What Are the Symptoms of Pancreatitis?
For acute pancreatitis symptoms include:
- Sudden, intense pains in the middle of the upper abdomen, often beginning 12 to 24 hours after a large meal or a bout of heavy drinking; the pain may radiate to your back.
- Fever
- Nausea or vomiting
- Clammy skin
- Abdominal distention and tenderness
- Rapid pulse
Chronic pancreatitis symptoms include:
- Intense, long-lasting abdominal pain that may radiate to the back and chest; the pain may be persistent or intermittent.
- Excessively foul, bulky stools
- Nausea or vomiting
- Weight loss due to malabsorption of food
- Abdominal distension
- Development of diabetes if insulin-producing cells of the pancreas become damaged
Call Your Doctor if:
- You think you may have pancreatitis; patients with acute pancreatitis must have professional care to avoid serious, possibly life-threatening complications. Chronic pancreatitis also requires professional evaluation and treatment.
- You continue to lose weight after treatment for pancreatitis; you may have a complication that prevents the body from digesting food properly.
- You are pale, cold, clammy, have a rapid heartbeat, or are breathing rapidly; you may be in shock and need emergency care.
- You have chronic pain or diarrhea after treatment; you may have chronic pancreatitis or a complication of acute pancreatitis such as a pseudocyst.
