Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Pancreatitis and Rubbing Alcohol

I've been cleaning some things with rubbing alcohol. Around the same time I started feeling discomfort in my pancreas. I wrote it off as being the scrambled eggs with cheese. I figured it was the food beause I usually don't eat anything that heavy and the timeframe was a match.

Over the next few days I continued cleaning things with the rubbing alcohol not getting the connection. Finally about 4 days into it I started re-evaluating whether or not it was the food that was hurting my pancreas. It simply didn't seem like a match. I felt like my pancreas should be feeling better, but it wasn't. Yet, I was being better with the food.

Then I wondered if it was possible for the alcohol from the rubbing alcohol could be seeping into my system topically. I started using latex gloves and my pancreas felt better almost immediately. The pattern was that my pancreas was hurting in the evenings. I was also using the rubbing alcohol in the evenings. Basically, it was having an immediate effect. As soon as I started wearing the gloves the pancreatic discomfort subsided.

The lesson to be learned is this: Be aware of everything you come in contact with. Realize you can help to ease discomfort to the pancreas but what you allow - and don't allow - in your system. You can make a difference if you choose to be aware, proactive and act responsible.
We all make mistakes. We aren't perfect. Many lessons we can't learn without going through the process or hearing the stories from other people. Now, you've heard my rubbing alcohol story. I hope it helps you avoid the same discomfort.

1 comment:

  1. It is so bizarre that I came across your post today! I haven't been diagnosed with CP.....yet, but I did get the diagnostis of Acute Pancreatitis 6 months ago. While it's improving with diet changes, it certainly not gone. I went in for a 6 month check up last week, and I was happy to report I hadn't had any pain in nearly 2 weeks. The doc was happy to hear his theory was right (I was taking a medication that was documented to cause pancreatitis---and while I had pancreatitis before starting to take this medication, he felt it was the cause of the slow heailing time.) The this last week, I started having pretty intense pain again---but I hadn't changed anything with my diet. So, I've been scouring the internet, reading about CP---when I came across your blog. It just so happens... that last week, right around the same time the pain started, I was doing a project that required cleaning with rubbing alcohol. I managed to spill the rubbing alcohol all over the back of my hand! Of course, it could simply be a very unlikely coincidence.....but in the mean time, I'm blown away by this correlation, and your observation! Thank you!

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