Pancreatitis: Your GoodRx Guide

What is pancreatitis?

Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. The pancreas is a small organ that sits behind your stomach. It releases enzymes into your small intestine to help your body digest food. The pancreas also produces hormones, like insulin and glucagon. These help your body regulate blood-sugar levels. 

The pancreas can become inflamed if the enzymes that help digest food start to instead digest the pancreas itself. 

There are two main types of pancreatitis:

• Acute pancreatitis is sudden inflammation of the pancreas. It can be a very serious, life-threatening condition. About 10% of people with acute pancreatitis die from the disease. But for most people, it will improve over several days with the right treatment.

• Chronic pancreatitis happens when the pancreas becomes inflamed over and over again. This ongoing inflammation can lead to permanent pancreas damage. It can also increase the risk of developing diabetes and pancreatic cancer.

What are the symptoms of pancreatitis?

In acute pancreatitis, the first symptoms are often pain, nausea, and vomiting. The pain occurs in the upper and middle abdomen, which often feels severe. Other early symptoms are nausea and vomiting. 

If left untreated, acute pancreatitis can go on to cause fever and low blood pressure, which can feel like weakness or dizziness. It can also cause shortness of breath and decreased urination. These are due to lung injury or kidney failure that can happen with acute pancreatitis. Clammy skin and jaundice can also occur. Jaundice is a yellowing of the skin and eyes. 

Chronic pancreatitis can cause pain, nausea, and vomiting, too. But often, it has other long-term symptoms. Long-term damage to the pancreas can affect its ability to digest food and regulate blood sugar. So people with the condition often lose weight and have oily or very light-colored stools. 

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What causes pancreatitis?

Pancreatitis can have many different causes. The most common causes of acute pancreatitis include: 

• Gallstones: These are small, hard masses that can form from the bile in your gallbladder. Usually, bile from the gallbladder and digestive enzymes from the pancreas empty into the small intestine from the same tube. If a gallstone blocks this tube, digestive enzymes can back up into the pancreas, which can cause inflammation. 

• Heavy alcohol use: Alcohol can lead to thick secretions in the pancreas. These can block small tubes and cause a backup of digestive enzymes. 

• High triglyceride levels: Triglycerides are a type of cholesterol, and very high levels can be toxic to the pancreas. 

Less common causes of pancreatitis include:

• Certain medications

• Infection 

• Traumatic injuries

• Autoimmune conditions 

• Genetic diseases, like cystic fibrosis and hereditary pancreatitis 

In up to 15% of cases, the cause may be unknown.

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How is pancreatitis diagnosed?

Diagnosing acute pancreatitis starts with symptoms and a physical exam. The diagnosis is then usually confirmed with a lab test for the amount of pancreatic enzymes in the blood, called lipase. 

Typically, acute pancreatitis is likely if the lipase level is at least 3 times higher than normal. Sometimes, the symptoms aren’t clear, or the bloodwork doesn’t show obvious pancreatitis. In these cases, an imaging test may help identify the problem.

The imaging tests a person may need to diagnose pancreatitis include: 

• An abdominal ultrasound scan

• A CT scan

• An MRI scan

• An endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), where a small ultrasound is passed through the mouth and down into the small intestine to get detailed images of the pancreas

Chronic pancreatitis is more often diagnosed with a scan than blood tests. This is because the amount of pancreatic enzymes in the blood may not be very high with chronic damage to the pancreas. 

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What is the treatment for pancreatitis?

Most often, treatment for pancreatitis requires hospital care. Someone with pancreatitis will often need to stop eating or drinking for a period of time to allow the pancreas inflammation to decrease. During this time, they will receive: 

• IV (intravenous) fluids

• Pain medications

• Antibiotics, if there are any signs of infection

• A feeding tube, in some cases

If someone has kidney failure or lung problems, they may need to be treated in an intensive care unit (ICU). 

Medical care for pancreatitis often includes treatment for the underlying cause. This can include removing gallstones or giving antibiotics for infection. 

Sometimes, specialized procedures like EUS or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography may be needed to take biopsies. The procedures may also help remove a gallstone or other blockage. In rare cases, people may need surgery as well.

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Are there any long-term complications of pancreatitis?

Acute and chronic pancreatitis both have serious long-term complications. 

Acute pancreatitis can lead to: 

• Severe dehydration

• Kidney failure

• Lung complications, like fluid in the lungs

• Gastrointestinal bleeding

• Blood clots 

Inflammation in the pancreas can also lead to cysts, infection, or necrosis (death of parts of the pancreas). Having acute pancreatitis multiple times can lead to chronic pancreatitis. 

Chronic pancreatitis can lead to:

• Chronic abdominal pain 

• Digestion issues and not getting enough nutrients from food

• Diabetes, if the pancreas is not able to make enough to make insulin

• Pancreatic cancer

• Poor blood flow in the stomach and intestines

• Bone disease, like osteopenia or osteoporosis

What can I do to prevent pancreatitis?

Some types of pancreatitis may be difficult to prevent. For example, those caused by genetic conditions or trauma can be unavoidable. But pancreatitis caused by high triglycerides, gallstones, or alcohol use may be preventable. 

Following a low-fat diet, exercising regularly, and reducing alcohol use can lower your risk of pancreatitis. These changes can have other health benefits, too.

It’s also important to get regular medical checkups to keep an eye on your cholesterol level. This is especially true if you’ve had pancreatitis before or have a condition that increases your risk of getting pancreatitis. 

Sometimes, stopping a particular medication or having surgery to remove a gallbladder may be necessary. 

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