13 Signs and Symptoms of Pancreatitis

If you have upper abdominal pain or digestive issues, you may worry about pancreatitis—an inflammatory condition affecting pancreatic function. This organ is essential for digestion, as it secretes enzymes that break down food into absorbable nutrients.

While these symptoms might be mistaken for common indigestion or heartburn, untreated pancreatitis can progress to a severe condition. If your symptoms persist, seeking medical attention can help prevent complications like chronic inflammation or organ damage.

Common Symptoms

Several factors can trigger these symptoms, with gallstones being one of the most common causes in adults. Although acute and long-term pancreatitis shares similar symptoms, acute cases often present more intense signs that cause concern.

Severe Abdominal Pain

One of the most prominent and distressing symptoms of pancreatitis is severe abdominal pain. This epigastric pain originates in the upper left abdomen beneath the ribs and often radiates to the back.

The experience varies—some experience sudden, knife-like sensations, while others endure gradually emerging, persistent discomfort. It happens because the pancreas becomes swollen and inflamed, putting pressure on the sensitive nerves in the abdomen.

In acute cases, the pain develops rapidly and can persist for hours or days, impacting your daily activities and sleep. The affected area might be sore and sensitive, causing discomfort when the area is touched and making it difficult to move freely.

The pain often worsens when sitting upright or taking deep breaths, though some find relief by leaning forward. While acute pancreatitis pain usually improves with treatment, chronic pancreatitis may cause persistent, fluctuating pain over many years despite management efforts.

Worsening Pain After Eating

Pancreatitis pain often worsens 15-30 minutes after eating, particularly after consuming high-fat foods or full-fat dairy products. Large meals can trigger severe reactions as the inflamed pancreas struggles to meet the demands of digestion.

This pain is often accompanied by nausea, bloating, and a feeling of satiation. In an attempt to avoid discomfort, some may start skipping meals, which can lead to unintended weight loss and poor nutrition.

Nausea & Vomiting

Nausea and vomiting serve as your body’s natural protective response by limiting food intake, which reduces stress on the pancreas by limiting enzyme production that could worsen inflammation.

You will experience nausea as a persistent queasiness in your upper abdomen, accompanied by increased salivation and sweating. The mere smell or sight of food can exacerbate these sensations, sometimes leading to a complete loss of appetite.

Vomiting often follows, and the expelled contents may be clear, contain undigested food, or appear yellowish due to bile or gastric juices from an empty stomach.

Fever & Chills

A fever often develops as your body fights the inflammation. In an effort to raise body temperature, you may experience chills that alternate with episodes of shivering and sweating.

This discomfort extends to the muscles and can disrupt your rest, leading to body aches and extreme fatigue. While mild fevers (below 101°F or 38.3°C) are common, higher temperatures may signal serious complications such as infection, abscess, or bile duct blockage.

Swollen or Tender Abdomen

A characteristic sign of pancreatitis is swelling and tenderness in the upper abdomen, particularly above the belly button. This occurs because inflammation causes the pancreas to swell; in severe cases, fluid can collect in the abdominal cavity.

Your abdomen may feel firm and tight, with tenderness ranging from mild discomfort to severe pain when touched or during movement. Simple activities like bending over, coughing, or wearing clothing might become uncomfortable.

The pain often radiates to your back and intensifies after eating as your body attempts to process food. In severe cases, breathing becomes difficult, affected by the increased pressure in your abdomen.

Additional Symptoms in Chronic Pancreatitis

Recognizing chronic pancreatitis symptoms can be challenging, especially when they develop so gradually that they might go unnoticed. This progressive condition causes your pancreas to deteriorate over time, with symptoms sometimes absent even when tests reveal pancreatic damage.

Unexplained Weight Loss

You may notice unintentional weight loss that begins gradually but becomes significant over time. Despite your normal eating habits, you may lose several pounds within a few months.

You might notice your clothes fitting more loosely or decreasing weight on the bathroom scale. The primary cause is that a damaged pancreas produces fewer digestive enzymes, making it harder for your body to digest food and absorb essential nutrients.

Even if you’re eating enough, much of the nutritional value passes through your digestive system unabsorbed. Additionally, abdominal pain, nausea, or fear of triggering symptoms may cause you to have poor appetite.

Oily, Foul-Smelling Stools

With chronic pancreatitis, the pancreas may struggle to produce enough enzymes to digest fats effectively. This can lead to steatorrhea, a condition in which undigested fat passes through the digestive system.

You might notice your stools appear greasy or shiny, sometimes with small oil droplets present in the toilet water. Stools often float and typically become bulkier, pale, and lighter in color, occurring more frequently than usual.

The oily nature of these stools makes them difficult to flush and contributes to a rancid, foul, or generally very unpleasant smell.

Yellowing of Skin & Eyes

Obstruction of the bile duct resulting from inflammation, scarring, or gallstones can prevent bile from flowing into the intestines, leading to a buildup of bilirubin—a yellow substance produced by the liver—in the bloodstream.

This buildup results in jaundice, a common sign in chronic cases. The condition usually begins with a yellowish discoloration in the whites of the eyes and may spread to the skin as bilirubin levels continue to rise.

You may also experience other symptoms related to the buildup of bilirubin, such as pale-colored stools, dark urine, and itching skin. The presence and severity of jaundice are usually proportional to the extent of the bile duct obstruction.

Emergency Symptoms for Severe Complications

Severe pancreatitis can quickly escalate into life-threatening complications that can lead to organ failure, sepsis, or even death. Don’t wait until it’s too late – if you experience severe symptoms, seek medical help right away to prevent potentially fatal consequences.

Difficulty Breathing

Breathing problems may occur if pancreatic inflammation spreads, putting pressure on the diaphragm, or if fluid accumulates in the chest cavity.

This inflammation can also trigger a systemic response that affects the lungs, leading to labored, shallow, or rapid breathing (also known as hyperventilation). You might instinctively lean forward or use your neck and shoulder muscles to breathe more easily.

These adjustments indicate an increased effort to maintain normal breathing, even though it may provide temporary relief. Increased pressure on the diaphragm and lungs can also cause chest pain, tightness, wheezing, or noisy breathing, especially when lying flat.

Severe Dehydration

Severe dehydration can arise as a complication of pancreatitis due to fluid loss from vomiting, fluid buildup in the abdomen, and reduced intake due to digestive symptoms. These factors rapidly deplete the body’s water levels, increasing the risk of serious complications.

You may feel persistently thirsty even after drinking water. Your mouth can become dry and sticky, with chapped or cracked lips. When you pinch the skin on your hand, it may take time to return to its normal state.

Additional indicators include sunken eyes, decreased urine output, and dark-colored urine. Dizziness or lightheadedness, particularly when changing positions, may occur as your body struggles with reduced blood volume, sometimes accompanied by a rapid, weak heart rate.

Low Blood Pressure

A severe complication of this condition, when part of your pancreas dies, can cause hypotension. Inflammation and tissue damage widen blood vessels and leak fluid into surrounding tissues, reducing circulation and making it harder for the body to maintain blood flow.

A rapid drop in blood pressure may cause dizziness or lightheadedness, particularly when standing up too quickly. Your vision might temporarily darken or blur, creating a sensation of a fainting spell.

Other physical signs include pale, cold, or clammy skin, a weak pulse, and rapid, shallow breathing. Although the heart rate may increase to compensate, this response might be insufficient in severe cases, increasing the risk of organ damage or failure.

Confusion

Severe pancreatitis can lead to mental confusion or altered consciousness due to a combination of complications, including dehydration, low blood pressure, and a systemic inflammatory response.

You might experience difficulty concentrating, disorientation, trouble making simple decisions, or periods of memory lapses. Blood sugar changes and electrolyte imbalances can worsen these symptoms, making it hard to process information.

Your family might notice unusual behavior, inappropriate responses, or difficulty expressing thoughts. In more severe cases, abrupt personality changes, agitation, or extreme drowsiness signal the need for immediate medical attention.

Weakness

During severe pancreatitis, you may experience profound weakness beyond normal fatigue as your body diverts energy and resources to combat inflammation worsened by the symptoms experienced.

Your limbs might feel heavy and uncoordinated, making even simple tasks—such as walking to the bathroom, lifting a glass of water, or sitting up in bed—require extra effort.

Low blood pressure or breathing difficulties may further compromise your muscles by reducing the delivery of oxygen and nutrients, negatively affecting your strength and endurance.