea]

Originally Posted by Stephaleigh

If you have a gall stone, it can occlude the duct that the pancreas drains to which could cause pancreatitis and the pain on the right side from the gallbladder..

This is what happened to me during pregnancy. I felt sick no matter what I ate or drank. Actually, the night I ended up in the ER I had only had a glass of water.

[LittleBattleAxe]

oh no! I had my GB removed and had what the doctor called "acute pancreatitis."

slighty off topic, but when I went to the hospital, the admitting doc asked me "have you had a baby recently?" and then, when I said yes, "Were you in labor for a long time?" She told me she'd seen multiple mamas who'd been in labor for more than 24 hours and ended up with GB problems. Never caught the connection.

Back to you, I would definitely get yourself checked, especially since you have a history of GB issues. If it's caught early on that's ideal for you. Take care, and let us know what you find out!

[Family4Christ]

Thanks, mamas!

I'm going to urgent care today to have bloodwork done. The pain has been building and now I'm getting sharp pains. I won't have the results for a couple days. I just don't want to go to the ER.

[Family4Christ]

I had the blood work done, but won't have the results for 1-2 days. On the way home, the pain got worse. It's not severe, but it's constant and worrisome.

I'm going to put my dd down for a nap and have lunch and then see where I'm at. I sure hope this doesn't get worse .

[trimestersdoula]

Hope everything is ok, Mama.