Just saw my GI doc today after a very quick bout of pancreatitis yesterday. He said no alcohol for a year because once you get pancreatitis it is far more likely to come back. This is going to be one long year.

Sucks.

If it makes you feel any better, I'm voluntarily joining you, for the most part, for at least 6 months.

Congrats, I'm going to no beer going forward and only a whiskey or glass of wine here or there. Hello fat loss!

I'm guessing you are joking, but pancreatitis is nothing to mess around with.

Yeah. I was. A friend is in the hospital a couple of times a year from it.

You have company from me as well. Just left the ER with a severe diverticulitis episode and got the cut back on XYZ y'all too. Popcorn avoidance I can handle, my wine habit will not be nearly as much fun.

I had 1 glass of wine Saturday night, 1 margarita at lunch Sunday, and an old beer from the back of in-laws' fridge on Monday.

Honestly not more than I usually drink. Although the margarita was not part of the usual. I generally stick to beer and wine. I've never been a heavy drinker and honestly drink less since I've gotten more serious with running (no drinking the night before a run and generally only one beer or glass of wine when I do drink)

On Christmas day I completed a year of no drinking. Was easier than I thought it would be.

You don't want to mess with pancreatitis, it can lead to a lifetime of pain and hospital visits. My sister in law dealt with it for years before having an experimental surgery to remove her pancreas (the surgery is no longer experimental).

There is a great book called This Naked Mind that will help with the intellectual side of not drinking. Definitely changed my relationship with alcohol.

Good luck!

I've been drinking since I was 12. Of course I come from a family of drinkers. I made a decision when I was younger that reality isn't all that it's cracked up to be.

Is your GI doc blaming the alcohol for your pancreatitis, or saying something else may have caused it and you need to avoid alcohol jury in case?

Doc just ordered a lipase test for me.

bigtruckguy3500 said:

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Is your GI doc blaming the alcohol for your pancreatitis, or saying something else may have caused it and you need to avoid alcohol jury in case?

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He's blaming the alcohol, which I do not totally agree with and wants to hold off on alcohol to avoid a relapse. Even when I drink the most it is 5 days in a row of having one beer. I think it was really eating massive amounts of fatty Christmas treats for the week leading up to Christmas and that the pancreatitis was more a result of Gallbladder issues, not alcohol, but I have a Ph.D., not an MD. Although I love my dark beers and red wine, I am willing to be on the wagon if it means avoiding a really bad case of pancreatitis.

Thanks for the book recommendation- I downloaded it today.

Did he check your triglycerides? Do you have gallstones? Sometimes small stones cause trouble and then pass before they're found.

I'm no gi, but it would be odd for that much alcohol to cause it. Especially if you're not on any meds that's have are associated with pancreatitis.

AggieOO said:

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I'm guessing you are joking, but pancreatitis is nothing to mess around with.

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Pancreatitis killed my 67 year old mom. Please don't mess around with this and do what the doctor suggested.

TexasAggie_97 said:

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Pancreatitis killed my 67 year old mom. Please don't mess around with this and do what the doctor suggested.

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That's exactly why I'm willing to drink a bottle of Odules Amber tonight during the game

bigtruckguy3500 said:

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Did he check your triglycerides? Do you have gallstones? Sometimes small stones cause trouble and then pass before they're found.

I'm no gi, but it would be odd for that much alcohol to cause it. Especially if you're not on any meds that's have are associated with pancreatitis.

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I don't deal with alcholic pancreatitis since 1999 but I agree with Big truck this does not make any sense. I bet the GI doc just thinks you are lying about how much you drink. I cannot imagine of a pathological pathway where that little.alcohol would induce pancreatitis. There is something else going on.

bigtruckguy3500 said:

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Did he check your triglycerides? Do you have gallstones? Sometimes small stones cause trouble and then pass before they're found.

I'm no gi, but it would be odd for that much alcohol to cause it. Especially if you're not on any meds that's have are associated with pancreatitis.

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I had the same issue a few years ago with pancreatitis and I don't drink much (ended up not drinking for almost 2 years after that)

They checked for stones and everything else they could think of, in the end it was an issue with the pancreas itself

I broke my 4 month streak without alcohol for 1 beer on New year's. Seems like a decent way to handle things.

I've had Pancreatitis attacks 3 times, Doctor kept trying to blame alcohol, but for 2 of them I didn't have a drink for weeks before it happened. They were caused by fatty and acidic foods. Tomato/pizza sauce, and red meat were the main problems for me. I went on a no/extremely low fat diet, and have not had any trouble since. My first one was right after the holidays several years ago after eating all the heavy and fattening holiday foods, the second and third ones were times when I had red meat several days in a row. Now its alot of chicken and fish for protein and fresh or frozen veggies, if you can get the diet down it's not too bad. For me alcohol sparingly is fine, a couple drinks a month is no problem, I'm currently going no alcohol for January just in case since I drank a bit during November and December. One thing I know is, I will never let my diet cause me to feel that pain again, it was terrible, worse than the kidney stone I had several years ago.

Starting Naked Mind Process this week. Looking forward to an incredible future.


'Dial up the learning center in your brain.'

'Trust your unconscious.'

I have a friend who had the same situation. He stopped drinking completely. I would have done the same. The pancreas is nothing to mess around with.