Simple FactSheet: Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis
a Simple FactSheet from the AIDS Treatment Data Network

||||| Pancreatitis:

The pancreas is a small organ located just behind the stomach. The pancreas produces insulin which helps the body process sugars in your body. Pancreatitis is when the pancreas becomes inflamed or damaged.

||||| Symptoms:

Symptoms of pancreatitis include nausea, vomiting and a persistent (sometimes severe) pain in the stomach area that may go right through to your back.

||||| Drugs responsible:

The most common cause of pancreatitis is the NRTI drug didanosine (ddI, Videx). Less commonly, pancreatitis can also be a side effect of stavudine (d4T, Zerit). lamivudine (3TC, Epivir) has been associated with the development of pancreatitis in children.

||||| Risk of experiencing this side effect:

In studies, up to 7% (around 1 in 14) of people taking Videx experienced pancreatitis. In studies of Zerit, less than 1% of people developed the problem. Recent reports suggest that people taking Videx in combination with Zerit and/or hydroxyurea may be at increased risk of getting pancreatitis. It is recommended that people with other risk factors for pancreatitis use Videx with extreme caution and only if there are no other alternatives. Some of the known risk factors for pancreatitis include: a past history of pancreatitis, ongoing alcohol use, severe obesity, high triglyceride levels, gallstones, a medical procedure called endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), and many other medications that can have pancreatitis as a side effect (such as intravenous pentamidine). In studies in children with a history of treatment with other NRTIs, Epivir was associated with pancreatitis in 14-18% (about 1 out of 6) of the participants.

||||| Diagnosis:

Monitoring for pancreatitis involves blood tests to measure the levels of substances called amylase and lipase. Increased levels of amylase and lipase can warn of damage to the pancreas before symptoms appear. Your doctor can then confirm if there is damage by doing additional tests.

||||| Treatment:

NRTI drugs should be stopped if pancreatitis is suspected. There is no specific treatment for pancreatitis, but hospitalization and supportive care may be needed in serious cases. If damage to the pancreas is permanent (a condition called chronic pancreatitis), changes in diet may be needed to prevent pancreatitis from happening again. Doctors recommend that Videx be permanently stopped if a diagnosis of pancreatitis is confirmed. Restarting Zerit after a case of pancreatitis should be done with caution.

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Last modified: 8/15/2006
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\|\|\|\|\| Pancreatitis:
The pancreas is a small organ located just behind the stomach. The pancreas produces insulin which helps the body process sugars in your body. Pancreatitis is when the pancreas becomes inflamed or damaged.
\|\|\|\|\| Symptoms:
Symptoms of pancreatitis include nausea, vomiting and a persistent (sometimes severe) pain in the stomach area that may go right through to your back.
\|\|\|\|\| Drugs responsible:
The most common cause of pancreatitis is the NRTI drug didanosine (ddI, Videx). Less commonly, pancreatitis can also be a side effect of stavudine (d4T, Zerit). lamivudine (3TC, Epivir) has been associated with the development of pancreatitis in children.
\|\|\|\|\| Risk of experiencing this side effect:
In studies, up to 7% (around 1 in 14) of people taking Videx experienced pancreatitis. In studies of Zerit, less than 1% of people developed the problem. Recent reports suggest that people taking Videx in combination with Zerit and/or hydroxyurea may be at increased risk of getting pancreatitis. It is recommended that people with other risk factors for pancreatitis use Videx with extreme caution and only if there are no other alternatives. Some of the known risk factors for pancreatitis include: a past history of pancreatitis, ongoing alcohol use, severe obesity, high triglyceride levels, gallstones, a medical procedure called endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), and many other medications that can have pancreatitis as a side effect (such as intravenous pentamidine). In studies in children with a history of treatment with other NRTIs, Epivir was associated with pancreatitis in 14-18% (about 1 out of 6) of the participants.
\|\|\|\|\| Diagnosis:
Monitoring for pancreatitis involves blood tests to measure the levels of substances called amylase and lipase. Increased levels of amylase and lipase can warn of damage to the pancreas before symptoms appear. Your doctor can then confirm if there is damage by doing additional tests.
\|\|\|\|\| Treatment:
NRTI drugs should be stopped if pancreatitis is suspected. There is no specific treatment for pancreatitis, but hospitalization and supportive care may be needed in serious cases. If damage to the pancreas is permanent (a condition called chronic pancreatitis), changes in diet may be needed to prevent pancreatitis from happening again. Doctors recommend that Videx be permanently stopped if a diagnosis of pancreatitis is confirmed. Restarting Zerit after a case of pancreatitis should be done with caution.