Q: I have been drinking alcohol for many years as a result of which my pancreas has been affected. Whenever I eat, there is pain and the pain at times is in the lower back which at times is unbearable. I have been under treatment for almost 3 years now and have stopped drinking completely but still the pain is there. It was suspected that the pain was because of stones in the gall bladder so I had my gall bladder removed. For a month there was no pain but now it is there everyday. The doctor says it is chronic pancreatitis. I am now on pain killers and pankreoflat tab. What I would like to know is will I ever get ok and be able to lead a normal life without pain?

A:Pain from the pancreas can be extremely difficult to treat. You appear to have had all the correct investigations and are also on tablets to replace the pancreatic juices. There is no way of predicting whether the pain will improve or not but often it does ease up. I suggest that you see a pain relief doctor who will be able to suggest different ways of tackling the pain rather than just with tablets. As you say, pain from the pancreas can be very severe and I do hope yours will get better.