Hey guys,
I’ve got a challenge for any ambitious QSers out there. I’ve had a slightly strange series of attacks of acute pancreatitis and after months at the doctor and a whole bunch of tests, I am none the wiser as to why I have been getting ill. Not wanting to give up on my health, I thought that perhaps I could turn to quantifying myself and doing something to predict or prevent getting an attack.
The diseas typically affects middle-aged alcoholics and smokers but I’m a healthy 20-year-old so really am at a loss to explain why this is all happening. I was wondering if anyuone else had been through tracking similar conditions and if they had any idea where to start with tracking something they have so little information about? I don’t know if I’m going to be able to get any good data out of something that I’m only going to be getting once every six months or so (hopefully no more than that!) but Im getting a little bit desperate now that the best advice from my doctor is ‘come back in 20 years and see what the advances in genetic technology are.’
Thanks for the help.
James
Other details that might be helpful:
- I’ve had three attacks in total: one in July 2015, one in August 2016 and the most recent in December 2017.
- There doesn’t seem to be much information out there on the web relating to possible causes.
- I didn’t have galstones.
What labs are out of normal?
Have you had your gallbladder checked? If so, how?
What are your primary symptoms when having an attack?
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The primary indicator that I’ve had in my bloods was a raised amylase level in my blood. This came out at 3-9x the normal when in hospital but had reduced back to regular levels in between attacks.
Gallbladder has no stones as shown by an ultra-sound. Have also had an endoscopic ultrasound to check for any physical abnormalities or any missed stones in finer detail. Nothing there either.
Recently have had an MRI to check for a spamming sphincter that could be causing a blockage. That all came up clear too.
Symptoms during an attack begin with a pain centrally just below my rib cage. Starts off mild and then becomes unbearable within a couple of hours. The pain has occurred upon waking all three times. After the pain, I’ll start vomiting. It lasts intensely for a day and then slowly cools off over the next day or two before I leave the hospital.
The only other possible test that I’ve been told I could have that I haven’t had already is a genetics test. Fortunately the NHS would be the ones paying for it, but seeing as this information is useless in determining treatment, I’ve decided it’s not worth it for the time being.
All very strange.
Have you had a HIDA scan?
I had acalculus gallbladder disease and had CT, MRI, ultrasound (not EUS like you though), MRE, MRA and it wasnt until a HIDA scan that my gallbladder showed it wasnt filling or contracting. Upon removal, path showed autolysis and sludge.
EDIT 1: Regarding prediction, I would keep track in a spreadsheet some daily metrics and see if you can regress on them. OR post them here and let someone do the analysis for you. See https://github.com/isaacgerg/health_analysis/blob/master/manuscript/Managing_IBS_Through_Lightweight_Tracking.pdf
Hang in there!
Cheers 
Haven’t even heard of a HIDA before to be honest. I will raise it with doctor when I next see him and get tracking some food in the mean time maybe. Aggrovating amount of effort to do it with everything though 
Thanks for the support.