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Can my acute pancreatitis become chronic?

This Premium Q&A, reviewed and published, features a real conversation between an iCliniq user and a physician.

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

I had acute pancreatitis three weeks ago (probably due to too many drinks on a Saturday although I am not a big drinker generally) and since then struggled with digestion. I am very worried as some of my stools are pale yellow and I have terrible fatigue. My blood tests are now all fine and the CT scan (taken five days after admission to hospital) were all good. My symptoms have changed and are mostly very painful referred pain after eating and fatigue. I am very worried about chronic pancreatitis. My question is, is my system still recovering and could I have these symptoms whilst the pancreas heals without it being now chronic?
Answered by Dr. Datta Ram. U.

Education:

MBBS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Datta Ram. U. is a General Surgeon with 20 years of clinical experience specializing in Surgical Gastroenterology. He completed his MBBS and MS in General Surgery from Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Health Sciences in 2003 and 2006. Later in 2010, he acquired his DNB in Surgical Gastroenterology from the National Board of Examinations. He is fluent in English, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi. Currently, he is practicing in Hyderabad.

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Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Generally, it takes time to recover after acute pancreatitis. I suggest you stop drinking alcohol, absolute cessation of alcohol. You are at a risk of developing repeated episodes of pancreatitis and chronic pancreatitis if you continue to drink. Please start enzyme supplements. As the CT (computed tomography) scan is normal, you may not be having chronic pancreatitis but an endoscopic ultrasound is a better investigation to know if you have chronic pancreatitis or not as the CT is normal.

Medically reviewed by Dr. K. Shobana
Published At August 2, 2018
Reviewed At July 15, 2025

Education:

MBBS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Datta Ram. U. is a General Surgeon with 20 years of clinical experience specializing in Surgical Gastroenterology. He completed his MBBS and MS in General Surgery from Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Health Sciences in 2003 and 2006. Later in 2010, he acquired his DNB in Surgical Gastroenterology from the National Board of Examinations. He is fluent in English, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi. Currently, he is practicing in Hyderabad.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

Consult other doctors in the same speciality

Education:

BDS

Professional Bio:

Dr. K. Shobana is a Dental Surgeon specializing in oral health and dental care. She is skilled in preventive dentistry and provides oral hygiene education. She can do restorative treatments such as fillings and crowns. She can handle periodontal problems such as gum diseases and periodontitis. She can do root canal treatment.

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Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Datta Ram. U.
Dr. Datta Ram. U.

Surgical Gastroenterology

Education:

MBBS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Datta Ram. U. is a General Surgeon with 20 years of clinical experience specializing in Surgical Gastroenterology. He completed his MBBS and MS in General Surgery from Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Health Sciences in 2003 and 2006. Later in 2010, he acquired his DNB in Surgical Gastroenterology from the National Board of Examinations. He is fluent in English, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi. Currently, he is practicing in Hyderabad.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

Consult other doctors in the same speciality
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