When To Call a Doctor

Call your doctor immediately if you have severe belly (abdominal) pain with vomiting that does not go away after a few hours, or mild to moderate pain that does not improve with home treatment after a couple of days. These symptoms may be caused by pancreatitis.

Watchful Waiting

Pancreatitis can be a severe, potentially life-threatening illness. It is not appropriate to take a wait-and-see approach, which is called watchful waiting, if you have severe pain in the upper area of the abdomen that does not go away in a few hours.

Who To See

The following health professionals can diagnose and treat pancreatitis:

• Family medicine physician
• Internist
• Gastroenterologist (specialist in diseases of the digestive system)
• Nurse practitioner
• Physician assistant
• Surgeon

To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment.