How to relieve an attack of pancreatitis at home and eliminate pain

Causes of the disease

Pancreatitis is an inflammatory process in the tissues and cells of the pancreas. Since iron is an integral part of the gastrointestinal tract and endocrine system, the reasons may be hidden in these body systems:

Poor nutrition;
Abuse of fatty, sweet foods;
Alcohol abuse;
Heavy smoking;
Gallbladder diseases;
Gastrointestinal pathologies;
Hormonal imbalances.

The disease can occur in chronic and acute phases. Usually a person does not suspect the presence of pancreatitis until he is bothered by pain, and the longer it lasts, the more severe the pain.

Possible consequences and complications

Pancreatitis is a serious disease that affects the cells of the pancreas. When an attack occurs, they die and are no longer restored, which entails disruption of the functioning of not only the gland, but also other organs, since the work of all internal organs and human systems is interconnected.

Inflammation of the pancreas disrupts the functioning of the intestines, liver, gallbladder, kidneys and vascular system. And if pancreatitis affects the exocrine cells of the gland, then this also leads to the development of diabetes mellitus, since the death of these cells disrupts the production of insulin, which is responsible for the breakdown and absorption of glucose in the body.

Moreover, if acute pancreatitis is manifested by an increase in temperature to 38 degrees and above, then this already indicates the development of purulent processes in the pancreas, which can cause sepsis or an abscess.

It should also be noted that due to numerous cell deaths in the pancreas, necrosis begins to develop, leading to complete dysfunction of the organ and severe intoxication of the body. And this can also lead to death.

Therefore, under no circumstances should you joke with pancreatitis. If it has been diagnosed, it must be treated immediately. This will reduce the frequency of attacks and the risks of serious complications arising from them.

Pancreatic necrosis is a common complication of attacks of pancreatitis, the consequences of which are considered irreversible

Symptoms of an attack

Chronic pancreatitis can pass into the acute phase quite abruptly, paroxysmally. Symptoms and first treatment for an attack of pancreatitis can be recognized and treated at home:

A sharp increase in temperature above 37 ° C;
Nausea and uncontrollable vomiting;
Trembling, fever;
Aversion to food and drink, even clean water;
Acute pain syndrome in the peritoneum, which feels like it surrounds it;
The pain can radiate to the chest, back, lower back, sides, arms;
Frequent heartbeat, with a decrease in blood pressure;
Typically, pain is reduced by sitting or lying down with your knees bent;
Paleness, yellowness of the skin;
Sticky, cold sweat on the skin.

What to do during an attack of pancreatitis? Usually, individual recommendations are given by a gastroenterologist at the first visit. If the attack happened for the first time, follow the following rules.

Relieving an attack at home

If severe pain occurs due to pancreatitis at home, you must do the following:

ensure complete rest for the patient, excluding any sudden movements,
exclude the consumption of any food products for the next 2-3 days,
ensure a regular supply of a certain amount of water to the patient’s body, that is, it is recommended to drink 50 ml of water every 30-40 minutes,
Do not under any circumstances take medications that contain synthetic pancreatic enzymes, namely, taking Creon and Panzinorm is prohibited,
to quickly relieve pain from a sharp pancreatic attack, it is necessary to administer 0.8 mg of No-Shpu or Drotaverine hydrochloride by injection,
effectively relieve pain by applying cold to the place of greatest localization of pain, using a heating pad or a plastic bottle with ice,
at the moment of intense pain, it is recommended to take the fetal position, and after the pain recedes a little, you can change the position to a sitting position with a slight bend forward.

If there is an urge to vomit, but there is no vomiting process itself, the necessary measures must be taken to cleanse the intestines by artificially inducing vomiting. To do this, you need to gently press your index and middle fingers on the root of the tongue; if nothing happens, then the optimal solution would be to absorb 2 liters of warm, slightly salted water. After the vomit is expelled, the pain syndrome usually subsides for a certain period of time. Therefore, immediately after relief of the general condition, it is necessary to go to a medical institution to receive qualified assistance and the necessary treatment regimen.

Treatment of acute pancreatitis is best carried out in a hospital setting, where timely qualified assistance from specialists will be available around the clock.

At the time of the onset of a pancreatic attack, breathing may become difficult, so the patient is recommended to breathe shallowly with slight delays in the respiratory act, which will ensure less frequent vibrations of the chest and less irritation of the nerve receptors located on the surface of the pancreas.

It is important to remember that taking enzyme preparations is only allowed for chronic pancreatitis in remission. At the time of exacerbation of this pathology, these drugs can provoke an intense level of gastric juice production, which will further aggravate the current situation.

At the moment of intense manifestation of pain, it is recommended to take the domestically produced tablet drug Drotaverine or No-Shpu. In case of vomiting, the best solution to the problem would be to administer an intramuscular injection with a solution of No-Shpa or Papaverine.

In most cases, acute pancreatitis can be caused by the development of a pathological process in the area of the gallbladder, which results in a disruption of the processes of bile outflow. Therefore, if the patient is sure that his renal organ system is in perfect order and there is no sand or stones, then to make him feel better, it is recommended to take 2 tablets of Allochol in combination with the above-mentioned antispasmodic drugs.

Pre-medical pain relief can be done by using:

Ibuprofen,
Baralgina,
Metamizole,
or Paracetamol.

But most often, these drugs are prescribed when a chronic form of the inflammatory process develops.

After the main attack of the pathology is removed, it is necessary for 2-3 days to limit yourself to drinking only liquid in the form of still mineral water or a weak tea drink. Eating food can trigger a recurrence of the attack.

Providing first aid to a patient

An attack of pancreatitis with severe symptoms cannot be treated at home; it requires immediate medical attention. Before the ambulance arrives, you must:

Provide the patient with a supine position in a comfortable position that would reduce pain;
Do not give food or drink other than clean water without gas or dyes, as vomiting removes a lot of water from the body and dehydration develops;
Ice can be applied to the pancreatic area to reduce pain, but for no more than five minutes. Use a heating pad with cold water or an ice bag;
Do not resist the urge to vomit. On the contrary, this process helps to relieve the condition for a short time.

Painkillers

Doctors usually say that during an attack of pancreatitis you cannot give pain-relieving injections or give pills, as this will interfere with correct diagnosis and first aid. But pain during an attack can lead the patient to painful shock, therefore only drugs from the group of antispasmodics and analgesics are allowed to be taken.

Antispasmodics expand the gland channels. If pancreatitis has developed against the background of cholelithiasis, then an attack can be triggered by poor outflow of bile, then a combination of a choleretic drug with an antispasmodic is allowed.

Relief of a mild attack

Medications for mild attacks:

No-shpa or drotaverine, buscopan, papaverine, mebeverine, meteospasmil - antispasmodics;
Baralgin, pentalgin, acetamifene – analgesics;
Voltaren, paracetamol, relafen, indomethacin, aspirin are anti-inflammatory.

Only one drug must be selected from each group. Give no more than two tablets; the next dose is possible only after two to three hours, if an ambulance has not arrived during this time.

It is prohibited to give injections and droppers with these drugs at home. Such procedures will be carried out in a hospital with strictly calculated dosages depending on the intensity of the attack. Since pain can be relieved before the ambulance arrives, be sure to indicate to the arriving team what medications were taken, when and in what quantities.

Moderate attacks

First aid for such an attack can only be provided by an ambulance team. If there are recommendations from a gastroenterologist, or medications to relieve a mild attack did not help, you can relieve pain as follows:

Introduction of novocaine;
Taking pipolfen, diphenhydramine, suprastin, peritol;
Taking furasemide to relieve swelling of the organ;
The painkiller Eufillin will relieve spasms.

The rest of the therapy is prescribed only by the attending physician. In severe attacks, first aid can even be dangerous, so it is not recommended to go beyond the medications presented above.

In the hospital, severe attacks when previous drugs are ineffective are treated:

Buprenophrine;
Pentazocine;
Tramadol;
Promedol.

These drugs are narcotic and are available only with a prescription. Their independent use at home can be regarded not only as intentional harm to the patient, but also as a criminal violation.

Severe attacks require urgent hospitalization, as they can lead to painful shock and loss of consciousness of the patient. Since it is almost impossible to treat an attack in this condition, it is advisable to seek help as quickly as possible.

Symptoms of an attack

What to do if your pancreas hurts

severe pain of a girdling nature, which is initially localized in the left or right hypochondrium, then begins to spread to the sternum, lumbar region, and shoulder blades;
mechanical jaundice, manifested by yellowness of the sclera;
yellowing or blanching of the skin;
temperature increase;
nausea that develops into vomiting, after which the person does not feel relief;
weakness;
dizziness;
fatty loose stools.

These manifestations of pancreatitis indicate the development of acute inflammation of the pancreas, during which it is under no circumstances possible to stay at home. It is necessary to immediately call a team of doctors, since only timely qualified medical assistance will help to quickly stop an attack and prevent the development of complications against it.

The pain that occurs during a pancreatic attack is very severe and can lead to shock

Basic treatment

In the first days after an acute attack, you must strictly adhere to the doctor’s recommendations. After this, you can relieve pain on your own only with medications prescribed by a gastroenterologist.

In the first hours, when it is necessary to quickly provide assistance, one should not forget about the drinking regime. The liquid helps stop the secretion of pancreatic juice, thereby reducing pain, and also replenishes fluid loss in the body, since the attack is accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea.

Further treatment is carried out according to the principles:

Special diet – treatment tables according to Pevzner;
Antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic therapy;
Complete rest and bed rest for the patient.

Proper diet

The diet is developed by a nutritionist at the institution where the patient was admitted with an acute attack. Often, a treatment table for pancreatitis according to the Pevzner scheme is used as a basis.

For the first 48 hours, the patient is prohibited from eating any food. It is allowed to drink rosehip decoction and pure mineral water. From the third day, low-calorie foods without fat, salt, or carbohydrates are allowed.
In the future, food should only be boiled or steamed. You cannot serve hot or cold food - the temperature should not exceed 65 degrees.
Food should be easily digestible, preference is given to fast carbohydrates - fruits, vegetables, fiber, cereals. Vegetarian soups are highly recommended. Broths for first courses are made secondary.
Fish, cottage cheese, sugar, honey, juices, jam, and puddings are also allowed. Fatty, fried foods are prohibited. This also applies to barbecue dishes.

Inhibition of the pancreas

An acute inflammatory process in the pancreas is accompanied by a sharp release of gland secretions . Since the disease is accompanied by persistent spasm of the ducts and sphincter of Oddi, many enzymes remain in the pancreas and begin to digest it. To prevent self-destruction of the organ, anti-enzyme drugs are used, such as Gordox, Contrikal, Trasylol (the active ingredient is aprotinin).

Gordoks

The active ingredient of the drug, aprotinin, is a protease inhibitor. Inhibits the activity of enzymes and inhibits their production. Used from the first days of illness.

There is currently debate about whether it is advisable to use this medicine for acute pancreatitis of the pancreas. Opinions are expressed about the ineffectiveness of the remedy.

Antibiotics in the treatment of acute pancreatitis

Antibacterial drugs are not always used in the treatment of acute pancreatitis.

In some cases their use is mandatory:

rupture of the pancreatic duct;
cholangitis, cholelithiasis;
calculous cholecystitis;
pancreatic necrosis.

Broad-spectrum antibiotics are usually prescribed:

macrolides (Erythromycin, Macropen);
cephalosporins (Ceftriaxone, Cefoperazone, Cefotaxime, Claforan);
fluoroquinolones (Pefloxacin, Tsiprolet);
penicillins (Augmentin, Ampicillin, Amoxicillin);
Carbapenems (Tienam, Meropenem) are reserve antibacterial agents. They are used in the most extreme cases, for example, pancreatic necrosis.

For acute pancreatitis, the following antibiotics are usually used:

Amoxicillin . Semi-synthetic antibiotic from penicillins. Used to prevent relapse.

Ceftriaxone. The solution is used for intravenous or intramuscular administration. Relieves inflammation and swelling in pancreatitis. The dosage and regimen are determined by the doctor.

Amoxiclav. It has a powerful antimicrobial effect and stops inflammation at the very beginning.

H2-histamine receptor blockers

Medicines in this group have the ability to block histamine cells in the gastric mucosa and thereby reduce the production of hydrochloric acid. Used in the treatment of peptic ulcers, to prevent gastrointestinal bleeding, in the treatment of acute pancreatitis and exacerbations of chronic pancreatitis. The most famous are Ranitidine, Famotidine, Kvamatel.

Famotidine . The effect of the drug lasts 12 hours. Prescribed with caution for liver disease and suspected cancer. The drug has an antispasmodic effect on smooth muscles and has an analgesic effect.

Kvamatel. The active ingredient is the same famotidine. Kvamatel belongs to the third generation of H2 blockers. Reduces the production of proteolytic enzymes and promotes the development of connective tissue at the site of necrotic lesions. Administered intravenously in a hospital under the supervision of medical staff.

Hormonal drugs

The inflammatory process in the pancreas is quickly stopped by taking somatostatin hormonal drugs (Sandostatin, Somatostatin, Glucogan). Used for acute pancreatitis.

Sandostatin. Eliminates pain, inhibits the production of pancreatic juices. Use only in hospitals. A couple of injections can improve the patient’s condition, and test results return to normal. The method of treatment with such drugs has not been well studied, but is promising.