Anyone else having problems getting creon 4000?

aroeb

Anyone else having problems getting creon 4000, if so any suggestions on any over the counter treatments until I can get a replacement, thank you in advance 

Antonia_Alumni

Hi @aroeb welcome to the community How are you doing today? Have you been in touch with your GP or your local pharmacy. A medical professional will be in the best position to suggest other options. Please keep us updated.

Sam_Alumni

On the Pancreatic Cancer website they say:

The company that makes Creon will not be making Creon 40,000 from June 2019. They have said that this is because they can’t get enough of the enzymes used to make the 40,000 capsules. These are different to the enzymes used for the 10,000 and 25,000 capsules. The 10,000 and 25,000 capsules will still be available, and the company will now be making more of these. There is currently supply of Creon 40,000 available, so this change will happen in the next few months.
If you take Creon 40,000 at the moment, you can still get enough enzymes using Creon 25,000 which are slightly smaller capsules. For example:

• if you normally take one 40,000 capsule, take two 25,000 capsules

• if you normally take two 40,000 capsules, take three 25,000 capsules

• if you normally take three 40,000 capsules, take five 25,000 capsules.

The enzymes will work better if you spread them out through the meal, rather than taking them all at once. For example, take one capsule after the first mouthful, then take the other capsules through the meal, with the last one near the end.
It may also help to take medicines that reduce the amount of acid in the stomach, as these can make the enzymes more effective. These are called proton pump inhibitors (for example, omeprazole or lansoprazole) or H2 antagonists (for example, ranitidine).
It can also help to spread the capsules out over a meal. For example, take half the capsules when you start eating, and spread the other half out during the meal. You may feel that this change means you are taking a lot of capsules. If you are struggling with this at all, speak to your doctor, nurse or dietitian for advice.
If you have any worries about the changes in enzyme supplements available, or how to change from taking the 40,000 capsules, speak to our specialist nurses on our Support Line.

Though of course, we always recommend you speak to your doctor about any changes to medication.