Chrissy re Creon

[Guest guest]

Hi Chrissy!

Happy New Year to you and everyone. Came back from London last

night. Excellent few days and felt better than I have for a while.

Well, I think I told you before that I had DREADFUL cramps and gas

when I started taking Creon. I can't exactly remember how long it

took me to adjust but I think it was six to eight weeks. I was

prescribed it in April 2003 for the first time. By the time I saw

Prof in July I no longer had those particular gas-type cramps but

the horrible upper-abdominal pancreatic pains had not improved;

these are the ones I've had all my life but they were strong and far

too frequent in 2002 and 2003. By September, when the pains had got

really very bad (the pancreatic ones, not the Creon-linked gas

cramps), I'd been taking Creon for five months (high doses since the

July appointment with Prof...before that I'd taken lower doses as

prescribed by the gastro in April)and it was at that point that the

TP was thought a possibility. However, you may remember that my TP

was cancelled in October 2003 because they had an emergency and

needed the ICU bed. By then, I was beginning to feel much better.

The Creon cramps had already gone, of course, back in June probably,

but the " pancreas-resting " effects of the Creon only seemed to kick

in by October. Of course, by then I'd been low-fat and no-alcohol

for six months as well. That was when the pancreatic upper-abdominal

pains began to improve.

I know this is not all relevant to you, Chrissy, because you no

longer have a pancreas, but I think it does show that it takes quite

a while for the body to adjust to these things. You have a lot going

on with the loss of your pancreas and I should think you are

readjusting in many different ways. Anyway, I think the lower-

abdominal gas cramps took up to a couple of months to go away. I

remember them being particularly bad in the evening.

I take my Creon through the meal, the first one just as I'm starting

to eat. The instructions with the medication indicate that this is

correct. I do remember one doc, a member of the pancreatic team,

telling me it was better to take it all just before eating, unless

it was a very long meal, but I still space it out throughout the

eating process.

I have to say that I think poor pancreatic function (or none, as in

your case!) is often linked with increased gas anyway. I still have

much more of a problem with this than " normal " people do.

I hope it all gets sorted soon for you. Hopefully those who have had

the TP/ICT will be able to help more, as well as the docs of course.

With my love,

Fliss (UK)