Bless your heart I know what you are going through. My father almost died six years ago from a bout of pancreatitis and he had to have half of his pancreas removed (along with a grapefruit sized cyst) and he is now type I diabetic with daily pancreatic pain. Did your doctor say if this was something that you could expect recurrent problems with or that this would likely be a one time occasion? Are you taking any enzymes to help break down the foods in your stomach? Just curious. I've not heard of anything on this subject but I would be thrilled if someone could help you (us) out. I am trying to research accupuncture right now for this and if I hear anything positive I will let ya know.

Christina

One suggestion for the gas is to drink peppermint tea, although you probably should ascertain that the stimulation of bile production does not somehow aggravate the pancreatic condition. As for the inflammation, natural and synthetic derivations still break down mostly into NSAIDs or steroids. I don't believe I'd go the steroid route until I was convinced that they wouldn't affect the recovering pancreas adversely (they may not, but I'd want to be sure). I'm not totally convinced that the Cox-2 inhibitor NSAID products are easier on the stomach than the normal NSAIDs over a longer usage period (maybe I just haven't heard the news), but they might be worth a try. Celery seed apparently is a naturally occurring anti-inflammatory, but I wouldn't be surprised if its affected pathways still lead back to the stomach. I'm hesitant to suggest heat, cold, or massage becasue pancreatitis is one nasty and painful affliction, but one might be tempted to investigate acupuncture/pressure. You probably already are addressing dietary issues to try to reduce the load on the pancreas. I have some (perhaps unjustified) reservations about the usefulness of taking ordinary oral pancreatic enzymes, but I can imagine some benefit from pretreating food with enzymes before you eat it. I've heard recently of prescription oral enzyme preps that deliver the enzymatic activity where it's needed. They may use an enteric-type coating system, but I don't know for certain.

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In theory, theory and practice are the same; in practice, they aren't -- lament of the synthetic lifestyle.

R D Bailey said:
I am hoping to find some natural way to help with the acid reflux, acid stomach and gas. Does anyone have any suggestions? ...
Does anyone have remedies for inflamation that is easy on the stomach?

To help with digestion, try drinking apple cider vinegar (ACV). I keep a bottle of ACV and honey mixed and add upto 1 tablespoon of the mixture to a cup or warm water and drink with my meal.

Bromelin is a natural anti-inflammatory. The anti-inflammatory medications can really wreak havoc on your digestion, increasing liver toxicity, which causes thicker bile, which can lead to gall baldder problems.

Hope this helps

Please see my reply posts under "Help...Gastroparesis", which is located approx. #7 on the "Food, Nutrition & Health" Forum.
Hope this helps!

Absolutely you should be taking the herb milkthistle every day. It helps to support the renal system and is just tremendous at helping your body eliminate toxins. You feel the difference, literally, within a few hours. Many physicians now recommend milk thistle to their patients with hepatitis of any class (A, B or C) and I have a good friend who has hep C who has benefitted tremendously from it.

Get the really good ones from Whole Foods or a strictly organic herbal supplement source. They also have a "super milkthistle" that you can take to help a really heavy problem.

Also remember not to eat processed foods, though they may comfort you in your distress they add to it also. Stick with fresh cooked grass fed or free range meats and steamed or lightly cooked vegetables for a week or two and it will make a difference. Also no heavy fats - olive oil and real butter only. I speak from experience, not with pancreatitis but with indigestion and acid reflux. It's miserable. But I don't suffer with it anymore thanks to what I've learned. I hope it will help you too.

Let us know!
Kathe

For one of the best books on the dramatic impact of proper nutrition I've seen so far, read The Maker's Diet by Jordan S. Rubin.

You'll be delighted to read it and see that he recommends almost all of the healthy eating tips you see in this forum. I've not seen a comprehensive book of this quality before. I was entirely impressed.

Kathe

My father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this last year, so I've done a little research here.

Someone mentioned over the counter pancreatic enzymes, but you can also get these from natural sources. Pancreatic enzymes are found in abundance in papaya, for example. A little papaya and ginger after a meal can help quite a bit. You can also get papaya suppliments at your local natural food store. I get them at Whole Foods on occasion.

You can also try marshmallow root and slippery elm bark. They are both a mucilagenous product (they help restore the mucous layer of the gut to prevent acid irritation) and they also help soothe inflamed tissue. This helped my wife when she had a bout of reflux. It took about 3 weeks for the reflux to go away completely.