What symptoms are caused by problems with digestion?
When you eat, your body breaks down your food – this is part of digestion. Pancreatic cancer can affect this, which can cause symptoms.
Symptoms include:
- losing your appetite
- losing weight, or struggling to put weight back on
- indigestion or heartburn
- runny poo (diarrhoea) – read our tips on coping with diarrhoea
- problems emptying your bowels (constipation)
- pale, oily, floating poo (steatorrhoea)
- tummy pain or discomfort
- bloating or wind
- feeling full up quickly
- needing to empty your bowels urgently, especially after eating.
- Some people also develop diabetes.
Some symptoms can be caused by other things, such as jaundice.
Some treatments or medicines can hide these symptoms. For example, if you are taking strong painkillers called opioids (such as morphine), these may cause constipation and hide the symptoms of diarrhoea. Your medical team will help you manage any symptoms you have alongside the medicines you are taking. It is important that you don’t stop taking any medicines without speaking to your doctor, nurse or dietitian first.