Hello Angela and thanks for posting

I'm sorry to read about your brother's situation. This must be a difficult time for you both.

Diarrhoea can happen after Whipple surgery and during chemotherapy, and unfortunately it can sometimes be quite severe. After a Whipple procedure, the body often struggles to digest food in the same away as before, especially fats, because part of the pancreas has been removed and fewer digestive enzymes are made. Chemotherapy can also irritate the gut and cause diarrhoea. So the two things together can make the problem worse.

Doctors can sometimes adjust the dose of the chemotherapy drugs, or the timing if the side effects are too severe. There are also medicines that your brother can take to help reduce diarrhoea as well as enzyme tablets which you can read about on our website.

The best thing to do is to contact your brother's specialist team at the hospital or his GP about your concerns. They can assess him and advise him further. If he has a specialist nurse (CNS) involved in his care then perhaps they can provide him with further information. You often have to call and leave them a message and they will get back to you.  

I hope his symptoms improve soon. Give us a ring if you would like to talk anything over. The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.

Kind Regards,

Celene