Pancreatic diabetes
Around half of people with chronic pancreatitis will go on to develop diabetes, usually many years after receiving their diagnosis (it is not unusual for 20 years to pass before diabetes occurs).
Diabetes that occurs in cases of chronic pancreatitis is known as pancreatic or type 3 diabetes.
Diabetes occurs when your pancreas is no longer able to produce insulin. Insulin is a chemical that the body uses to break glucose down into energy. The main symptoms of diabetes are:
- feeling very thirsty
- going to the toilet a lot, particularly at night
- extreme tiredness
- weight loss and muscle wasting (loss of muscle bulk)
If you develop pancreatic diabetes, you will need to have regular insulin injections to compensate for the lack of natural insulin in your body.
See the Health A-Z topic about diabetes for more information.
Psychological effects of chronic pancreatitis
Any chronic health condition, particularly one that causes recurring or constant pain, such as chronic pancreatitis, can have an adverse effect on your emotional and psychological health.
One study that looked at people living with chronic pancreatitis found that one in seven people had some sort of psychological or emotional problem, such as stress, anxiety or depression.
Contact your GP if you are experiencing psychological and emotional difficulties. Effective treatments are available that can help to improve the symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression.
Joining a support group for people with chronic pancreatitis, such as the Pancreatitis Supporters' Network, may also help. Talking to other people with the same condition can often help to reduce feelings of isolation and stress.
Pseudocysts
Another common complication of chronic pancreatitis is pseudocysts. These are sacs of fluid that can develop on the surface of the pancreas. They are thought to affect around one in four people with chronic pancreatitis.
In many cases, pseudocysts do not cause any symptoms and are only detected during a computerised tomography (CT) scan. However, in some people pseudocysts can cause the following symptoms:
- bloating
- indigestion
- dull abdominal pain
If the pseudocysts are small and they are not causing any symptoms, there may be no need for further treatment because these types of cysts usually disappear on their own.
Treatment will usually be recommended if you are experiencing symptoms or the pseudocysts are larger than 6cm (2.3 inches) in diameter. Larger pseudocysts are at risk of bursting open which could cause internal bleeding or trigger an infection.
Pseudocysts can be treated by draining the fluid out of the cyst. This can be done by inserting a needle through your skin and into the cyst to drain away the fluid. Alternatively, an endoscopy may be used. This is where a thin, flexible tube called an endoscope is passed down your throat and tiny tools are used to drain away the fluid.
Pancreatic cancer
Chronic pancreatitis increases your risk of developing pancreatic cancer. However, the increased risk is relatively low. For example, it is estimated that for every 100 people with chronic pancreatitis, only one or two will develop pancreatic cancer.
The most common initial symptoms of pancreatic cancer are much the same as chronic pancreatitis. They include:
See the Health A-Z topic about Pancreatic cancer for more information.
