Alcohol Induced Pancreatitis

[Jharts00]

Does anyone know if exercise and weight can reverse alcohol induced pancreatitis.  I have a friend that has been in the hospital with this condition.  He is 60lbs overweight and moves about as much as a snail does in a day.  He had to quit drinking do to the pancreatitis.  He really wants to start drinking again and was wondering if losing weight and becoming more active can increase the chances of his pancreas being able to successfully process the booze.  I am hoping that using your responses as a carrot to lose weight will keep him away from diabetes.

[Mukluk4]

His doctor will be able to provide better advice than a message board.  Start there.

[JohnRi]

I'm not a medical doctor, but from my understanding is your friend will NEVER be able to drink alcohol again.  Even small doses can cause severe pain. 

Losing weight will help his situation, but he will never recover enough to drink again.  And any drinking will cause pain and eventual death.

His pancreas is permanently damaged and will never be able to handle alcohol anymore. 

A friend of my Father had a son.  The son was a alcoholic.  And he got very ill, and went to the doctor.  The doctor told him the next time he drank he would die.  He looked at the doctor and said, "How long do I have to wait until I can drink again?"  The doctor response was, "Look you dumb f**k if you ever drink again you die.  You can never ever drink again."  The guy responded, "So six months a year?".  The doctor was completely speechless, and simply said, "Never ever drink again."

The son got out of the hospital, but about a month later he got drunk and died.

Your friend really needs to get into a treatment program, and stay sober.  Good luck to him, it's going to be hard.  I come from a long line of alcoholics on both sides of my family.  I myself am a recovered alcoholic, but I'll be an alcoholic till the day I die.  I've just been sober for over 20 years... 

Best thing he can do, is going to be the hardest.  Leave the bottle alone...

[WendyB]

He needs to talk to his DR. Not a message board. But I agree he will never be able to drink again.

[Jharts00]

I appreciate your responses, but let me clarify my post.  Our friend has already seen his doctor, and he was told never to drink again.  After his first bout with pancreatitis, he started drinking again after a couple of weeks, and got pancreatitis again.  Apparently, it is very painful, so he is now on Antabuse to keep away from the bottle.

Our question is this: is there anyone out there that has suffered from alcohol induced pancreatitis, and exercised and ate heathy enough to allow them to start drinking again?  Our friend misses the booze, and an insprirational story of beating pancreatitis, and drinking again will encourage him to eat right and lose weight.  Please don't judge.  We're looking for success stories.  Thanks for your time.

[Nick_87]

I'm trying not to judge here but...I wouldnt see someone who ate well and got in shape just so they could go back boozing a success story.  I think he needs to revaluate what is important to him and get some help.

[WKV]

First off, I agree with the others, and think your "friend" should adhere to his doctor's recommendations.

HOWEVER, I know of one guy that had a post-pancreatitis procedure performed, and he is back drinking again.  Please reference the link below:

http://www.whatclinic.com/gastroenterology/india/coimbatore/gem-hospital-and-research-center/pancrea... 

Sobriety is probably the best route, but I felt the need for full disclosure.  God bless!

[WKV]

While I hope no one reading this will consider a pancreas transplant to allow themselves to start drinking again, I think it is important I share the average cost of the procedure.  $200K USD.  That does not include all of the drugs so your body won't reject the new organ and the rehabilitation.  I suggest Antabuse to refrain from alcohol, but if one has the resources, there are alternate options.

[Mukluk4]

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@Nick_87 wrote:

I'm trying not to judge here but...

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I think the problem is that people AREN'T judging and should kick this guy in the nuts for being an idiot.

[Nick_87]

Agreed.  If I was this persons friend I would give them a severe talking to and I would encourage his friends to do the same. 

[Ukase]

Your friend, I'm sorry to say, will die if he drinks again. 

But then, we are all going to die sooner or later. 

But - I would encourage you to encourage your friend to investigate why he drinks so much. He must be in pain or trying to escape his current reality for one reason or another. 

Not very helpful, I know. 

I suspect, that if your friend really wants to drink again, in the short term, he'd have to avoid alcohol and adjust his diet and activity levels, provided his physician gives the okay. 

From what I understand - our livers and other organs do rejuvenate over time. I believe it would take 5 years and his pancreas would be okay. But, it depends on how far gone his tissues are. If the damage is permanent - it won't repair. I say that not as a physician or a scientist -only as something I read - so take it with a grain of salt. 

I think a 12 step program would be a good first step for him. 

[shipo]

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@Ukase wrote:

From what I understand - our livers and other organs do rejuvenate over time. I believe it would take 5 years and his pancreas would be okay. But, it depends on how far gone his tissues are. If the damage is permanent - it won't repair. I say that not as a physician or a scientist -only as something I read - so take it with a grain of salt. 

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As I understand it, "Alcohol Induced Pancreatitis" is the same as "Chronic Pancreatitis"; assuming I got that correct, the general medical consensus is once the pancreas is that far gone it is considered irreversible.

[OCDOC]

He must listen to his own MD. However, ANY end-organ damage from alcohol means ZERO alcohol..ever. COPD people must quit cigarettes FOREVER, narcotic addicts must stay off junk FOREVER, and alcohol victims must stay off FOREVER!!...there is no 'hack' that will let it be 'ok' one day...

[shipo]

Yup, get diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis, clean your act up for years, lose weight, exercise, live clean, and then one day open up a bottle..., dead.

[Jharts00]

I feel the need to add a little more information.  Our friend is 30, and as stated by his doctor, he's on the precipice of diabetes due to his obesity.  Without hard alcohol, he has become lazier due to the replacement of pot and fast food.

Earlier this year he went to the hospital with pancreatitis.  After 2 weeks of sobriety, he drank through the effects of antabuse, and started drinking heavily each night for a few weeks.  He was back to his old, fun self, and he was exercising again.  He was much more productive at work, and he lifted the spirits of everyone else.  He didn't die.  BUT, eventually he was back in the hospital with pancreatitis again.  He claimed the pain is the worst.

I appreciate the previous comments, but we're looking for someone that successfully beat alcohol induced pancreatitis by adopting a healthy lifestyle and reducing their alcohol intake.  NOT stopping, but reducing.

[shipo]

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@Jharts00 wrote:

I appreciate the previous comments, but we're looking for someone that successfully beat alcohol induced pancreatitis by adopting a healthy lifestyle and reducing their alcohol intake.  NOT stopping, but reducing.

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Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it ain't gonna happen.  Your friend has two options, quit drinking, or die.

Don't believe me?  No problem; I'm not a doctor and not terribly well versed on the issue, however, if you read through the stories on the "I Have Chronic Pancreatitis" topic over on the "Experience Project" forum, the only individual who claims to have beaten CP looks like a scammer trying to sell his products.

• http://www.experienceproject.com/groups/Have-Chronic-Pancreatitis/30327