More suitable methods of pain relief should be used.
Alcoholism is by far the most common cause.
Chronic pancreatitis is associated with severe abdominal pain and steatorrhoea, and the treatment of choice advocated by well-known textbooks is pancreatic enzyme supplementation. American Journal of Gastroenterology. Using the main pain outcome, reviewers calculated the percentage of patients expressing a preference for enzymes over placebo. This derived from the number of patients obtaining greater pain relief from pancreatic enzymes than from placebo. Findings All six trials were crossover design, and of two weeks to eight months duration.