Treatment options
The following treatment options are available for pancreatitis:
- Painkillers (analgesics): Pancreatitis is associated with severe abdominal pain. Medication can effectively alleviate this. Doctors often use very strong painkillers (opioids). Later, milder painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen (from the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, NSAIDs) follow
- Infusions of fluids and electrolytes compensate for the lack of fluids and minerals.
- Gallstones can now be removed with a minimally invasive procedure. This is done as part of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Patients should also temporarily refrain from eating until the symptoms have subsided and they feel better again. This applies both to the acute form and to an episode of chronic pancreatitis. After about one to two days, most people can slowly start eating solid food again. If this is not possible, artificial feeding may be necessary at times, usually via a feeding tube.
Acute pancreatitis - nutrition tips
You can – often after just a few days – gradually eat foods that are easy to digest again. This way you don’t overload your pancreas.
- Choose foods that are as low in fat as possible: dairy products such as cheese, yoghurt, quark or milk as well as sausages are also available in low-fat varieties.
- Cook with less fat: steaming, baking or steaming are better than frying or deep-frying when preparing food.
- It is better not to eat fruit and vegetables raw, but to steam or boil them. This makes it easier to digest.
- Do not cook with hot spices (pepper, chili) and do not eat spicy food.
- Eat several small portions a day instead of a few large meals.
- It is better to avoid very hot or very cold food.
- Choose drinks such as still water, tea or spritzers made from fruit or vegetable juices. It is better to leave out drinks with a high sugar content such as iced tea, cola, lemonade or soft drinks.
- It is better to skip coffee at the beginning, and later only enjoy it in moderation. Milk also needs to be used sparingly.
- And for alcohol: avoid it altogether.
Once the pancreatitis has completely healed, you can eat a normal – i.e. healthy and balanced – diet again.
Nutrition for chronic pancreatitis - tips
The same general rule applies here: Eat as healthy and balanced a diet as possible in the long term. Include lots of different foods in your diet. You should also not smoke or drink alcohol. Some tips on nutrition:
- Choose easily digestible foods: e.g. potatoes, rice, bread, pasta, vegetables, fruit (both preferably cooked or steamed).
- The diet should contain plenty of carbohydrates.
- Do not consume more than 50 to 80 grams of fat per day.
- Eat several smaller meals throughout the day instead of a few large portions.
- Avoid foods that are difficult to digest, e.g. pulses (lentils, beans, peas), fried foods, deep-fried foods, cold drinks and food.
Chronic pancreatitis: medication and dietary supplements
In chronic pancreatitis, the gland no longer produces sufficient amounts of digestive enzymes. However, these are necessary in order to break down the food. In this case, enzyme preparations that take over this task can help. In addition, there is often a vitamin deficiency. For example, patients lack vitamins A, D, E, K, vitamin B12, vitamin B1 or folic acid. Talk to your doctor about whether dietary supplements make sense in your case.
Surgery
Doctors empty the fluid-filled pseudocysts into the stomach during an endoscopy or as part of an operation. They place drains so that the fluid can drain into the stomach or intestines. So-called stents sometimes help with narrowed bile ducts. These are small supports designed to keep the aisle permanently open. In rare cases, doctors also remove part of the pancreas.