Enzymes

[Guest guest]

Hello Adam,

I take 3 or 4 Creon 40,000 with a meal, depending on how big the

meal is etc. I take 1 or 2 Creon 10,000 with a small snack.

My pancreatologist prescribed these doses. High doses are often

prescribed by specialists to-day. I am virtually " end-stage " now and

have little or no exocrine pancreatic function left, ie. ,y pancreas

no longer produces digestive enzymes.

For me personally, the Creon works excellently in two ways :

(1) It helps to prevent steatorrhoea, gas etc. which are the result

of malabsorption. Once you take the enzymes, you do begin to digest

your food properly, provided the doses are correct.

(2) It " rests " the pancreas, helping with the pancreatic upper-

abdominal pain.

I know people do respond differently to enzymes. Creon gave me

ADDITIONAL lower abdominal cramps when I first started taking it!!

After a few weeks it settled down and now I wouldn't be without it.

Of course, I am also careful to eat low fat (and no alcohol!)

One day a few months ago I found myself about to order lunch in a

restaurant in the middle of London and I had left my Creon back in

my son's house, where we were staying. A chemist won't sell Creon

without a prescription, of course, so I went to a healthfood shop

nearby and bought some OTC enzymes. Nothing awful happened but I ate

only a couple of lettuce leaves etc. because I was so worried!! As

Heidi says, the formulations aren't adequate for serious CP cases

although they may help some types of indigestion.

You need to discuss your prescription with your gastroenterologist.

It will depend on the extent to which your pancreas is not

functioning.

Hope that helps,

Fliss (UK)