Terrified I have chronic pancreatitus

[louise123_uk]

I have been noticing pain in the left side of my back and slightly up a bit, as well as in my left side, its a stabbing pain that mainly just comes on when I twist my body in either direction or bend forward.

I think I've had it very mildly for a while, as I have often felt a left side/back pain when twisting but I only started noticing it as my boyfriend has recently been going to docs for back pain (which they think is posture/office work related). This made me think about the pain I've just ignored.

Que lots of twisting and bending forward until its really painful, oops! Well you guessed it I googled and am now terrified I have something like chronic pancreatitis!!! I do drink regularly at weekends, probs what would be classed as bingeing (I know bad!) but have been cutting back recently and not anymore excessively than my boyfriend and friends - so I've linked oh god I drink alcohol to I have a risk factor (thank god I don't smoke or every cough would be lung cancer...). But now I've thought it I can't stop thinking what if its more than my health anxiety.

Has anyone any experience of chronic pancreatitis? Would I be more in constant pain rather than when twist in either direction and bend forward? Would the pain be more at the front in my abdomen? I have no other symptoms.

I sleep in a funny position either curled up in foetal position all twisted with arm on left side underneath me or on stomach with left arms stretched out - both ways stretching the left side of my body, plus I have always had an office job spending long hours on the comp not sitting properly, so I know this could be muscular but so scared myself I have chronic pancreatitis and will never be able to drink or have food with fat again.

I'm only 34! :-( - can anyone reassure me I'm being silly? xx

[Annaboodle]

Hi. If you had chronic pancreatitis you would not be on here typing a post, simple as that. I've been in hospital with people with it and the pain is unmistakable as it's so bad. One person said to me that even morphine wasn't touching the pain. You would also be Bart Simpson yellow skinned with Sith yellow eyes. Seriously. I'm not being creative there, it's just the most accurate description of what chronic pancreatitis looks like. It's not a condition you can mistake for anything else or wonder "have I maybe got this?" about.

Your pain sounds postural to me, which you've aggravated by "testing" it with odd movements. Do some gentle yoga back stretches (can get them on YouTube).

[louise123_uk]

Hi, thanks so much for your reply? Was yours the acute kind? I've read that one you do really know you have it or that something is wrong but that the chronic one could be more subtle....

[Annaboodle]

I was in hospital as I have a liver condition on a ward with other gastroenterology patients. There is chronic pancreatitis but there is just no way that you have that. I've known people with acute and chronic. It usually takes decades of continual heavy drinking for chronic pancreatitis to - sometimes - develop. There's just no way you should be worrying about either of these conditions. To answer the question in your first post, tbh yes you are being silly.

[louise123_uk]

Thanks, it is quite a sharp pain and is quite painful sitting in my chair now I'm at work. Trying to tell myself this is postural and that you are right, your posts help x

[Annaboodle]

I get weird postural pains too, which send my anxiety spiralling. I worry about possible other conditions because of my history with drinking and the condition I'm living with. I'm constantly working at managing my fears. The yoga really works - if I stick at it, which I'm not always good at. It seems to alleviate a lot of relatively minor aches and pains, which might be a source of worry. I think my posture is pretty bad normally (I'm a natural slumper!) and I also sleep in a funny position. Plus with me it's getting older and rationalising that my aches and pains can be normal and not anything sinister. I hope I wasn't too direct with explaining what I've seen in hospital. Just trying to explain why these aren't conditions that a healthy young person like yourself need worry about.

[louise123_uk]

Thanks, google is just so scary suggesting that pretty much all left back and side pain is pancreas related

---------- Post added at 12:14 ---------- Previous post was at 11:23 ----------

Not sure if to still book in a docs appt but isn't one available for just under three weeks

---------- Post added at 13:25 ---------- Previous post was at 12:14 ----------

:-(

[paranoid-viking]

Thanks, google is just so scary suggesting that pretty much all left back and side pain is pancreas related[COLOR="blue"]
(


Yeah, I know, its horrible. I wished I never learned about the pancreas at all. I mean; I heard the name of the organ; but never thought that it can be the cause pof the worst of diseases.

[louise123_uk]

Yeah I never even really considered the pancreas before now I have it on the brain every time I bend the wrong way :-( So hope this is just muscular and over stretching/bending to see if it hurts