Pancreatitis and Diet Support

Waist measurement an indicator of pancreatitis?

sankey — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 06:35:06 +0000

Hi everyone

We’ve been hearing a bit lately about a persons waist measurement being a good general health indicator. The focus of much of the television advertising we’ve seen has been on reducing heart disease, but the incidence of cancer has also been mentioned as having a strong link to girth size. As it turns out there has been some research in this area relevant to the incidence of pancreatic cancer in women. And the correlation is quite startling! In an article in the UK newspaper the Telegraph it was reported earlier this year that obese women who have excess belly fat are 70 per cent more likely to develop pancreatic cancer. The article referred to a study published in the British Journal of Cancer which found a link between waist-to-hip ratios and pancreatic cancer incidence in post-menopausal women.

Dr Juhua Luo, of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, who led the research said, “We found that the risk of developing pancreatic cancer was significantly raised in obese postmenopausal women who carry most of their excess weight around the stomach. Of the American women surveyed in the study, 251 developed pancreatic cancer and when other risk factos such as smoking and age were factored out, the disease was far more prvalent in the obese than in those with small waist to hip ratios.

As readers of our book ‘Beating Pancreatitis - How to Get Healthy and Enjoy Life Again’ would know, obesity can be a factor in the development of pancreatitis and having pancreatitis increases one’s chances of developing pancreatic cancer. The relationship seems quite clear doesn’t it - to reduce the risk of developing pancreatitis keep your waist measurement within the recommended levels. This factor, we believe also has importance in the management of pancreatitis. We realize that many with pancreatitis have trouble in maintaining healthy weight and their waist measurements are low as a result of having the condition. As always, it seems to relate to the severity of the condition. Many with pancreatitis who remain overweight should think very carefully about how they are managing their health. As Dr Luo said, ” We know that carrying a high proportion of abdominal fat is associated with increased levels of insulin, so we think this may cause the link between obesity and pancreatic cancer”.

The message we think is clear - if you have a fat stomach and you have pancreatitis you are putting too much strain on your pancreas and therefore you are raising the risk of not only a greater number of pancreatitis flares but also your chances of developing pancreatic cancer.

To check on your waist-to-hip ratio take your waist measurement level with the belly button, then divide it by the hip circumference at the widest point. For men, the ratio should ideally not be over 0.9 and for women it should not go beyond 0.85.

We’d welcome the feelings of others on this matter. Please post any information or thoughts you might have on this matter.

In the meantime if you are interested you might wish to visit our site at http:www.pancreatitis-diet.com

Bye for now

Jenny & Bill

Pancreatitis and Food Color Additives?

sankey — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 04:47:39 +0000

Hi again everyone!

Just read a very interesting article in relation to food additives. It was written by Bill Statham, the author of the international best seller, “The Chemical Maze - Your Guide to Food Additives and Cosmetic Ingredients”. In this article which focusses on additives to food for the purpose of altering the color of food (and thereby, apparently making it more alluring to the consumer), Bill refers to a study completed earlier this year in the UK.

This study by the UK Food Standards Authority (FSA) called on food manufacturers to voluntarily remove six synthetic colors from processed foods and beverages. These colors include:

102 - Tartrazine

104 - Quinoline yellow

110 - Sunset yellow

122 - Azorubine or Carmoise

124 - Ponceau 4R

129 - Allura red AC

We haven’t seen anything in the research that states categorically that food color additives can cause pancreatitis but we’re certain that for some people these could be a trigger to a flare up. The Australian and New Zealand Food Standards authority certainly found some very interesting reactions for some people. These include: rashes and swelling of the skin, irritable bowel symptoms, behavioural changes in children and headaches.

If anyone has any personal experiences in relation to food color additives and pancreatitis we’d certainly like to hear from you.

By the way, some sites that might be worth referring to if you are interested include:

http:www.feingold.org/Research/lancet.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/apr/10/foodanddrink

http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/newsroom/factsheets/factsheets2008/effectsofartificialc3893.cfm

You may need to cut and paste these addresses into your web-browser

Regards

Jenny & Bill

Pancreatic cancer - some recent losses

sankey — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:17:39 +0000

Hi everyone

Firstly, our apologies for not posting for awhile. We’ve had some technical problems! Should be sorted out now.

Some people would remember an item we posted advising of the wonderful spirit of pancreatic sufferer Randy Pausch. Randy, a Professor at Carnegie-Mellon University had become quite famous for his ‘Last Lecture’. This featured in a series of You Tube video clips. We watched the whole lot in one sitting - it was very moving and inspirational. You can see the first of these at http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo

Unfortunately, Randy has now passed on, but not before passing on his wonderful wisdom on the important things in life. Our deepest sympathies go out to Randy’s wife, kids and larger family. He will undoubtedly be sorely missed.

Closer to home we have also been touched by the recent passing of friend Anne Kassulke, who was also claimed by pancreatic cancer. Anne will be greatly missed by husband Trevor and family. You have our most sincere and heartfelt sympathies Trev.

Once again, our apologies on being ’silent’ for awhile. More news to come soon. Hope everyone is keeping well. Please don’t hesitate to sign up and make comments on this blog.

Best wishes and best of health to you all.

Jenny and Bil

Pain Management for Pancreatitis - Part Four

admin — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:47:29 +0000

The final step in my approach, is to clearly state your expectations and goals for the visit to discuss pain management for pancreatitis. This is the stage when both you and your physician establish the “game plan”.

Again, being specific is the best way to do this. For example, if you believe that more tests should be run to find a possible treatable cause to your pancreatitis pain, then state that. If, on the other hand, you believe that all appropriate tests have been done and all you want is assistance in controlling your pain, state that.

In my case I was up-front with my belief that the pancreatitis pain was not going to “magically” disappear; that I accepted that it was going to be part of my life; but I didn’t accept that there was nothing the medical field could do. I made it very clear that I expected to leave that day with medicine to reduce the pain to more tolerable levels (I felt that an average pain of a 4 wasn’t too much to ask for) and with a treatment plan that acknowledged that I needed long-term medical care.

Like your pain descriptions, your goals will be unique to you. However, what is common to all pain patients is his or her right to have pain treated. For most situations, do not accept the advice that pain treatment should be delayed until a cause can be found or withheld completely because all tests and exams are normal. In my opinion, pancreatitis pain should be treated through pain management for pancreatitis, regardless of why it is there.

Pain Management for Pancreatitis - Part Three

admin — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 23:30:39 +0000

The first step when discussing chronic pain for pancreatitis is to be comfortable talking about it. In my case, admitting that I had chronic pain felt like announcing to the world that “I am a wimp and a failure.” I became anxious, and I think my body language conveyed the idea that I didn’t deserve to be taken seriously.

After I learned to accept that pain was not a weakness in my character, I was able to discuss what it felt like, how often it bothered me, and how bad it gets in a more matter-of-fact way. This also conveyed that I expected and deserved to be listened to.

Being comfortable also reduces the chance that your emotions could take over the situation. Emotions are part of the examination, no doubt. Physicians will ask you how the pain impacts your quality of life, but they will also look for signs that suggest you are exaggerating your situation.

“Histrionics” is the term that is often used to describe overly dramatic examinations. Bizarre and unusual descriptions or peculiar behavior can all be seen as dramatic. Avoid focusing on frustrating or failed previous physician care because this can also side-track your doctor from properly treating chronic pain.

Pain Management for Pancreatitis - Part Two

admin — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 01:15:15 +0000

Talking to your Doctor about Chronic Pain
When asked about pain management for pancreatitis, I am frequently asked how to talk about it with a doctor. It would seem as if this should be a simple matter. After all, outside of routine visits, pain is probably the most common reason for seeing a doctor. It would seem natural then to assume your doctor would be very proficient in diagnosing and treating chronic pancreatitis pain. However, in my experience, this is not so. I often left a physician’s office believing that my doctor didn’t quite “get it”.
Why is this? Over the years, I have learned that many factors affect diagnosing painful symptoms. The obvious factor is that there are many different kinds of pain. Pain can be either acute or chronic. Acute pain is relatively easy to assess and treatment is usually straight forward and curative. Chronic pain, however, is the opposite: it is difficult to assess and treatment is complex and most likely will not cure. Assessing and treating chronic pain requires time, patience and commitment from both the patient and the physician.

I think that the biggest factor that influences our treatment is that chronic pain often cannot be “proven” by methods that doctors are most comfortable with. Lab tests, radiology procedures (x-rays, CTs, MRIs etc) and physical exams may not show reasons for the pain. Because of this, doctors have to rely mainly on what the patient says or how s/he behaves during the exam. That is why it is very important to learn how to communicate with your doctor. Your words as well as body language will virtually be the physician’s diagnostic tool and you want to provide them with the best tool you can.

The third installment of pain management for pancreatitis is coming soon

Pain Management for Pancreatitis - Part One

admin — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 23:39:31 +0000

We would like to introduce you to our upcoming series of articles on pain management for pancreatitis. We’re really happy that our friend June Henry has agreed to write a series of articles on this most important of issues. June has suffered from pancreatitis for a number of years and has enormous personal experience in dealing with the day-to-day issues sufferers face. She has ‘been through the mill’, so to speak, and has now kindly offered to give you all the benefit of her experiences, to be your friendly guide and to assist you through the ‘maze’ that dealing with pancreatitis can so often be.

As we’ve discovered over recent months, every person’s experiences with pancreatitis and with the medical systems they encounter because of it, are very different. It’s impossible to cover every individual situation. However, we’ve also discovered a remarkable similarity in the nature of treatment and the responses patients have had. With June you will have a reference point – someone who has more than likely been through similar situations as you have been facing. Consequently, we’re sure you will find June’s articles not only to be very, very informative, but also challenging – they will make you think about what your experiences have been, how they may have differed from those of others etc. As a consequence, it is our hope (and June’s) that you will let us know what these differences have been and how you have been able to best manage them. Through this exchange we should then be able to build up a body of knowledge from which everyone can share and benefit.

We’re really excited about this and we hope you are too. The first of June’s series of articles on pain management for pancreatitis will be coming soon.