Is it okay to drink alcohol occasionally with pancreatitis?

Written by Wu Hai Wu

Gastroenterology

Updated on February 20, 2025

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Patients with pancreatitis absolutely must not drink alcohol, as it can lead to malnutrition and cause damage to organs such as the liver and pancreas, thereby reducing the patient's immunity. Even a single drinking session can provoke an episode of acute pancreatitis. Therefore, patients with pancreatitis must decidedly abstain from alcohol. Additionally, they should avoid overeating, as it can disturb gastrointestinal function, hinder normal bowel movements and emptying, and obstruct the normal secretion of bile and pancreatic juice, thus triggering a recurrence of pancreatitis.

Other Voices

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Written by Wei Shi Liang

Intensive Care Unit

39sec

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Two major signs of severe pancreatitis

In patients with severe pancreatitis, physical examination may reveal abdominal distension with tympanic percussion sounds, prominent tenderness in the upper middle abdomen, and potentially widespread abdominal pain centered in the upper middle area. Some may exhibit rebound tenderness, moderate muscle tension is common, and a few cases may demonstrate shifting dullness. Occasionally, a mass in the upper middle abdomen can be palpated, possibly due to fluid in the lesser sac. Auscultation may reveal diminished or absent bowel sounds, accompanied by cessation of passing gas or stool, indicating features of paralytic ileus.

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Written by Li Xue Qing

Gastroenterology

25sec

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What fruits can you eat with pancreatitis?

Patients with pancreatitis can eat some mild fruits, such as apples, bananas, peaches, kiwis, and strawberries. It is best to avoid more acidic fruits like oranges, lemons, and hawthorns. For cooler fruits, they can be soaked in warm water for a certain period before eating. Also, regardless of the type of food, fruit, or daily diet, it is important not to overeat.

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Written by Wu Hai Wu

Gastroenterology

47sec

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Can pancreatitis be contagious?

Pancreatitis is not contagious; it is a serious digestive system disease. The main causes of pancreatitis include gallstones, binge eating, alcohol abuse, and consumption of greasy foods among other factors. Once an attack of pancreatitis occurs, the patient must immediately refrain from eating and drinking, undergo gastrointestinal decompression, and have gastric juices, acids, and stomach contents suctioned out. Meanwhile, treatments for pancreatitis may involve the use of somatostatin or octreotide to inhibit the secretion of pancreatic juice, as well as the use of third-generation cephalosporins or quinolone antibiotics for anti-infection treatment. (Please use medications under the guidance of a physician.)

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Written by Wei Shi Liang

Intensive Care Unit

52sec

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Severe pancreatitis is what disease

Acute severe pancreatitis is a disease caused by various etiologies, characterized by local necrosis, inflammation, and infection of the pancreas, accompanied by systemic inflammatory response and persistent organ failure. The current mortality rate is still as high as 17%. The course of acute severe pancreatitis can generally be divided into three periods. First, the acute response period, occurring up to about two weeks after onset, is characterized by a systemic inflammatory response. Second, the systemic infection period, from two weeks to about two months, is characterized by infection of pancreatic or peripancreatic necrosis. Third, the residual infection period, occurring two to three months later, where the main clinical manifestation is systemic malnutrition.

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Written by Zhu Dan Hua

Gastroenterology

1min 7sec

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Pancreatitis is what?

Pancreatitis is a relatively common disease in gastroenterology, generally believed to be caused by various factors leading to the activation and autodigestion of the pancreas itself, resulting in inflammatory changes in the pancreas. Common causes include bile duct stones, alcohol consumption, and overeating, among others. Clinically, it is most commonly presented with symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, and vomiting. Fever may also accompany these symptoms. The diagnostic criteria for pancreatitis generally include three standards: The first is typical upper abdominal pain, persistent upper abdominal pain; the second is a blood test showing blood amylase levels more than three times the normal value; the third involves typical abdominal imaging, such as ultrasound, CT, or MRI, indicating imaging changes like pancreatic effusion. If two out of these three criteria are met, pancreatitis can generally be diagnosed.