4 B
SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, 2015
TO YOUR
GOOD HEALTH
Pancreatitis
means giving up
alcohol
DEAR DR. ROACH: I went to the
emergency ward with severe chest
pains and bloating. I was sure I was
having a heart attack. After tests, a CT
scan revealed I had pancreatitis; also,
my potassium was low and sodium
was critically low. I am 62, 5 feet, 9
inches tall and weigh 210; I have Type
2 diabetes with an A1C of 6.7 and
high blood pressure. I was discharged
after four days with no restrictions
other than to eat light and refrain from
alcohol 100 percent for the rest of my
life to avoid another occurrence.
I had never heard of pancreatitis,
and it was devastating news to me. I
make wine, and have for years. I do
not drink anything except wine, and
the thought of never being able to
drink again is very disturbing. Is there
a possibility that I may be able to
SALOME’S STARS
ARIES (March 21 to April 19) That
lower-than-acceptable performance
you’re getting from others in your
group might be the result of miscom-
munication. If so, correct it before seri-
ous problems arise later on.
TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) An
unexpected situation could call for a
change of plans. If so, you might feel
that this is unfair. But it’s best to make
the needed adjustments now. There’ll
be time later for rescheduling.
GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) The
new year brings opportunities you
might want to look into. Some might be
more interesting than others. But take
time to look at all of them before you
make any decisions.
CANCER (June 21 to July 22) It’s a
good idea to be careful about expenses
until you’ve worked out that pesky
drink wine again in the future? The
doctor’s assessment seemed pretty
harsh to me. — J.C.
ANSWER: Acute pancreatitis is an
inflammation of the pancreas, an
organ that makes digestive enzymes
and insulin. Acute pancreatitis can be
very severe, even life-threatening on
occasion. There are many causes, but
the most common in North America
are gallstones and alcohol. The diag-
nosis is made from the history and
physical exam, and an elevated pan-
creas enzyme level, usually amylase
or lipase. These often are elevated into
the thousand range. A CT scan also
can help confirm the diagnosis.
Before concluding that alcohol is
the cause of the pancreatitis, it’s
important to make sure there is noth-
ing blocking the pancreatic and com-
mon bile duct, such as a stone or
tumor. The CT scan is good, but if
there is doubt, an endoscopy may
need to be performed.
If your doctor determined that the
cause is alcohol, then I’m afraid I have
to agree that no amount of alcohol is
safe. Drinking even modest amounts
of wine, even months or years later,
could bring about pancreatitis again.
In addition to the pain and suffering
that go with an episode, the more
episodes of acute pancreatitis you
have, the more likely you are to devel-
op chronic pancreatitis (with constant
pain), pancreatic insufficiency (lead-
ing to inability to properly digest
food) and worsen your diabetes.
DEAR DR. ROACH: I take the
statin drug atorvastatin since my heart
surgery. The sticker on the bottle
reads, “Do not eat grapefruit or drink
grapefruit juice at any time while tak-
ing this medicine.” My cardiologist
said this warning was based on rather
thin clinical trials, and it was OK to
continue eating one grapefruit in the
morning and taking the statin at bed-
time. Are there new developments on
this topic?
ANSWER: Grapefruit juice indeed
can affect the metabolism of atorvas-
tatin (Lipitor) and many other medica-
tions. However, the amount of grape-
fruit needed in order to have a signifi-
cant effect is quite high — the manu-
facturer recommends avoiding con-
sumption of more than a quart (1.2
liters) of grapefruit juice a day.
I agree with your cardiologist that a
grapefruit is a healthy way to begin
the day and is not likely to cause any
problems with atorvastatin.
financial problem. You might find it
advisable to get some solid advice on
how to proceed.
LEO (July 23 to August 22)
Romance looms large over the Leonine
aspect. Single Lions looking for love
should find Cupid very cooperative.
Paired Cats can expect a renewed
closeness in their relationships.
VIRGO (August 23 to September
22) Making contact with a former col-
league might not be high on your list of
priorities. But it could pay off personal-
ly as well as professionally. Avoid
bringing up any negatives about the
past.
LIBRA (September 23 to October
22) A personal relationship could face
added stress because of a situation
involving someone close to both of
you. Be supportive and, above all, try
to avoid playing the blame game.
SCORPIO
(October
23
to
November 21) You might well find
some lingering uncertainties about a
decision. If so, take that as a warning
that you might not be ready to make
that move yet. More study would be in
order.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to
December 21) Music is a dominant
theme for Sagittarians right now, and it
should remind you to make a greater
effort to restore some much-needed
harmony in that very special relation-
ship.
CAPRICORN (December 22 to
January 19) Although family matters
might demand much of the Sea Goat’s
attention this week, you’ll want to try
to make time to handle those all-impor-
tant workplace situations as well.
AQUARIUS (January 20 to
February 18) A recurring unresolved
issue might need to be revisited before
you can move forward. Consider ask-
ing someone familiar with the situation
to act as an impartial counselor.
PISCES (February 19 to March 20)
Ignore pressure to make a decision.
Keeping your options open is still the
wisest course, at least until you’re sure
you’ve learned all you need to know
about the matter at hand.
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