Pancreatitis? <sigh>

I had labs done and the liver enzymes were elevated, so my PCP had them redrawn and added a few other labs to be done at the same time.  While I was out of town, the PCP's nurse called to have me schedule an appointment with my bariatric surgeon ASAP.  My liver AND pancreatic enzymes are elevated.  I stopped taking Lipitor that night, because I know that can sometimes change enzyme levels, and a few days of not taking it wouldn't hurt, if the doctor wanted me to continue with it.  
My surgeon saw me today and thinks that I have pancreatitis, but unsure of the cause.  The three major causes are ruled out...gallstones (my gallbladder was just removed in April), alcohol consumption, or trauma.  The last two are not possible.  So, medication or some other cause is what we are deciding.  I will have labs again in 2 weeks, after being off of the Lipitor.
I hope it's a simple treatment, and nothing more serious.
Life is too good now to have something bring me down!   

Janet
 
 

Will be praying for you!!  Keep us posted!!

I have had pancreatitis twice and it hurt like hell both times (the only thing I have had that hurt worse than pancreatitis is kidney stones trying to pass!) and I was hospitalized immediately and not permitted to eat or drink anything at all for 5 days one time and 7 days the other time, so I am very surprised that they think it is pancreatitis without pain and that they did not hospitalize you .  (Being NPO is the only way to get the pancreas to calm down.)  Perhaps because of the Lipitor the enzymes are just slightly elevated but it is not actually an inflammation of the pancreas...?

According to all the research I did (nothing else to do when i was stuck in the hospital with nothing to do during the first episode), about 20% of the cases of pancreatitis is idiopathic (no known cause).

Lora

Most people that I've known with Pancreatitis have had severe pain, on IVs in the hospital...usually Morphine...and NPO.  That's why when he said that, I thought that maybe it was like early stages?  Or the pain was yet to come?  Or maybe not pancreatitis?  I have pain, sometimes in the morning, that resolves after having my coffee/shake and meds.  It's not anything severe, so I don't think it's related to this problem. 
Honestly, I think it's the Lipitor.  My liver profile values have been normal, to low normal, since the surgery, and I've been taking 80mg daily along with fish oil.  My muscles were aching some, and now don't. So, it may be that I was on something that I didn't need? 
I don't know.  I just want to be healthy, active and live a long life to annoy my daughter!
 

I was hospitalized last year with high liver numbers. I went to the ER because of the pain and they kept me for 5 days. I had my gallbladder out several years before my surgery. It wasn't until I was in the ER that I found out you can still get stones without a gallbladder. They get stuck in the pancreatic duct.

Anyway, after being NPO for 3 days the pain went away. 2 more days and my liver numbers started to go down. By the time I saw a specialist they could see that they duct was a bit inflamed but no stone. They think I probably passed it. My liver numbers remain a bit high but they have never figured out why. My understanding is they are seeing this a bit in post op RNY patients.

It was kind of amusing in the ER and after admission. They kept asking about my alcohol consumption. I haven't had a drink in well over 3 years. But they would ask me and then a bit later rephrase the question. And then a bit later ask again in another way. I found myself apologizing. "I'm sorry, but I don't drink, no occasional wine with dinner...nothing." LOL It's like a felt guilty because I couldn't give them the answer they needed. Silly me.

My sister, who is a nurse, said that she has heard many people with Pancreatitis after RNY.  And, yes, the stones that were forming or present in the gallbladder, prior to removal of the gallbladder, can get to the bile duct and block.  That was something that I thought it might be.  It still may be.  I'm having an ultrasound after rechecking the labs and seeing the surgeon again.  We'll see what that shows.  In the meantime, I'm just praying that it's something as simple as a bit of irritation from the Lipitor and can easily resolve itself. 
Also, my sister said that she and her coworker doctors have seen numbers FAR higher than mine and that whatever it is, it's not "something bad".  My first thought was liver cancer.  I had a dear friend die from that and the elevated enzymes were one of the first things that she talked about.  Always in my mind....damned cancer!  :) 

Janet

I had my gb out years ago, ten years later one of the stones they missed grew large enough to block the bile duct.  That **** is painful, on par with gb episode or childbirth.  So bad I went to the e.r. after calling my pcp.  After the stones passed it took a while for the liver and pancreas enzyme numbers to return to normal.  I would think you would be in excruciating pain if it was a blocked bile duct or pancreatitus.  Are you overdoing the protein?  To much protein can contribute to kidney stones and all sorts of issues.

I don't think I'm overdoing protein.  Usually, I have about 70gm to maybe somewhere near 90gm? In the beginning, I was taking in much more, but then decreased when I read articles about taking in too much.  My protein levels are within normal range, also.  
Yes, I would think if it was Pancreatitis or blocked bile duct that I'd be in pain.  That's what makes me think it's the Lipitor.  Hopefully, when I have the repeat labs, without taking Lipitor for a few weeks, it'll be lower or back to normal results.