If you have pancreatitis a drug called clonidine may help reduce acute pancreatitis attacks in certain circumstances where verifiable stress is the cause.
I have read where some people attribute their acute pancreatitis attacks to stress. Some doctors think stress may be a factor as well. I have to admit that I am “on the fence” with this possible theory. One huge reason is because those people were most likely still eating like they were normal. This means, if they were following advice from health care practitioners, they were most likely consuming high fat content foods and possibly alcohol. Yet …
Clonidine May Help Pancreatitis
There is the possibility that pancreatitis patients who experience elevated plasma levels of noradrenaline (norepinephrine) (NA), adrenalin (epinephrine) (Ad) and cortisol (CRT), may be at risk for acute pancreatitis. In this instance 5 patients received helpful relief when administered clonidine. Read here
I thrive on stress. I do some of my best work under stress. In the past I ran car dealership sales crews (general sales manager) and held other high stress occupations. I have never had an acute pancreatitis attack I could directly connect to stress and once I began a regimen of diet and supplements all acute attacks resolved and my pancreas healed but …
For the sake of argument I will concede to the possibility that stress, in some people, could trigger an attack of acute pancreatitis and there is evidence that suggests a drug called Clonidine could help you stay off acute pancreatitis attacks but …
Take heed. Clonidine is NOT safe. It is used for several conditions but the side effects can be really unwanted especially if you miss a couple doses. Even ONE missed dose has caused rebound hypertension in some instances. So before you run out and jump on your doc for a clonidine script make dang sure you have traced an acute attack to stress and that is hard to do if you are still eating foods that trigger acute pancreatitis. You can never be certain when variables exist.
I have been on Clonidine since Aug 2014. Since I have been on it doctors have been telling me they want me off of it. So far it’s all been talk, and they’ve never explained why they want me off of it. I found blood in my urine in July 2015. Drs futzed around with my kidneys, sent me to a nephrologist, blood tests, ultrasounds and blamed it on a rash of strep. I finally went to a urologist, actually my ins co mistakenly sent me to a urogynogologist (thank god I’m a girl, wouldn’t that have been funny) – he sent me for a cat scan and found a nice size stone. He then told me I needed to see a Dr that dealt with Kidney stones, which is where I thought I was. So on to the urologist next week. In the mean time, I have pain in my stomach this whole time. I started excercising and watching what I eat and just joined the Y Sept 1st and now walking 3 miles a day/1hr. 10 mins into my walk and I have stomach pain. After walking, more blood in my urine. I have been telling Drs that the pain gets worse after eating and especially bad when I know I’m not eating well. They think it’s in my head. And tell me it doesn’t sound like the kidney stone, but no one addresses it because “one thing at a time” is all they can handle. Saturday the pain gets unbearable, my whole stomach hurts, under my diaphragm, behind my breasts and into my chest. I thought I had food poisoning. Went to the hospital, where they sent me for an x-Ray and then another ultrasound – first thought it was the stone, then gall bladder then finally pancreatitis. So, Clonidine did nothing to help me.
Hi Emmarie sounds like you’ve had some fun times. “So, Clonidine did nothing to help me.” That is exactly why I recall mentioning that I didn’t think it a great idea for folks to run out and get their doc to prescribe clonidine on the premiss it might help prevent acute pancreatitis. It may not be that beneficial as you have found out for yourself.