Symptoms that can come from the pancreas

The most common disease of the pancreas in the broadest sense is the insufficient supply of the vital insulin. The resulting disease, also known as diabetes mellitus, is very common in western countries. Since it does not usually cause any acute symptoms at first, diabetes is usually only diagnosed by routine examinations.

Much more painful is the inflammation of the pancreas. It is usually caused by excessive alcohol consumption and can be either chronic or acute. It is usually characterized by a pulling or dull, belt-like pain that originates between the stomach and the navel and can then move backwards around the back.

The pain is described as extremely unpleasant and agonizing. Mostly the patients are also in a bad general condition, which can also be accompanied by a pale facial colour, pronounced weakness but also high fever. In addition to acute and chronic alcohol consumption, diagnostic measures such as ERCP (an examination in which a contrast medium is injected into the bile and pancreatic ducts) can also lead to pancreatitis.

Diagnostically, a pressure painful upper abdomen, back pain and a conspicuous blood count (elevated lipase values and inflammation values) indicate pancreatitis. Ultrasound often reveals a distended organ with often flushed around inflammatory fluid. Patient interviews and above all the exact documentation of alcohol consumption can also provide further important information as to whether or not it is a pancreatitis.

Once pancreatitis has been diagnosed, treatment must be started immediately, as further waiting can lead to a situation that is also sometimes life-threatening. As a rule, patients must take a 24-hour food leave after diagnosis. After that, the slow food build-up can be started again.

It is important that the patient does not drink alcohol. In addition to these abstinence measures, immediate antibiotic treatment should be started and carried out consistently. In some cases it may be necessary to administer the antibiotic as an infusion to the patient.

Other diseases, which are somewhat less common, are exocrine in nature. In addition to the secretion of insulin, the pancreas plays a significant role in the digestion and splitting of various substances in food. These enzymes are produced in the pancreas and are released into the digestive tract when required, where they are added to the food consumed.

If a so-called pancreatic insufficiency occurs, i.e. a weakness of the pancreas, the vital enzymes needed to break down food can no longer be released in the quantity that would be necessary. As a result, the food consumed is no longer broken down as it should be. The intestine then usually reacts with mushy stools or thin diarrhoea.

This is also one of the first symptoms of pancreatic insufficiency that the patient reports. The diarrhoea does not get better with medication or comes back once the corresponding medication has been discontinued. Sometimes in cases of severe diarrhoea, an attempt is made to treat the diarrhoea with Perenterol.

This is a yeast preparation which has the task of thickening the stool. Sometimes a slight improvement of the symptoms can also be seen in cases of pancreatic insufficiency, but this is reduced again after the medication is discontinued. The suspicion now often lies with an intolerance reaction of the intestine.

The most common intolerance reactions are lactose intolerance, fructose and gluten intolerance. All of these can be tested and should be done in the case of recurrent diarrhoea. If all the tests are inconspicuous, it is possible that the cause of the diarrhoea is the somewhat rarer pancreatic insufficiency.

For this purpose, special tests are carried out in the stool and blood before an appropriate diagnosis can be made. Once pancreatic insufficiency has been diagnosed, treatment must be carried out immediately. As a rule, this is accompanied by precise documentation of the food intake.

Because it is particularly important what the patient with this disease eats during the day. Usually, the missing enzymes, which are insufficiently produced by the pancreas, are then administered to the patient in tablet form at regular intervals. Depending on whether the diarrhoea improves or not, the dose of the enzymes taken must be reduced or increased.

As a rule, pancreatic insufficiency is a permanent diagnosis, i.e. the pancreas will no longer be able to produce the missing enzymes in sufficient quantities on its own. An exception is pancreatic insufficiency caused by inflammation. As a rule, however, the missing enzymes must be taken throughout the entire life.