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Creon is a prescription medication used to treat exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI)* that’s due to chronic pancreatitis. It’s also approved to treat EPI that’s caused by cystic fibrosis or other conditions.
You take CREON capsules with meals or snacks to help your body make the enzymes it needs. Don’t take more capsules in a day than your doctor tells you to.
What is EPI?
Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) is a condition where your pancreas cannot produce the enzymes you need to digest food. This can lead to troublesome symptoms such as steatorrhea, weight loss, and flatulence.
EPI is caused by a number of different things, including chronic pancreatitis and cystic fibrosis. It can also be a complication of gastric, intestinal, or pancreatic surgery.
The best way to prevent EPI is to avoid smoking and alcohol. Both of these substances can cause your pancreas to overwork and lead to inflammation, which damages the organ.
Other causes of EPI include genetic disorders such as cystic fibrosis and Shwachman-Diamond syndrome. These conditions affect the body’s ability to make a thick, sticky mucus that can block your pancreas from releasing the digestive enzymes it needs.
Using a highly digestible diet together with pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy can usually stabilize the condition and prevent EPI from occurring again. However, if you miss a dose of your medication you may experience gas, bloating, and stomach pain.
How does Creon work?
Creon works to help the pancreas produce more digestive enzymes that your body needs to digest foods. Without enough of these enzymes, you may not absorb essential nutrients from your food and experience symptoms like diarrhea, gas, bloating, and cramping.
Taking Creon may cause mild side effects, such as nausea and vomiting. These may last a few days or weeks. But if they become severe or bothersome, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
You should tell your doctor if you have a high blood sugar level (hyperglycemia) or a high level of uric acid in your blood while taking Creon. This is especially important if you have diabetes.
It’s also a good idea to tell your doctor about any other medical conditions you have, such as liver or kidney disease. Your doctor can help you weigh the risks and benefits of using Creon.
You should not take Creon if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. It isn’t known if Creon will pass into breast milk or affect children who are breastfeeding.
What are the possible side effects of Creon?
Creon is a prescription medication that helps your pancreas make its own digestive enzymes. It works to help your body break down fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.
Your doctor may also recommend other medicines, diet changes, or other treatments as part of your overall management plan for EPI. If you have diabetes, your doctor may recommend monitoring your blood sugar levels closely while taking Creon.
People with cystic fibrosis (CF) have thick, sticky mucus in their bodies that can clog the duct (passageway) between the pancreas and small intestine. This can block the movement of pancreatic enzymes to the small intestine, which can make it hard for them to help digest food.
CF is a genetic condition that can affect children of all ages. It can cause lifelong pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy, such as Creon.
What should I know about Creon?
Creon is a medicine that can help your pancreas work better. It contains a combination of different enzymes that are made by your pancreas to help break down fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.
The amount of these enzymes in Creon varies, so your doctor will prescribe the right dose for you based on how well your body responds to the drug and how severe your condition is.
Your doctor will also let you know about the possible side effects of this medication. Some of these side effects may go away, but other ones can be serious.
These side effects include nausea, diarrhea, and constipation. These effects haven’t been seen in initial clinical studies of Creon, but they can happen when you start taking this medication.
Other medicines can cause these effects too, so be careful with them and talk with your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms. They can be serious and could lead to hospitalization.
Suggested: Can You Take Creon and Drink Alcohol?