Alcohol and the organs…. Day 21 here. It may be the fact that I just started googling all the different ways alcohol damages the organs… But I am super worried about my pancreas. Does anyone have any knowledge about alcohol and the pancreas?
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Yes. Alcohol can cause pancreatitis, it’s extremely painful and you need a hospital. You can eat or even drink anything for 5-7 days. Fatty food can cause pain in the upper abdomen below the sternum right in the middle. You can fully recover but must quit drinking immediately!
Long term damage to the pancreas can cause diabetes, lifetime pain, death, pancreatic cancer, and a hundred other things.
I would immediately stop drinking and have blood work done if you are concerned about it. I’m not trying to be all scary or anything, those are straight up facts 
I gave myself pancreatitis once, then had to have an endoscopy because there was a small mass. Turned out to be a pseudo cyst. I was sober for 4 months and drank again… huge mistake. I’m happy and grateful for sobriety now. I got my life back and I never have to feel that way again.
Good luck! Hopefully that is helpful
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Thank you so much! at the end of the last time I drink I was getting those pains. I also have absolutely no energy the day after. Did your attack come after four months sober or after you drank? I’m just wondering because in one way I’m hoping I can reverse the damage done already….
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Acute pancreatitis can kill. The digestive enzymes it secretes are for breaking down fats along with buffering the acid the stomach secretes.
Bad news if it is flared up too long. Admit is needed and IV fluids & nutrition untill is calms as said previously. Mortality rate is near 6% with acute pancreatitis.
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Have you made an appointment for a check up and blood work? My health was amongst many things I neglected during active addiction but was the first to be addressed in early sobriety. I’m glad I did. Thankfully, I only had some vitamin deficiencies. The peace of mind knowing I didn’t cause any major damage was priceless.
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That’s exactly what I think I had. Oh thank God I stopped and then I’m out here and thank you so much
Thank you so much! I’m scheduling blood work today. I probably won’t be able to get in today but I’ll schedule it and I’m gonna tell the doctor the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
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Yes be honest with your doctor, that’s 1 of the tool’s I use in my sobriety. I wish you well!
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Pancreatitis can come on during drinking or within days after. 3 weeks I’m not sure. But, if you had slight flare up and didn’t heal properly (no food, drink) and eating poorly, you can feel it. If you have permanent damage it could be a lifetime of diet adjustment and meds. As someone mentioned, the pancreas releases digestive enzymes and can begin to digest itself, hence no food or drink… You don’t want it to release more. If it was that bad, which I’m guessing it is not because you would definitely be in the hospital, then you can get necrosis in the organ that requires major surgery.
I think this was just a big wake up call for your body and you’ve begun your journey in sobriety. Congratulations on 3 weeks! Don’t be a dummy like me and think it’s fine to go back out to the booze.
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The last time I drank, The next day I had absolutely no appetite and no energy whatsoever. I was too tired to even sleep if that makes sense. Finally around 8 PM I ate a little something and the next day my appetite came back. But like you said, just one more of about 1 million reasons to keep on abstaining…. Does that sound like that was an attack?
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No, but it does sound like it’s was inflammation. Diarrhea, poor appetite, dull annoying pain, bloating, are all signs of damage. Remember, you are also affecting you liver, and gi tract. Your liver has no pain nerves so you cant tell. I’m no doctor but I’m guessing you have fatty liver, poor micro biome, and possible pancreas inflammation. If you have fatty liver you can stop drinking and heal it with healthy diet, exercise. Fatty liver can become scarred which is early cirrhosis which is untreatable and leads to death or liver transplant. Basically the whole point is stop now or you risk a lifetime of health related issue. No booze is worth it. I will be thinking of you during my AA meeting moment of silence for others suffering from this awful disease
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