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Treatment Options for Chronic Pancreatitis
Medications for Chronic Pancreatitis
Pain is usually the most prominent symptom in chronic pancreatitis (CP) and is very difficult to control in many patients. Due to the severity of pain which can be episodic or chronic and intractable, most patients with chronic pancreatitis require some kind of pain medication.
Medications that may be used in the management of pain in chronic pancreatitis include:
- Over the counter analgesics such as Tylenol, Advil, or Motrin
- Tramadol (Ultram) for pain not responsive to mild analgesics. In one study, tramadol compared favorably to morphine and resulted in lower rates of gastrointestinal complications.
- Oral narcotic analgesics or narcotics delivered through skin patches, such as Fentanyl, that provide a slow, steady release of the drug into the blood. Dependence on narcotics is an issue for many patients with chronic pancreatitis.
- Prednisone (a corticosteroid drug) in doses of 20 mg to 40 mg administered orally is effective in the treatment of autoimmune pancreatitis.
