Why does pancreatic attacks return when no alcohol is consumed

Hello Anon

Thank you for writing.

For the benefit of our readers, the pancreas, a six-inch long organ below the stomach, makes juices and hormones that aid in digestion and balance the body’s sugar content. Pancreatic juices are called enzymes and include insulin, which controls the amount of sugar in the blood.

Chronic pancreatitis occurs when the organ’s digestive enzymes attack and destroy the pancreas and nearby tissues, resulting in scarring and pain.

Chronic pancreatitis results from prolonged injury to the pancreas, usually caused by prolonged alcohol abuse. Other causes include:

Trauma
Pseudocysts (accumulation of fluids and debris)
Heredity
Congenital conditions (eg, pancreas divisum)
Cystic fibrosis
Hypercalcemia (high blood levels of calcium)
Hyperlipidemia or hypertriglyceridemia (high levels of blood fats)
Medications
Autoimmune conditions

Factors that may increase your risk of chronic pancreatitis include:

Gender: male
Age: late teens to mid-twenties (for alcohol-induced)
Age: over 50 (for cases of no known cause)
Heavy alcohol consumption
Smoking
Family history of hyperparathyroidism associated with chronic pancreatitis

Anon, talk to your doctor about what the non-alcoholic causes may be for you.
Best,
Susan