Pancreatis symptoms

[Vinny]

I am so frightened I could cry. I have had this pain/discomfort in my upper abdomen for nearly a week now. The pain radiates through to my back. I went to the Docs on Friday and thought he would just give me some tablets as I thought it may be connected to IBS. He examined my tummy and said it all felt fine but wanted to do some blood tests. This sent me into a complete panic and I've been worried sick ever since. He is testing me for Pancreatis, Liver Function and Full Blood Count. I'm so worried that something nasty is brewing inside of me. I will try and describe the symptoms:

Wind like feeling in my upper abdomen and back. It sometimes moves to the left had side of my back and sometimes in the shoulder blades. It doesn't ease off at night and never goes completely. I have taken Windeeze tablets and pain killers but they don't get rid of it either.

I have suffered from IBS from time to time over the last 10 years but the symptoms are different this time. I would normally have lower tummy cramps followed by diarrhea and constipation but I haven't this time. I don't feel ill and I'm not loosing weight but I'm terrified something bad is wrong with me. I just don't feel as though I could cope with any bad news and I am dreading going back to the Docs tomorrow for my blood results.

Has anyone else suffered these symptoms for days on end without it being anything nasty? I just don't believe anxiety can cause this discomfort to last for nearly a week without even easing up at night!!

I would be so, so grateful for any replies.

[nikkinik]

Hi,

I feel the same as you.. Ive also mentioned in some of my posts Im worried Ive got pancreatitis!

I got terrible pains last night, like trapped wind pains that I could feel up in my chest and shoulder blades too. I tried to lie down put that didnt seem to help.. and Im sure that added to my pancreatitis diagnosis!!

Im the same.. feeling these pains everyday (pretty much exactly how you describe) and Im assuming something is brewing away in there and kind of waiting for the day I drop down or start throwing up and dont stop or something!?

Let us know how you get on at the doctors?

[nikkinik]

Meant to say that paracetamol and antacids dont work for me that well either.. sometimes 2 rennies help, but not that much and not all the time.

The biggest thing I think is 'Ooh I feel this pain in my tummy and it radiates to my back, I know its a sign of.. ' thats the one that always gets my mind racing!

[Vinny]

Nikkinik, thank you for your reply. It sounds as though your symptoms are very much like mine. I know it's very scary and the trouble is we always assume the worse case scenario.
Have you had your pain for quite a few days without complete let up?

I would still love to hear from anyone else who has had this and it ended up being nothing.

[kittykat]

Hi Vinny,

I had symptoms quite similar to yourself , i thought it was either my pancreas or liver( my gran had liver cancer)so that was making my mind go into overdrive .
Anway I was in a lot of pain even after treatment for the H pylori bug ( diagnosed through a breath test ) was referred for an endoscopy and thought that was it, but guess what it came back clear.....nothing......so what was it then !!!! To this day i'm still not sure , doctor thinks its acid reflux so am on omeprazole which has helped but i do think its also stress related as well, but funnily im not as bad now, so please don't worry as really bad pain doesn't always mean the worst and your symptoms are very similar to mine. Have you been tested for the H pylori bug as its so easily treated, plus i meant to say that you have to watch what you eat as well cause certain foods can irritate a sensitive tummy, hope that helps a little bit xx

[nikkinik]

I have had symptoms for days on end. I can honestly say that my tummy feels either tender, like Ive been punched, windy, sore, upset or other similar stuff! Its usually just kinda 'off' (almost all the time) iykwim.

I meant to say Ive been tested for H pylori, had an Xray, endoscopy and also ultrasound, all came back normal.. that was last year, so of course Im thinking the usual - they missed something, or something has developed in the last 8 or so months!:wacko:

Im sure you will be fine:)

[Vinny]

Had my blood results back and pancrease, liver and blood count all normal, I'm so releaved. My Doctor said the pain and discomfort is probably my IBS and I will take tablets again. I think now the worry has been taken away it will start to ease anyway.
Thank you for your replies and be assured any of you who have these symptoms......it's more than likely to be anxiety!!

[Jan63]

I've also had those symptoms you describe and was put on omeprazole capsules and after a week or so I felt so much better. I really think a lot of it is to do with anxiety too which makes everything a whole lot worse. I have seemed to be less anxious about everything lately and I have felt so much better and I haven't had any omeprazole tablets for weeks now.:) Ask your doctor for a prescription for omeprazole and see how you go on with it although give it a week or two to get into your system.:yesyes: I had the H - Pylori bug which was found by doing a blood test and I had loads of antibiotics to get rid of it.:D

Glad all your blood tests are okay and I bet you will start feeling a lot better now you know it's nothing serious.:hugs:

[Vinny]

Thanks Jan, I will give them a try x

[Cococj]

I've suffered from very bad IBS for several years.

There are a couple of things which are said about IBS which I, and from posting on an IBS support group others, have which are always said not to be typical IBS.

The first is pain so bad it will keep you awake or wake you up, even here on this site it's described as not being typical and certainly if it's the case that the pain is that bad you should be being checked out for other things.

However, I've had really bad periods where my upper abdomen is in severe pain, double me over and hardly able to walk pain, not able to sleep for days on end pain, the symptoms mimic other things like pancreatitis, referred gall bladder pain and other liver problems, but time and time again there's nothing like that wrong with me.

Why am I telling you all this? IBS can and sometimes is a very painful condition, I'll sometimes have lower abdominal pain and cramping and bloating and diarrhoea etc, but time and again I will have extreme pain which is very atypical of IBS, but it still is IBS.

One of the things to remember, and something my IBS specialist at the hospital has also reinforced, although anxiety doesn't cause the IBS, it can exacerbate the symptoms to the extent that it will make them worse.

IBS is a condition which has some very definite symptoms, it also has those which are less common but still IBS, if you have those then you're right to be checked out for other things, but ultimately IBS will run its course.

From my own experience it can and will affect any part of the abdomen, cause pain in any area of the abdomen, back, referred pain in the shoulders, hips, buttocks. It will cause bloating, acid reflux, diarrhoea and/or constipation. Sometimes this will be a short blast, other times it will be severe, it can and will change over time, you'll hate it, constantly wonder if it's something more serious.

My best advice to you is, trust in your doctor, they know you have IBS, they may or may not know how it will affect you. I've had really bad symptoms even when my anxiety isn't acute, but nevertheless anxiety can and does make the symptoms feel worse.

I've cried myself to sleep on occasion before through this horrible condition, I'm a young man, that's not something I'd post about normally, but it is a condition that can be controlled and while not entirely understood does have sympoms which for the most part can be controlled.

If it gets too bad just remember there are other people here who know what it's like and we'll always do our best to advise you and help you through the worst parts of it.