Octreotide in the treatment of diarrhoea induced by coeliac plexus block

Prolonged and severe diarrhoea after alcohol celiac plexus block is a rare, but life-threatening, complication if not recognized. This type of diarrhoea may be considered an autonomic neuropathy due to sympathetic denervation. A 65-year-old pancreatic cancer patient developed serious diarrhoea after celiac plexus block which was unresponsive to traditional treatment such as loperamide, dyphenoxylate and opioids. Subcutaneous octreotide, 0.1 mg twice a day, achieved a complete resolution of the symptom. This drug was maintained at the same dosage and was well tolerated for 4 months until death. Octreotide, an analogue of somatostatin, reduces diarrhoea by suppression of intestinal motility and secretion and offers a useful option in the treatment of this complication of celiac plexus block.