What happens when the pancreas shuts down?

[Sarah]

My step brother is 17 and has been diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis. I don't know much about the situation but I do know that there is scar tissue formed around his pancreas and his enzyme levels have been up in the 3000's. My step mom was at the doctor with him today and the doctor said something about his pancreas has a possibility of total shut down. I'm really worried about him. Can someone help me out?

[BILL]

It can lead to death, people cannot survive with out it.

[Katlin]

Your pancreas produces hormones. This hormone is insulin and several others that is used to digest your food and control your blood sugar. If the pancreas shuts down, living will be hard. Do not lets other comments scare you. You CAN survive without it. Though it's hard. Some people die from it. If your brother looses his pancreas, he will become a type 1 diabetic. He will have to have several units of insulin a day. He will have to shoot it with a needle. It is hard to control this. If he goes a long time without checking his blood sugar, and without giving himself insulin, he can convulse. Which is very very dangerous. Your brother will have a healthy life as long as he learns how to shoot insulin with needles and control his blood sugar. His diet will change and he will have to stay in shape. His life will be normal and healthy but he will be diabetic and will live like a diabetic. I'm 18, and my mother had type 2 diabetes. It's better to learn this early in life even if you don't have diabetes.

[debbie]

Don't get too overly concerned. Doctors are generally extremely uneducated about this condition. The fact that your brothers levels have gotten that high is actually a blessing in disguise. People with severe chronic pancreatitis don't have any elevation of their levels. The survival rate for any particular flare up is pretty good. I know someone who had an attack into the 20,000 range. My daughter regularly has had attacks into the 3-4 thousand range. She has been hospitalized 9 times and has been fine. The other two people who posted are inaccurate about their information. You CAN live without your pancreas, and you won't necessarily be a type one diabetic. You need to look into a hospital that does a specialized surgery called a total pancreatectomy with auto-islet cell transplantation. They take the islet cells that make insulin in the pancreas and transplant them into the liver. He should be able to manage his disease for a while without the requirement of surgery. Where he already has scarring, he will get worse if he does not take good care of himself. Chronic pancreatitis is a horrible disease, and without proper management will cause horrible pain, narcotic addiction, malnutrition, and diabetes. He should join a facebook group like the one I am a part of. They are an invaluable resource of information on diet changes, and people who understand what you are going through. Just so he is prepared, he will have to be on medication for the rest of his life. He will have to take enzymes every time he eats if he is not already. He should also be on an antacid once a day. Good luck!