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Can You Ever Drink Again After Having Pancreatitis?

Drinking alcohol affects the health in many ways. When a person drinks regularly the molecules present in the alcohol interfere with the cells of the pancreas due to which the pancreas stop working properly. That is the main reason why the risk of having pancreatitis increases if you drink alcohol regularly. So, can you ever drink again after having pancreatitis? This is a commonly asked question.

Pancreatitis is caused due to various reasons and one main reason of having pancreatitis is excessive intake of alcohol. Now the biggest question is that can you ever drink again after pancreatitis? How is the cure of pancreatitis related to this and can you drink after getting relieved from pancreatitis. Let us understand this in detail.

The answer to this depends a lot on the cause of pancreatitis. If pancreatitis is caused because of excessive consumption of alcohol then it is strictly advised not to consume alcohol ever again even if the pancreatitis is cured. However, if pancreatitis is caused due to some other reason and pancreatitis is well treated either with surgery and the person is completely fine after that, moderate amounts of alcohol may be permitted once in a while.

In case of chronic pancreatitis or if the treatment of pancreatitis is going on and the patient consumes alcohol then there can be severe inflammation and the patient may feel huge abdominal pain and may gradually hamper the digestive function. If a person gets cured of alcohol related pancreatitis but starts drinking again, there are chances of hampering the insulin function and there is a huge risk of developing diabetes too. Moreover, the pancreas of the patient will be gradually losing its functioning in case the patient starts to drink again and the functioning of the endocrine will be lost completely. Thus, when considering if you can ever drink again after having pancreatitis, you must know that drinking again after recovering from alcohol related pancreatitis can still put you at risk of illnesses.

Even if the pancreatitis is not caused due to excessive consumption of alcohol then also it is very important to avoid drinking alcohol completely for at least six months to one year. This is because the pancreas needs time to recover and come to its normal functioning even if you have undergone surgery. If patients do not stop drinking after surgery for pancreatitis and start taking alcohol within six months then the condition can worsen drastically and can also prove to be fatal.

It is noted that many patients die due to excessive consumption of alcohol even after being treated of pancreatitis. It is observed that more than 25000 people were admitted to the hospital in Great Britain from 2013 to 2014 with the symptoms of pancreatitis out of which maximum people died due to consumption of alcohol again after getting cured. This clearly answers the question of can you ever drink again after having pancreatitis. Hence, it is highly recommended not to take alcohol for the lifetime once you develop pancreatitis as it increases the risk of further complications.

Conclusion

Thus, in case you develop pancreatitis it is very essential that you consult your physician and go through proper treatment as soon as possible. Depending on the severity of the condition and medical advice, surgery would be considered, as in most cases, surgery is the only solution of pancreatitis. Regarding the question whether you can ever drink again after having pancreatitis, it depends on your condition and severity. However, in most cases, once you get cured of pancreatitis, it is highly recommended not to take alcohol in your lifetime. For some, occasionally drinking in small amounts may not affect much, but again, the effects vary and it is best to follow medical advice.

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Can You Ever Drink Again After Having Pancreatitis?