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Pancreatitis Pain Relief

Pancreatitis is swelling of the pancreas, a small gland behind the stomach that secretes enzymes to aid in digestion. Pancreatitis can be acute, occurring suddenly and resolving quickly with treatment, or it may be chronic, becoming worse over time and causing serious complications. Common symptoms include pain in the upper abdomen, nausea and vomiting. No matter what type of pancreatitis you have, treatment typically begins with hospitalization to stabilize the patient and determine the underlying cause.

  1. Stop Eating

    • After being hospitalized with pacreatitis, the first step is normally to stop eating at least for a few days. This will allow the pancreas to recover. Once the inflammation begins to subside, you will be allowed to drink clear fluids before slowly resuming a normal diet. If you are not eating, you may experience some relief from the pain because the pancreas does not have to work to digest the food, which can cause irritation.
      In severe cases that do not get better after a few days without eating, patients may need to have a tube inserted that will deliver nourishment directly to the stomach. The tube will be removed once the pancreas heals.

    Pain Medication

    • Pancreatitis can be a painful condition, so you will likely need to take pain relievers to help make you more comfortable. If you are in the hospital, you may receive pain relievers intravenously or in pill form. For patients who have chronic pancreatitis or who are not hospitalized, common over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen may help relieve the pain. If they are not working, speak with your doctor about prescription-strength medications.

    Determining Cause

    • Determining what is causing pancreatitis is an important part of the treatment. Once the cause is determined, additional medical procedures may be necessary. Common causes of pancreatitis include gallstones, infections, high triglyceride levels, high calcium levels, injuries to the pancreas and alcohol abuse. Depending on the cause, patients may need to undergo separate treatments. For example, if pancreatitis is caused by gallstones you may need to have the stones or the gallbladder surgically removed. If an infection is the cause, antibiotic treatment will be necessary to clear the infection. If alcohol abuse leads to pancreatitis, patients may be referred to an alcohol treatment program to help them stop drinking. In some cases, the cause of pancreatitis may never be determined.

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