Case
A patient of ours went to the emergency room with stomach pain. She was told she didn't have pancreatitis, but did have mildly elevated lipase levels while on the VLCD diet. It this normal/common? I believe this is because of ketogenic fat burning but want your expertise, with an explanation of why if possible.
Treatment Recommendation
I doubt this is from the diet. The most common cause would be if the patient did any vomiting prior to the test. Also, lipase is not specific to the pancreas. Mild dehydration can lead to this as well.
It is OK to continue the VLCD, but probably worth rechecking. Obviously, if symptoms continue, she will need to be re-evaluated.
I presume an ultrasound was done in the ER. If not, it needs to be done. —John Hernried, MD