I forgot to add, I also took tablets to help my pancreas digest food whilst it was recovering. Your husband should ask if this would help him - they don't help the appetite but they do help to digest the food that you do manage to eat. This link may be helpful www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/.../

Thank you so much for your response. He is having Chemo and the Dr gave him Creon right away, he has the Ensure drinks which I add as much as I can to it. It is like a psychological issue, like someone who is anorexic would have. He is also on Mirtazapine which is supposed to give you an appetite. I am booking him I. With his GP for next week and they are getting the hospital dietician to contact us again next week.   Hope you are feeling ok

I'm glad the GP & dietician are booked - they may be able to suggest other ways to help him to eat. Don't be surprised if they say he needs to take more Ensure (depending on how much he's been prescribed daily).

It's difficult to explain how a pancreas patient feels about food & eating. It's not that they deliberately refuse to eat - it's more that the feeling of bloating & fullness makes the appetite 'switch' turn off so their body doesn't tell them it needs sustenance. They can't force themselves to eat because it then does become psychological - they feel sick swallowing the food, they start to feel sick & uncomfortable at the smell & sight of it. That's why very small amounts throughout the day is the only way to get any sustenance. I would have half a weetabix in full fat milk & with sugar on for breakfast & I was lucky if I ate it all. The rest of the day I would have a slice of malt loaf, sometimes a yoghurt, a little cheese on a toasted teacake. I would also sleep a lot (11 hours at night & 1 hour cat naps throughout the day so I felt I was having to eat every time I was awake). It doesn't help that it's winter time (I was ill from December onwards) so you can't get any fresh air & have a little walk to try & feel a little more in need of some food.

I lost 4 stone over 6 months (fortunately I was overweight so could stand to lose some of it). Once I started to slowly eat again (it took 2 months to get back to full portion sizes) I started to increase my weight. After 6 months I had regained a stone & now, 3 years later, I've regained another 1.5 stone & am at a healthy weight. I stopped the Creon a year after I became ill & I've had no lasting problems with my digestion. Hopefully the chemo will help deal with the cancer & then his appetite will slowly return but it is a long slog. You don't realise how important the pancreas is until it's damaged. 

Good luck & please let us know how your husband is getting on.

I'm glad the GP & dietician are booked - they may be able to suggest other ways to help him to eat. Don't be surprised if they say he needs to take more Ensure (depending on how much he's been prescribed daily).

It's difficult to explain how a pancreas patient feels about food & eating. It's not that they deliberately refuse to eat - it's more that the feeling of bloating & fullness makes the appetite 'switch' turn off so their body doesn't tell them it needs sustenance. They can't force themselves to eat because it then does become psychological - they feel sick swallowing the food, they start to feel sick & uncomfortable at the smell & sight of it. That's why very small amounts throughout the day is the only way to get any sustenance. I would have half a weetabix in full fat milk & with sugar on for breakfast & I was lucky if I ate it all. The rest of the day I would have a slice of malt loaf, sometimes a yoghurt, a little cheese on a toasted teacake. I would also sleep a lot (11 hours at night & 1 hour cat naps throughout the day so I felt I was having to eat every time I was awake). It doesn't help that it's winter time (I was ill from December onwards) so you can't get any fresh air & have a little walk to try & feel a little more in need of some food.

I lost 4 stone over 6 months (fortunately I was overweight so could stand to lose some of it). Once I started to slowly eat again (it took 2 months to get back to full portion sizes) I started to increase my weight. After 6 months I had regained a stone & now, 3 years later, I've regained another 1.5 stone & am at a healthy weight. I stopped the Creon a year after I became ill & I've had no lasting problems with my digestion. Hopefully the chemo will help deal with the cancer & then his appetite will slowly return but it is a long slog. You don't realise how important the pancreas is until it's damaged. 

Good luck & please let us know how your husband is getting on.

Thank you for your response, it has helped me to understand more. I just wish I could do something to help him eat. 

I’m not sure if my reply came back to you. But thank you so much for your information.