--- title: "Experts Say Travis Barker Colonoscopy Rumor Likely False" description: "Travis Barker is reportedly recovering from a bout of pancreatitis brought on by a recent colonoscopy — but some doctors say that cause seems unlikely. " date: "2022-07-01" modified: "2022-07-01" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/travis-barker-pancreatitis" categories: - "Developments" - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "colonoscopy" - "intestines" - "Pancreas" - "travis barker" --- # Experts Say Travis Barker Colonoscopy Rumor Likely False ![Former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker is reportedly recovering from a bout of pancreatitis that may have been triggered by a recent colonoscopy.]() *\Image: Noel Vasquez/Getty Images\* Former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker is reportedly recovering from a bout of pancreatitis brought on by a recent colonoscopy — but doctors say that seems unlikely. Confirmed [by *TMZ*](), news of Barker's reported Tuesday hospitalization comes after the famed drummer and newest Kardashian clan member [tweeted "God save me"]() that afternoon. Though the gossip news site reported that doctors believe Barker's pancreatitis "was triggered by a colonoscopy," other medical professionals are urging caution before rushing to diagnose someone from afar. "I think more facts need to be known about the situation," Baylor College of Medicine's [Dr. Suneal Agarwal told *Health* magazine](), "before commenting \[that\] the colonoscopy caused it." "It's extremely rare," Agarawal, who is an associate professor of gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition, told the magazine. "I can't stress the fact enough that it is very, very rare to get pancreatitis after a colonoscopy." A routine procedure to check for all manner of gastroenterology issues, colonoscopies are both commonplace and very safe, *Health* noted. Agarawal added that though there are numerous post-colonoscopy complications that include bleeding, perforation in the colon wall, and even severe abdominal pain, pancreatitis is not generally among the risks. "Hundreds of thousands of colonoscopies are performed every year," the Baylor doctor said. "And in terms of the rate of pancreatitis, it has been associated with colonoscopy on a case report level, meaning like less than 10, per se, that have been reported in medical literature." A source close to the drummer and his new wife Kourtney Kardashian [reportedly told *People* magazine]() that Barker "was suffering from extreme stomach pain and could barely walk" when he was admitted to Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai hospital on June 28. As *TMZ* and other outlets have noted, the date of Barker's colonoscopy hasn't been disclosed, and reports only indicate that it was recent. **READ MORE:** [Travis Barker's Pancreatitis Reportedly 'Triggered' By Colonoscopy—But Doctors Say It's 'Extremely Rare']() \[*Health Magazine*\] **More on colonoscopies:** *[Researchers Built a Powerful Robot Arm to Do Colonoscopies]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()